In the throes of morning sickness? Are you worried about dehydration? You’re probably going to want to know if drinking Pedialyte while pregnant is safe. Even though it’s marketed as a hangover cure, it’s also commonly used to prevent or treat dehydration that often comes alongside flu, stomach viruses, or other common illnesses. So can you drink Pedialyte while pregnant? While we can’t give you medical advice in this article, we can tell you what the experts say. Drinking Pedialyte while pregnant is generally safe. It contains no artificial sweeteners and is made from sodium, potassium, and chloride—all of which are re-hydration minerals that your body needs anyway. That said, there are some considerations you’ll have to make before deciding whether or not to drink Pedialyte while pregnant. Let’s take a look at them now so you can make an informed decision!
What is Pedialyte?
Pedialyte is a rehydration drink that is marketed towards children with diarrhea and vomiting. But it’s also often recommended for healthy adults who are dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea, too. While it’s safe for kids, it’s not just for kids—it’s frequently recommended as a hangover rehydration drink, too. There are many different brands of rehydration drinks, but Pedialyte is the most well-known brand. Pedialyte is made with a combination of sodium, potassium, and chloride, which are all minerals that help your body rehydrate. It also contains some sugar and some vitamins, but they’re in such small amounts that they won’t affect your pregnancy one bit.
How Is Pedialyte Made?
There’s a lot we don’t know about how Pedialyte is actually made, but we do know a few big details. First, it’s not made from real milk—it’s made from hydrolyzed cow’s milk protein. Pedialyte isn’t made from real milk, because there’s a chance that it could contain pathogens like E. coli. And even if it didn’t, someone with a milk allergy could have a bad reaction to it. So Pedialyte is made with hydrolyzed cow’s milk protein, which is very similar to real milk but doesn’t contain any of the contaminants a real milk could.
Pedialyte Warnings for Pregnant Women
Pedialyte is safe to use while you’re pregnant, but you do want to be careful when you’re drinking it. Because rehydration drinks like Pedialyte are high in sodium, you don’t want to drink too much of it while you’re pregnant. A pregnant woman should only be getting 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but one serving of Pedialyte has 880 mg of sodium. That’s about half of your sodium for the day! So you don’t want to drink too much Pedialyte while pregnant. But what if you’re extremely dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea? In that case, you’ll want to drink as much Pedialyte as you need to get rehydrated again. Normal pregnant women who are just mildly thirsty can drink one serving per day.
When Can You Drink Pedialyte?
As long as you aren’t extremely dehydrated, Pedialyte is generally safe to drink at any time during your pregnancy. But keep in mind that it has a lot of sodium in it, so you don’t want to drink too much of it. Normal pregnant women should only drink one serving per day, but you can drink more if you feel dehydrated. You should especially drink Pedialyte while pregnant if you have a stomach virus. While you can’t cure a stomach virus, you can prevent it from making you very dehydrated and helping you feel better faster. You can also drink Pedialyte if you have a hangover, but it’s best to mix it with water so you don’t drink too much sodium at once.
When Should You Not Drink Pedialyte?
There are a few situations in which it’d be best for you not to drink Pedialyte. If your blood pressure is low, you have allergies to milk or soy, or you have an allergy to any of the vitamins in Pedialyte, you shouldn’t drink it. You also shouldn’t drink Pedialyte if you have kidney disease or you are taking certain medications. If your blood pressure is low, you’ll probably already know that. You should always talk to your doctor before you start a new diet or exercise plan or take any medications. They can help you decide if drinking Pedialyte while pregnant is right for you!
Conclusion
Drinking Pedialyte while pregnant is generally safe, but you do want to be careful how much you drink and when you drink it. If you’re dehydrated, you’ll want to drink as much as you need to get rehydrated again—but you don’t want to go overboard just in case. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor before drinking Pedialyte while pregnant. They can help you figure out how much you should drink and when you should drink it!