How much water do you need during pregnancy?

2026-10-30

During pregnancy you need a little more water than before, not a lot more. The European Food Safety Authority sets an adequate total water intake of about 2.3 liters (78 fl oz) a day for pregnant women: the usual 2.0 liters for women plus 300 ml (about 10 fl oz). The US National Academies give a higher figure of 3.0 liters (101 fl oz) of total water, about 2.3 liters (roughly 10 cups) of it from drinks. Both numbers include water from food. In practice, that means one or two extra glasses a day on top of your normal habit, more in hot weather or when you're active, and a call to your midwife or doctor if you can't keep fluids down.

The official numbers

There is no single "pregnancy water rule", but the two most cited reference values agree on the direction:

EFSA (Europe): 2.0 liters of total water a day for adult women, plus 300 ml in pregnancy, so about 2.3 liters. The extra 300 ml is tied to the extra energy you eat in pregnancy, not to a specific measured deficit.
National Academies (US): 3.0 liters of total water a day in pregnancy, of which about 2.3 liters (around 10 cups) comes from beverages, including plain water.

Why do they differ? They were derived differently. Both are "adequate intakes", meaning the amount healthy people typically drink, not a minimum below which harm begins. Neither is a precise prescription for you. If you want the general background on these reference values, see how much water you should drink a day.

"Total water" includes the water in food. Fruit, vegetables, soups, yogurt and milk usually provide around a fifth of it (more in how much of your water comes from food), so the amount you actually need to drink is lower than the headline figure.

Why your needs go up

Your body changes a lot in pregnancy: your blood volume rises, your baby and the placenta grow, and amniotic fluid is built up and constantly renewed. You also eat a bit more, and your body works a bit harder, especially later on. None of this calls for heroic amounts of water, but it does mean that the amount that kept you comfortable before may now leave you slightly short, particularly in summer.

Being well hydrated also helps with some of pregnancy's common annoyances. Constipation is frequent in pregnancy, and enough fluids together with fiber is the standard first step (see can water help with constipation?). Many people also find that headaches and tiredness are worse on days they drink little, though those symptoms have many causes in pregnancy.

What counts toward your intake

Water, still or sparkling, is the obvious choice.
Milk and fortified plant drinks count and add protein and calcium.
Tea and coffee count too, but watch the caffeine. The NHS advises no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy: roughly two mugs of instant coffee (about 100 mg each) or two to three cups of tea (about 75 mg each). Cola, energy drinks and chocolate add to the total.
Juice and soft drinks hydrate you, but they bring a lot of sugar. Keep them occasional.
Water-rich foods like soups, fruit and yogurt help, especially when nausea makes drinking hard.

Alcohol is not part of the picture: health authorities advise avoiding it completely in pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting: drinking when it's hard

Morning sickness can make a glass of water feel impossible. Some approaches that many people find easier:

Small, frequent sips rather than large glasses.
Cold drinks, ice chips or ice lollies, which are often better tolerated.
Drinking between meals rather than with them, if a full stomach makes nausea worse.
Sparkling water, or water with a slice of lemon or ginger, if plain water tastes off.

Vomiting can quickly tip you into dehydration. The NHS lists signs of dehydration in pregnancy such as feeling thirsty, tired, dizzy or lightheaded, not peeing much, and dark, strong-smelling urine. Severe, persistent vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum) often needs treatment in hospital.

How to tell if you're drinking enough

For most healthy pregnant women, two simple checks work well:

Thirst. Drink when you're thirsty, and don't ignore it for hours.
Urine color. Pale straw-colored urine through most of the day is a good sign; consistently dark urine suggests you need more (see what your urine color says). Prenatal vitamins with riboflavin can turn urine bright yellow, so color is a rough guide only.

Frequent peeing is normal in pregnancy, especially in the first and third trimesters, because of hormones and the growing uterus pressing on the bladder. Don't cut back on fluids to avoid it. If you have to get up a lot at night, drink more earlier in the day and a bit less in the last hour or two before bed. Burning, pain or blood when you pee is different: that can be a urinary infection and needs a call to your midwife or doctor.

Hot weather, exercise and travel

Your needs rise in the same situations as everyone else's, and pregnancy makes it easier to overheat:

Heat: drink more often, keep water with you, and avoid long periods in strong sun. Our hot weather hydration guide has a practical plan.
Exercise: if your doctor or midwife has cleared you for exercise, drink before you start, sip during longer sessions, and top up afterward.
Flights and long trips: bring a bottle and get up to move regularly.

When general advice doesn't apply

Some situations need individual guidance, not a rule of thumb: pre-eclampsia, kidney or heart problems, gestational diabetes, swelling that appears suddenly, or any condition for which you've been told to limit or increase fluids. In these cases, follow your care team's advice. Drinking huge amounts is not better either; very high intakes can upset your sodium balance (see can you drink too much water?).

Making it easy

Pregnancy brain is real, and "drink more" is easy to forget. A few things help:

Keep a bottle where you spend most of your time: your desk, your bag, the bedside table.
Tie drinks to routines you already have: a glass with each meal, one with each prenatal vitamin.
Use reminders that stop once you've had enough.

If you use Water Tracker, you can raise your daily goal by about 300 ml (10 fl oz) in Settings, or to whatever your midwife or doctor suggests. Gentle reminders keep you on track and go quiet once you reach it, and you can log a glass from your Apple Watch or a Home Screen widget without opening the app. Every drink can also be saved to Apple Health.

The bottom line

Pregnancy raises your water needs modestly: about 300 ml (10 fl oz) a day according to EFSA, for a total of around 2.3 liters (78 fl oz) from food and drinks, and more in heat or with exercise. Drink to thirst, aim for pale urine, keep caffeine under 200 mg, and treat persistent vomiting, very little urine or dizziness as a reason to call your midwife or doctor.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor how much you should drink.