Best Energy Drink For Pregnancy
Carrying a baby is a miraculous thing, yet can be quite exhausting on the mom too. Even so, pregnant moms cant be sitting around for 9 months.
Some are still working and have many tasks to complete in a day!
Usually, thats when the elixir comes in handy however, now that youre carrying a child, the question of how to get your energy boost safely arises.
You might be wondering, is it safe to drink energy drinks while youre pregnant?
If youre just looking for a quick answer, the thinking for many years was that a moderate amount of caffeine was safe during pregnancy, but the most recent studies conclude that no amount of caffeine is safe while pregnant.
Disclaimer: most energy drink companies have strict warnings against pregnant ladies and breastfeeding moms consuming energy drinks, so do take precautions and consult your doctor before drinking any energy drinks while pregnant.
Heres a video on how to fight pregnancy fatigue which you might find helpful.
Dealing With Fatigue During Your Pregnancy
3-minute read
Feeling hot, tired or faint is quite common during pregnancy. Hormonal changes taking place in your body at this time can make you feel nauseous and emotional.
Being tired and run-down can also make you feel low. Try to look after your physical health by eating a healthy diet, doing some gentle exercise and getting plenty of rest and sleep.
Its common to feel tired, or even exhausted, during pregnancy.
Give In To Your Desire To Sleep
Here’s the other side of the coin: If you’re craving your bed or feel your eyelids closing, it’s probably best to make time for shut-eye, says Dr. Friedman. In fact, the National Institutes of Health notes that pregnant women could need a few more hours of sleep every night or a few naps during the day. Look at it as helping your baby: “You don’t want to do anything that stresses you physically,” he says . “Resting can help maximize blood flow to the uterus.”
Also Check: Can I Put Braces While Pregnant
Keys To Fighting Fatigue During Pregnancy
When fatigue strikes, healthy foods and smart choices can help you stay alert and energized. Sticking to a well-balanced diet, exercising when possible , and responding to your bodys need for rest can help. Try these tips to help reduce symptoms of fatigue:
- Choose nutrient- and protein-rich foods, such as low-fat milk, yogurt, beans, chicken breast, or peanut butter.
- Avoid turning to sugary foods or energy drinks for a quick fix. A donut or candy bar might be a temporary sugar fix, but these foods will leave you more hungry sooner and more tired in the long run. Energy drinks should be thought of as dietary supplements and often have ingredients that might not be safe for your baby. Check with your doctor for specific guidance.
- Eat every four hours , beginning with a balanced breakfast. Try to include at least one whole grain and a fruit or vegetable with each mini-meal or snack.
- Limit caffeine. While guidelines vary,* most professionals recommend consuming no more than 300 mg of caffeine a day while pregnant. Remember to count the caffeine in other beverages, such as tea or soda.
- Listen to your body, and get the rest you need. It sounds simple, but it can be easy to forget during this busy time.
- Exercise regularly .
- Get as much of the iron, vitamins, and minerals you can from iron-rich and energy-dense foods. Take your prenatal supplements as directed by your doctor.
- Hydrate. Try to drink at least 10 8-ounce glasses of water or other fluids a day.
Does Caffeine Cause Miscarriage
Caffeine doesnt primarily cause miscarriage but it can pose a threat. Consumption of caffeine during the sensitive window of pregnancy may cause epigenetic changes to occur to your baby.
Consuming more than 200mg of caffeine can increase the risk of miscarriage, but miscarriages can also occur due to many other factors.
If you feel uncomfortable about drinking caffeine, you should quit entirely during the duration of your pregnancy.
You and your babys health should have the utmost importance after all.
Also Check: Lasik While Pregnant
What Do The Experts Say
When you are pregnant, a placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. The nutrients in the food you eat get passed on to your baby, including ingredients in energy drinks. Researchers do not know the effects of all the ingredients in energy drinks and because different types of energy drinks contain different cocktails of ingredients, energy drinks can be hard to test.
Some animal studies have found a negative association when consuming energy drinks regularly. In studies where pregnant mice were given a small amount of energy drink daily during the duration of their pregnancy, found that when exposed to energy drinks daily, the newborn mice had oxidative stress, tissue injury, and behavioral alterations . The researchers concluded that “the consumption of energy drinks during pregnancy and lactation has a negative impact on the newborns and should be treated as a significant health problem that warrants attention.”
The results of this study assert that refraining from the ingestion of energy drinks during pregnancy is a universal recommendation. In fact, labels on energy drinks contain warnings that state “Not recommend for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women, or women who are nursing.”
Natural Pregnancy Energy Boosters
Nothing wipes you out like a good dose of pregnancy. Growing a baby is tiring work! In fact, feeling tired is often one of the first signs of pregnancy, and that fatigue can linger as your pregnancy progresses.
One of the reasons you feel so beat is the rise of the hormone progesterone, which is needed to maintain early pregnancy but can also have a sedating effect on women, explains Temeka Zore, MD, a California-based ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist with Spring Fertility. Its also just physically demanding to grow another human, so its important to fuel your body with the right food and plenty of rest, she adds.
Another underlying reason pregnant women often feel tired? Changes to blood volume, blood pressure and blood sugar. Minimizing dramatic spikes and falls in your blood sugar is best maintained by foods that can provide energy and maintain your blood sugar at more constant levels, Zore explains. Foods such as proteins and complex carbohydrates are excellent sources of energy that provide essential nutrients for your body and can maintain your blood sugar levels. So while caffeine and sugar may be your normal go-tos for a quick energy boost, theyll likely result in a energy high followed by a crash, leaving you feeling just as tired as you felt before.
Luckily, there are some all-star options for boosting your pregnancy energy levels naturally. Read on to learn about seven foods thatll help you win the fight against pregnancy fatigue.
You May Like: Lice Shampoo And Pregnancy
Why Am I So Tired
Simply put, you feel tired because youre growing a baby.
In addition to hormonal changes, physical and emotional changes also lower your energy levels and make you feel fatigued.
Some of these changes include:
- increased levels of estrogen and progesterone
- lower blood pressure and blood sugar
- increased blood flow
- notice a swelling of your hands, ankles, and feet
Your healthcare practitioner can help you uncover any problems and offer additional solutions.
Growing a baby obviously takes a toll on your body. Dont ignore the signals your body is sending you. Reach out to others if youre struggling to sleep throughout your pregnancy. Ask for help from your partner.
No matter how tired you get, you should avoid taking any over-the-counter medicines as a sleeping aid.
Most pregnant women should spend at least 8 hours in bed, aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep every night. If possible, try going to sleep a little earlier than usual.
As your body changes, make sleep a priority and follow these tips to combat pregnancy fatigue:
Keep Your Fluid Intake Up
Along with adequate calorie intake, make sure you’re getting enough fluids, particularly water! Your body is producing much more fluids during this time and it’s easy to become dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to contractions, constipation, muscle cramps and fatigue, so always carry water wherever you go!
Read Also: Can You Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Eggs Lean Meats Chicken And Fish
These foods provide heaps of protein, iron, zinc which supports tissue and red blood cell formation which is essential in carrying nutrients around the body. A common symptom of iron deficiency is a lack of energy. These foods also provide amounts of fat which help the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins which have important antioxidant properties. Oily fish like salmon also contain essential omega 3 fatty acid which promotes brain function, circulation and reduces inflammation with many long term health benefits. Grass fed meat contains omega 3 to a lesser extent.
Quick Ways To Boost Your Energy During Pregnancy
Getting sufficient sleep, eating healthy, taking magnesium supplements, drinking water in large quantities, eating food in small quantities during day, taking supplements like vitamin B12 and doing exercise or yoga are the best ways to boost your energy during pregnancy.
Pregnancy is that part of a womans life in which the most dynamic changes take place. During pregnancy the body becomes vulnerable and the mind becomes quite misbalanced. There is a lot of weight gain and hormonal changes in the body. In the middle of this, it is tough to expect the energy of the body increases.
Many people live alone or far from their spouses. So while one is pregnant sometimes there might be a requirement that one has to be active to do the chores of the whole day. If not the chores, then also one has to do personal work and grooming. In pregnancy one might feel low on energy, lazy, sad, easily irritated and vulnerable. It is important to boost the energy during pregnancy so that the body remains fit and one is available to do all the work around. Here are 7 ways to boost your energy during pregnancy:
Don’t Miss: Can You Take Nutraburst While Pregnant
Pregnancy Energy Superfoods That Fight Fatigue
Theres nothing like being pregnant for zapping all your energy and whether its that bit harder to get out of bed in the morning or a struggle to stay energised in the afternoon, the solution could be as simple as introducing some different foods into your daily diet.
7 Pregnancy Energy Superfoods That Fight Fatigue
Load Up On Iron & Vitamin C
Rememberyour body needs more iron than usual to get all of the extra blood & oxygen to your growing baby. If you have an iron deficiency, you are going to be more tired than normal.
Start adding foods with iron and vitamin C to your diet and your energy levels will perk right up. I like to add mangoes, spinach, and sweet potatoes to my diet, but you could also try red meats, fish, and poultry. The extra vitamin C helps you absorb that iron, so try eating a citrus fruit or some tomatoes.
Recommended Reading: Can You Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Lack Of Energy During The Third Trimester
Experiencing a lack of energy during the third trimester should be anticipated. Your baby is really growing, your body is changing, and you are having to exert more energy to get things done. This extra effort will easily drain your existent energy and leave you feeling tired or exhausted. Getting adequate sleep may also be more challenging as your body changes and your baby grows.The lack of quality sleep can leave you with less energy and feeling tired.
Ways To Give Yourself An Energy Boost During Pregnancy
Once you’ve got your head around the faint line on the pregnancy test, it’s easy to imagine your life as one with boundless energy, streams of compliments and the ‘pregnancy glow’, everyone talks about… right?
However, pregnancy is full of undesirable side effects , tiredness and being bombarded with the infamous “When is it due?” at every family gathering.
If you are experiencing pregnancy fatigue, there are a few things you can do to give you a much-needed boost.
Thank us later!
Read Also: How To Calculate Safe Days To Avoid Pregnancy
How To Boost Pregnancy Energy Levels
Energy levels during the first trimesterMany women notice a drop in energy levels during the first trimester. In fact, falling asleep on the sofa before dinner may have been one of the first clues you might be pregnant. The pregnancy hormones and rapidly developing fetus can leave you feeling a little washed out in those first few months of pregnancy.
Energy levels during the second trimesterAs the pregnancy hormones even out, and fetal development slows to a more manageable pace, you may experience an increase in energy levels during the second trimester. The second trimester is often thought of as the best trimester. For most women, the sickness and fatigue of the first trimester are behind them, and the aches and discomfort of the final months have not yet begun.
Energy levels during the third trimesterDuring the final trimester, the baby begins to pile on the pounds in preparation for for the birth. This excess weight can begin to take its toll on your energy levels. You may find it a bit more difficult to get around during the final months, and may be starting to feel those infamous aches and pains of pregnancy. You may also be finding it more difficult to sleep now, with your growing bump preventing you from getting comfortable, and the baby performing acrobatics in your uterus.
If youre suffering from low energy during pregnancy, no matter which stage you are, there are some things you can try for an energy boost:
Four Natural Ways To Boost Energy While Pregnant
There are so many reasons why pregnancy-tired is a whole other level of exhaustion your body is making a little human, after all but that doesnt make the fact any less annoying. Especially in the first trimester, youre not sleeping as much, you may not be able to keep food down, your hormones are working overtime, and your body is using all of the nutrients possible to do this new job that youve tasked it with.
In your pre-pregnancy days, if you felt this tired you may have immediately reached for a cup of coffee or an energy drink. But since those are mostly out of the question now, how can you fight through the tired, so you can go about living your daily life?
Here are four natural ways to boost your energy while pregnant.
Read Also: Vagisil When Pregnant
Natural Ways To Increase Energy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is associated with a host of changes in the metabolic functioning of the body. This can have impact on the overall physical and mental health of the expecting mother. While, experiencing chronic fatigue during pregnancy is fairly common, persistent low levels of energy can be harmful for the mother and the child.
In most expecting mothers, especially first timers, the body undergoes significant alternations in terms of its metabolic processes and energy needs. Physiologically, the growing fetus gets priority over the mother. This means that the body directs supply of essential nutrients, fluids and energy to the placenta first. Once the needs of the fetus are addressed to, the mother receives the remainder of the nutrients and energy. This physiological mechanism is meant to protect the growing fetus, irrespective of the mothers food intake.
Inadequate consumption of food and fluids during pregnancy can therefore impact the mothers energy levels. Unless severely malnourished, the growth of the fetus remains unhampered, but the mother may feel low energy.
Best Foods For Boosting Energy During Pregnancy
Pregnancy fatigue is real, and the food we eat can seriously impact our energy levels. So if you want to increase your energy levels, add these foods to your grocery list.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts are great for boosting energy during pregnancy. They are high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Plus theyre rich in energizing folate, vitamin E, iron, potassium, and other vitamins for more energy. Oily seeds also contain antioxidants. I personally love almonds, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and flax seeds. You can throw them in smoothies or top off a salad with them. I especially love this chia seed pudding!
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates that help keep your blood sugar levels at a healthy level. It also contains vitamins and minerals that can help keep you and your baby healthy! Two cups of oats, with fruits of your choice, throughout the week is enough to add to your daily diet. I made this baked oatmeal a lot during my pregnancy, as well as steel cut oats!
Sweet Potatoes
Apples
Apples can help regulate your blood sugar and increase energy because it naturally contains boron. Plus, apples are great for digestion and curbing hunger cravings. Apples are easy, as you can eat them as is or slice them up and add your favorite toppings. Apples are also super tasty with almond butter, dipped in chocolate, or even wrapped up in a slice of cheese.
Avocado
Leafy Greens
Salmon
Shop the Post
Recommended Reading: Is It Bad To Donate Plasma While Pregnant
Lack Of Energy During The Second Trimester
More than likely you will have noticed an increase in your energy levels as the second-trimester approaches. However, do not give yourself a hard time if you are one of the many women who continue to experience a lack of energy while pregnant in the second trimester.An increase in energy levels during the second trimester is often what leads expecting mothers to take advantage of this time by baby planning, setting up the nursery, and shopping for things your baby will need.
