Big gulp

Hydration station
Good ol’ H2O might not taste like much, but it does a lot for your hardworking body and goes a long way toward having a healthy pregnancy. For starters, it …

• Helps your body absorb nutrients (yes, even the ones packed in prenatal vitamins) and transport them to your budding babe via blood cells.
• Minimizes fatigue and swelling by ridding the body of excess sodium.
• Flushes kidneys and dilutes urine, which means more trips to the ladies room but also fewer urinary tract infections.
• Moves solid waste more quickly through the digestive process, keeping constipation (and as a result, hemorrhoids) at bay.

Drink up
So how much sipping should you be doing? As a general rule of thumb, the Institute of Medicine suggests pregnant women aim for 10 cups (2.3 liters) a day. But it doesn’t have to come straight from the faucet. You can add to your total with other fluids like soup and tea—even fruits and veggies will help top up your tank.