How to remove excess water from the body during pregnancy. How to remove excess fluid from the body during weight loss and pregnancy at home. Diuretics, herbal teas, diet

Edema is an excessive accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space of any part of the body. During pregnancy, the amount of fluid circulating in a woman’s body almost doubles, since it is contained in the amniotic fluid, the placenta, and is also needed by the growing baby and its circulatory system. At the same time, the water-salt metabolism changes (sodium accumulates in the vessels, which delays the excretion of fluid), and the growing uterus puts pressure on the vessels and organs, which slows down blood circulation and promotes fluid retention. In addition to all this, changes in hormonal levels during this period cause a feeling of thirst, which also leads to swelling.

Edema as a syndrome accompanies many diseases of different organs and systems of the body: endocrine, cardiovascular, renal and other inflammatory processes.

Edema (especially large ones) is not just a symptom that looks unsightly and causes discomfort. They can be quite dangerous. Due to severe swelling of the mother, the child may experience hypoxia (oxygen starvation), and the expectant mother herself may suffer from swelling of the internal organs and, as a result, disruption of their functioning. Swelling can also be one of the symptoms of preeclampsia, a condition that, if severe, may even raise the question of early birth. Therefore, the appearance (and even their possible appearance) is important to track at the earliest stage.

However, sometimes even severe swelling does not bother a pregnant woman, and her health remains satisfactory. Even in such a situation, it is better to consult a doctor, since in more than 90% of such cases the condition worsens (protein appears in the urine, pressure increases) and turns into gestosis.

As a rule, edema begins to bother the expectant mother from about the 30th week (and in case of gestosis - from the 20th week) of pregnancy.

Severe swelling can accompany pregnant women expecting twins or simply carrying a large fetus.

Hidden edema during pregnancy - what is it?

Puffiness always seems to be an obvious problem. However, this is not entirely true. In addition to obvious edema, there are so-called hidden edema (swelling of internal organs and tissues). Your obstetrician-gynecologist can help you detect them by conducting several examinations:

1. Regular weighing. Very often, hidden edema is indicated by excessive weight gain - more than 300 g per week.
2. Regular measurement of leg circumference. Complicated hidden edema is indicated by an increase in the circumference of the lower leg by 1 cm or more (measurements are taken once a week).
3. Study of daily diuresis indicators. Diuresis is the volume of urine produced over a specific period of time. It is used to compare the amount of liquid that was drunk with the volume of urine excreted. Normally, 3⁄4 of all the liquid you drink is excreted per day (this includes water, other drinks, fruits, and soups).

As a rule, the doctor can find out whether a woman is prone to edema already in the first weeks of pregnancy. He receives data on this from examining the patient, studying her constitution, heredity, medical history, as well as from a blood test for biochemistry. The sooner you know whether you may have swelling, the sooner you can take measures to prevent it.

Physiology and pathology of edema during pregnancy

Edema can be physiological and pathological. Physiological edema usually does not cause complications and only gives the pregnant woman a feeling of dissatisfaction with her appearance. Their origin is due to the fact that the growing uterus compresses the blood vessels - this prevents the normal outflow of blood. The uterus also puts pressure on the ureters, which causes fluid retention during pregnancy and, as a consequence, swelling. Edema of a physiological type can also be associated with the constitution of the pregnant woman herself - in women of short stature and with increased body weight, they occur more often.

Pathological edema, as a rule, accompanies gestosis (late toxicosis) - a complication of pregnancy that can occur in the third trimester. Its symptoms are high blood pressure, excretion of protein in the urine (normally it is absent), nausea, vomiting, headaches, convulsions (eclampsia), fever, drowsiness or, conversely, severe agitation, plus severe swelling. However, gestosis may not be accompanied by edema, and such “dry” gestosis is considered a more severe case. Also, gestosis is not necessarily accompanied by all of the above symptoms. The most dangerous thing is the presence of seizures. In any case, gestosis almost always requires the help of a doctor and the pregnant woman being in the hospital. The sooner you start treating it, the less likely it is that it will become severe.

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy is the most common type of edema. They especially bother those who spend a lot of time on their feet, or simply after a long walk. Swelling is usually noticeable in the feet and legs. At the same time, your favorite shoes become too small or press hard. It is important to choose one that will not cause discomfort, from good stretch materials, so that it is comfortable to wear in the afternoon. You should also give up high heels, giving preference to low and stable ones. If you are concerned about leg swelling during pregnancy, try to avoid long walks, do not stand on your feet for long periods of time, at home take a lying position and raise your legs up, and also massage your feet regularly.

Swelling of the hands during pregnancy

Swelling of the hands during pregnancy, as a rule, appears in those women who work at the computer, do needlework and any other monotonous work - fluid stagnation occurs due to monotonous movements. In this case, you need to regularly do finger exercises. Also, starting from the second half of pregnancy, doctors advise not to wear rings on your hands. If you do not remove them in time, you can end up with such a degree of swelling that it will be very difficult or impossible to remove them.

Facial swelling during pregnancy

Facial swelling during pregnancy is easy to notice - the face becomes round and puffy. Particular discomfort is caused by swelling of the eyelids, and bags appear under the eyes. This is due to the specific anatomical features of the eyelids - in this area there is loose fiber that strongly absorbs liquid. You can reduce swelling on your face by following the general rules for preventing body swelling.

Swelling of the nose during pregnancy

The nose may swell as a result of general swelling of the face, as well as due to possible allergic reactions, which become greatly aggravated while expecting a child. It is advisable to prevent nasal congestion and swelling, because breathing problems make it difficult for the child to get oxygen. You can eliminate swelling with the help of drops, but do not forget that pregnant women are prohibited from using a number of common medications, so it is better if the medicine is prescribed to you by a doctor who knows exactly what medications are allowed.

Prevention and treatment of edema during pregnancy

Pregnant women with edema are given increased attention at the management stage in the antenatal clinic. The expectant mother is regularly weighed, her blood pressure is measured and her kidney function is monitored using urine tests. Everything is aimed at preventing complications. Advice given by doctors:

1. Adjust your nutrition. Eliminate fried and smoked foods (food prepared in these ways has a bad effect on blood vessels), boil meat and vegetables, steam, bake. Food must contain a sufficient amount of protein (to avoid its deficiency, which can occur with gestosis). It is also better not to eat fatty, spicy, pickled, sweet foods, and baked goods. But low-fat broths, cereals, fruits and vegetables should be eaten regularly. To prevent swelling, it is useful to carry out fasting days, but without getting carried away, no more than once a week and always after consultation with the doctor.
2. Limit salt intake (ideally to 1–1.5 g per day). It contains sodium, which helps it retain fluid in the body. It is important not only to under-salt (or not at all) food during cooking, but also to remove pickles, sauerkraut, herring, chips, crackers, sausages, and canned food from the diet.
3. Drink more. A sufficient amount of fluid will speed up water-salt metabolism in your body. If you drink little, you can lead the body to dehydration, which is no less dangerous. You should drink up to 1.5 liters of water per day (not counting soups and compotes), and drink most of the liquid before lunch, leaving less for the evening. It is better to drink not in large glasses, but in small sips, often, but little by little. However, you shouldn’t overuse the liquid either - this can lead to even more swelling. You can drink not only water, but also juices (preferably unsweetened and freshly squeezed), fruit drinks, tea with milk. At the same time, it is better not to get carried away with black tea and coffee, they can affect blood vessels and blood pressure. Green tea is also not as healthy as many people think: it contains a large amount of caffeine and can also affect the condition of blood vessels. You can drink no more than two cups per day. Forget about soda, especially sweet ones. In addition to fluid retention, it also causes heartburn. If you are going to start drinking so-called diuretic teas, be sure to consult your doctor - not all such drinks can be beneficial, and you need to take them very carefully.
4. Move and do gymnastics as much as you can. With active movements, the risk of swelling is reduced by half. Do special gymnastics for pregnant women, yoga, and visit the pool. The main thing is not to overdo it and exercise to the best of your ability. The load must be uniform and dosed.
5. Let's rest our feet. Try not to stand still or walk for too long. If you are sitting, place your feet on a special stand or stool. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to sit with one leg crossed over the other. When sitting for a long time, do gymnastics with your feet about once an hour - twist them in different directions. Stand alternately on your heels and toes. Don't sit in one position for a long time. While lying down, place a cushion under your feet. Do cool foot baths and massages.
6. Try not to stay in the heat or stuffy rooms for a long time.
7. As recommended by your doctor, wear special compression garments. Swelling of the legs may be accompanied by varicose veins. This problem should be treated by a phlebologist, who will also prescribe you underwear with the required degree of compression. The main thing is to choose it by size, it should not put pressure.

Swelling is a symptom that accompanies almost every pregnancy. Minor swelling is almost inevitable, but there is nothing dangerous about it. So there is no need to worry. The main thing is to show responsibility in time and do not forget about the rules for their prevention, so as not to lead to a severe degree. Moreover, after childbirth, swelling disappears quite quickly, because the woman’s body leaves about 8 liters of excess fluid. And you will quickly forget about this problem.

Signs of edema: when to see a doctor

The easiest way to determine whether you have swelling or not is to press your finger on the skin. If there is no swelling, not a trace will remain on the skin; if there is, you will see a hole that will level out quite slowly, and the skin itself becomes pale and tense with swelling.

A slight swelling will not harm the pregnant woman, but there are signs that, if you notice them, it is better not to hesitate to consult a doctor:

• Sudden weight gain. If you gain more than 300 g in a week, this indicates severe swelling and a large amount of excess fluid in the body.
• The manifestation of edema in the morning. As a rule, swelling is temporary and intensifies in the evening, and in the morning there are no traces of it. If it bothers you already in the morning, it means it can become dangerous.
• Burning, tingling of the toes and hands, their numbness. This occurs due to compression of the nerves. With severe swelling, difficulties in bending the fingers may also appear, and it may become painful to step on the feet.
• The shoes become too tight and tight; the rings are difficult to remove from the toes or cannot be removed at all.
• Severe rounding of the face, swelling of the nose and lips.
• Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure.

Water accumulating in the body causes discomfort. Fingers and ankles swell and become painful. A puffy face looks unattractive, which makes you upset and worried, and this affects the state of the nervous system.

Causes of edema

The following factors can cause the formation of swelling of the extremities:

• Diseases of the kidneys or cardiovascular system;
• Hormonal changes;
• Endocrine disorders;
• Inactive lifestyle;
• Incorrect, unbalanced diet.

If edema appears periodically, then you need to analyze whether this condition is related to external factors? When this connection is not noticeable, you should definitely seek medical advice and undergo a full examination.

Edema may indicate renal failure, the onset of diabetes mellitus, or cardiac dysfunction. The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it is to stop it.

In cases where edema appears due to an unhealthy lifestyle or poor diet, you can remove water from the body yourself.

Why does water accumulate?

Where does excess fluid come from in the body if the state of health is normal?

Why does it stagnate?

• One of the main reasons for this condition is overloading the body with fluid at night. At night, the kidneys work in slow mode, and water remains in the tissues. If you stop drinking water 3-4 hours before bedtime, this problem can be avoided;
• Frequent consumption of various drinks that stimulate kidney function. Alcohol and sweet carbonated liquids, strong tea and coffee have a diuretic effect. The body fears dehydration and tries to hedge its bets by accumulating fluid in the form of edema. When replacing these drinks with plain water, the body's reaction will change;
• Abuse of fatty, salty, smoked foods. Salt binds water, free fluid settles in the body. To remove it, you have to drink more water.

One may be surprised by the paradox, but excess water is caused by... lack of water. In order for metabolic processes to work normally, the body needs water. If there is not enough fluid, a signal is sent to the brain: store water.

By increasing the amount of fluid, you can get rid of swelling. Of course, this will not happen overnight. But in 2-3 weeks, the body, having gotten used to the fact that water is constantly supplied, will stop storing it: swelling will disappear, the water-salt balance will normalize.

Very often, extra pounds are formed due to stagnation of fluid in the body. Once the urinary system begins to function normally, the weight will begin to fall off.

Swelling during pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a disease, but the body's systems are rebuilt during it. Even healthy women experience swelling during pregnancy, which upsets expectant mothers and has a pathological effect on the development of the fetus.

If you normalize your diet, you won’t have to resort to taking medications to get rid of edema.

You can add citrus fruits and freshly squeezed juices to your daily diet. Of course, if there are no allergies. 3 oranges a day or a glass of juice will not provoke diathesis in the unborn baby.

When switching to a balanced diet and refusing “junk” food, fluid will not accumulate in the body. “Harmful” foods that slow down metabolic processes include: smoked foods, pickles, fatty foods, carbonated drinks.

Strawberries, green apples, parsley, and carrots have a mild diuretic effect. Introducing them into the diet is also useful because they contain many substances necessary for fortifying the body.

Swelling during pregnancy is caused by smoking. Pregnancy and smoking – these concepts do not go together at all. Giving up a bad habit will not only help get rid of excess fluid in the body, but also reduce the risk of pathologies for the fetus.

It is not recommended for pregnant women to use herbal tinctures and decoctions to get rid of edema without consulting a doctor. Herbs are natural raw materials, but their use during pregnancy has many contraindications.

Products with a mild diuretic effect

How to remove excess water from the body using foods? What should you eat for this? Will changing your diet affect the formation of fat?

The best way to “dry” the body is to include oatmeal and rice porridge for breakfast in your daily diet. There is no need to worry about weight gain. There are even weight loss diets in which the main products are oatmeal and rice porridge.

These porridges should be prepared in a special way: do not add salt and add nuts or berries, which in turn have a mild diuretic effect. It is enough to eat such a breakfast once a day for a week, and excess water will leave the body.

Watermelon and cucumbers improve the functioning of the urinary system. If in the summer you arrange days once a week during which you eat only cucumbers or watermelons, you can improve kidney function.

Only cucumbers from the garden have a beneficial effect on the body and provide vitamins. Cucumbers grown in a greenhouse in autumn and winter accumulate nitrates. And this is fraught with the entry of toxins into the body.

Vegetables normalize the water-salt balance. You can quickly expel water by eating fresh cabbage salad with carrots, stewed zucchini, and stewed beets every day.

All foods high in potassium have a mild diuretic effect.

List of potassium-rich foods that can help you get rid of excess fluid:

• lentils;
• beans;
• seaweed;
• peas;
• potato;
• Pine nuts;
• walnuts;
• dried apricots;
• prunes;
• almond;
• peanut;
• grape;
• lentils;
• eggplants.

But this does not mean that these foods can be eaten without restrictions. Many of them cause not only the discharge of excess fluid from the body, but also weight gain. For example, potatoes and grapes are contraindicated for those losing weight.

What to do? Limit the consumption of foods that help avoid swelling and switch to drinks that have a mild diuretic effect.

Liquids with a mild diuretic effect

How can you expel water from your body with drinks?

• Green tea has a diuretic effect. It is better to make a drink yourself, based on lingonberry leaves, caraway seeds, and brew rose hips;
• Cranberry juice perfectly vitaminizes the body and expels water;
• Birch sap has a mild diuretic effect;
• Citrus juice works the same way;
• Dill water is a medicine for relieving swelling. Brew a tablespoon of dill seeds with a glass of boiling water and leave under the lid for about half an hour. Drink a tablespoon a day 3 times before meals. This infusion also speeds up intestinal metabolism;
• Apple peel compote is an excellent diuretic.

In the “piggy bank” of folk medicine there are many recipes for getting rid of edema. But you shouldn’t resort to them yourself. Medicinal herbs regulate organic processes, not just waste water. This may cause harm to your health.

A considerable number of women, while carrying a child, encountered such a phenomenon as. The acceptable norm, if swelling can be called normal, is swelling of the lower extremities and the back of the feet. This situation is typical for the second half of pregnancy, during which the legs begin to swell in the afternoon, that is, after prolonged stress on the legs, as a result of which the accumulated fluid in the body, following the laws of physics, accumulates in the area of ​​the lower extremities. In this case, swelling does not bother the pregnant woman in the morning - during sleep, excess water is evenly distributed throughout the body.

But when swelling of the legs is accompanied by swelling of the arms, face, and abdomen, it is still worth visiting a doctor to check and get tested for the presence of protein in the urine. Indeed, often significant swelling, which is also called dropsy in pregnancy, becomes a harbinger of a developing - severe complication of pregnancy, in which the function and, accordingly, the supply of necessary nutrients to the fetus is disrupted.

The most unpleasant thing is that there are also “hidden” edema, that is, a condition when fluid retained in the body accumulates in organs and tissues. In this case, edema does not manifest itself externally in any way, and it can be suspected only by recording too rapid weight gain (up to half a kilogram per week), along with a decrease in urine output.

It will depend on the severity of the swelling, the woman’s well-being and test results. In the first stages, edema can be treated on an outpatient basis, and this will not be so much a treatment as a prevention of fluid retention in the body. If the situation is serious enough and the test results are disappointing, then a pregnant woman with dropsy may be offered hospitalization and treatment in a hospital.

In any case, the main principle of treating edema during pregnancy is to avoid the accumulation of fluid in the body by following a special diet, limiting consumption and sugar, maintaining a relatively active lifestyle with sufficient exposure to fresh air. So, treatment of edema during pregnancy involves:

Of course, liquid restriction. The amount of fluid entering the body should not exceed 600-1200 ml per day. And this takes into account soups, juicy vegetables, fruits and berries, and drinking dairy products. When it comes to drinking, it is better to give preference to plain water, weak teas, fruit drinks, while excluding sweet carbonated water and mineral water: you don’t get drunk with sweet soda, and mineral water contains a fairly large amount of salt. However, it is advisable to significantly limit fluid intake when it is not excreted in the urine; otherwise, it is also not worth tormenting yourself with thirst.

• Salt - to a minimum, because it promotes fluid retention in the body. The permissible amount of salt per day is 5-7 grams. It also makes sense to limit your sugar intake - it causes thirst.
• As for the diet, it should be balanced, with a minimum amount of fat and easily digestible carbohydrates, but rich in protein. It is preferable to consume plant foods, fermented milk, and boiled meat. It is better to steam, boil, bake in the oven, but not fry. You will have to exclude not only salty, but also hot, spicy, smoked foods. Once a week it is useful to arrange a fasting day, which involves eating one product: cottage cheese, kefir, apples. If pregnancy falls in the summer, then an excellent product for a fasting day will be an excellent diuretic that promotes the rapid removal of excess fluid from the body.
• If your legs are swollen, it would be a good idea to consult with your doctor regarding the purchase and further use of special compression stockings or tights. The bandage, in turn, will help support the uterus and reduce its pressure on the internal organs, thereby preventing stagnation of fluid in the body.
• During the day, you need to unload your legs: take poses with raised legs in a lying position, raise your legs up, resting them against a wall or placing them on a high stand.
• Sufficient exposure to fresh air and physical activity is another way to combat edema during pregnancy. Long walking, yoga, swimming, gymnastics for pregnant women - all this will help prevent, and if they occur, reduce swelling. There is even a special exercise for pregnant women suffering from edema: on all fours for 10-15 minutes several times a day. This position allows you to relieve the internal organs from the pressure of the uterus and improve blood flow in them.
• To improve kidney function, the doctor may recommend herbal teas and infusions with a diuretic effect - kidney tea, infusions of bearberry, bear's ears or horsetail, lingonberry leaves. But medications can be prescribed only in severe cases, and they should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor.
• In addition, the doctor may prescribe drugs to improve uteroplacental blood flow and better supply the fetus with useful substances - Magne B6, Magnelis, Magnerot; if the treatment occurs inpatiently - droppers with magnesium. To strengthen blood vessels and improve blood flow through them, use vitamins and appropriate products.

Especially for- Tatyana Argamakova

Swelling during pregnancy can occur for various reasons, depending on the woman's health. But most often, edematous reactions are caused by high stress and restructuring of the body. To answer the question of how to remove water from the body during pregnancy, you need to know for sure that fluid accumulations are caused only by the physiological aspect, and not by other diseases.

Causes of water accumulation during pregnancy

Also, the accumulation of liquids is influenced by:

1. Drink plenty of fluids at night. A pregnant woman's body is under stress and needs a full regime of rest and activity. Before bedtime, all internal organs begin to work slowly, so it is worth limiting your fluid intake at night to prevent swelling reactions.
2. Drinking drinks that stimulate kidney function and dehydrate: coffee, tea and alcohol.
3. The presence in the diet of fatty, salty and smoked foods that retain fluid in the tissues.
4. Increased load on the lower limbs during pregnancy. In the second trimester, the fetus begins to actively develop and grow; if a woman spends the whole day on her feet, the load becomes excessively intense, which leads to the accumulation of intercellular fluid in the evening.

How to remove water from a pregnant woman’s body using food?

Nutrition during pregnancy should not be too limited, because the body takes care not only of the woman, but also of the new life that has arisen. The daily diet should be as varied as possible; you should try to include proteins, vitamins, and microelements, but avoid flour, sweet and fatty foods.

Among the products that help remove water from the body of a pregnant woman are:

• porridge for breakfast with the addition of pieces of fruit and berries;
• eat watermelons and cucumbers, which cleanse the kidneys and have a diuretic effect;
• vegetable salads based on cucumbers and cabbage, seasoned with vegetable oil;
• fruit and vegetable juices. Birch sap, carrot and beet sap will be especially useful;
• tea using medicinal herbs based on rose hips or lingonberry leaves;
• Cranberry juice will not only help remove water, but also vitaminize tissue cells, which is so necessary during the process of bearing a child.

Giving up bad habits will be the most important aspect when getting rid of edema, since eliminating nicotine and alcohol will also reduce the risk of developing pathologies in the developing fetus.

You can remove water from the body during pregnancy and normalize weight using fasting days. During the day, eat only dairy products, apples or fruits and vegetables. During gestation, diets are prohibited, and such unloading is permissible no more than once every 7-14 days.

Any diuretics for weight loss or medications to reduce fluid accumulation are taken strictly as prescribed by the doctor. Because self-administration of such medications threatens the normal development of the child.

During pregnancy, it is important for expectant mothers to monitor the quantity and quality of fluid consumed. Otherwise, edema and excess weight during pregnancy cannot be avoided. Obstetrician-gynecologist Maria Malyarskaya will tell you how to preserve the health and beauty of a woman during the trimesters of pregnancy and normalize fluid intake.

More than half of a person consists of water, and the more of it there is in the tissues, the more active all life processes are.

An annoying detail: the body is not adapted to excess fluid and does not know how to cope with it.

Pregnancy is a time of double responsibility, and the body stores water with double diligence, preparing for its deficiency. And the longer the pregnancy, the more intense the storage occurs: the fetus itself, which so needs water, becomes larger, the volume of amniotic fluid and the volume of the woman’s blood increases, and childbirth is approaching - a phenomenon associated with a large loss of fluid. All this has its justification: man is a land creature, biologically adapted to the lack of water. He knows how to store it and is always ready for it. However, excess fluid remains in his body in the form of edema.

Helpful or Harmful?

It is important from the very first trimester of pregnancy to accustom yourself to healthy drinking, which actually replenishes the water deficiency in the body. Not everything liquid is healthy.

• For example, coffee has a diuretic and dehydrating effect. Caffeine removes fluid from the body, so for every cup of coffee you drink, you should drink a few extra cups of water. In addition, coffee increases heart rate, which often bothers pregnant women, and increases blood pressure, which is quite dangerous while expecting a baby.
• A cup of strong, freshly brewed tea contains more caffeine than the same cup of coffee, so you also need to be careful with tea and not get carried away with its strength. Green tea is deceptively light in color, but has plenty of caffeine. The idea that it is more useful during pregnancy compared to black is a myth. If the tea itself is good and brewed correctly, any variety of it is healthy, it is important to simply follow the quantitative norm and not get carried away.
• Synthetic tonic and carbonated drinks are not suitable as drinks. Of course, in the modern world, both juices and milk are also obtained synthetically from diluted dry concentrate; these drinks contain dyes, flavorings and other unnatural substances. Understanding this, we can at least try to surround ourselves with healthier food and drink during pregnancy.
• Alcoholic drinks are absolutely excluded during pregnancy, including non-alcoholic beer, red wine, alcoholic infusion of valerian and others.

The best source of liquid for humans has been and remains clean water - it is the only liquid the body needs as a liquid, it quenches thirst best and has a beneficial effect on kidney function, it is retained less in the body compared to any solution, clean water has no contraindications or side effects effects.

Everything has its time

• In the first half of pregnancy, it is recommended to drink more. Drinking plenty of fluids (about two liters per day) helps to cope with toxicosis and constipation, and replenish the fluid deficiency with which we usually live.
• Water is needed to improve metabolism, for good intestinal function, to maintain normal blood pressure (which for many decreases in the first trimester), for the absorption of medications that a pregnant woman usually takes in large quantities in the first trimester (multivitamins, drugs to reduce the tone of the uterus and maintaining pregnancy), for good health and vitality.
• Starting from the “equator”, the second trimester, the endocrine system and kidneys rearrange their work to store water and sodium salts that retain water. Therefore, from this date, the water-salt regime is revised and all recommendations are changed to the opposite.
• From the 20th week, the third trimester, it is necessary to sharply limit the consumption of table salt. It is salt that causes fluid retention in the body and a feeling of thirst. The recommendation to limit fluid intake without limiting salt is painful and impossible to implement; it only leads to dehydration and complications and does not save the pregnant woman’s body from edema. We must remember that salt is contained not only in the white powder that we sprinkle on food, not only in salty cucumbers and fish, but also in sauerkraut, any sausage product, hard cheeses, any canned food, mayonnaise, ketchup, soy sauce, and in food prepared in a cafe or restaurant.
  Eliminating salt from the diet is a serious task; it is difficult to cope with it in one day; it takes about a week for the body to get used to it. Therefore, it is better to gradually begin to reduce the amount of salt in the diet and give it up by 20 weeks.

After one to two weeks, the body gets used to this natural diet and unsalted food is no longer perceived as tasteless. The best gift you can give to your body is to maintain this regimen for life. In the future, this will serve you as a reliable prevention of cardiovascular and many other diseases in older age. Do not be afraid to leave your body completely without salt - it is naturally included in bread, vegetables, and meat. Just don't eat foods that contain too much of it.

When salt is truly excluded, liquids can be unlimited, following the only principle - if possible, replace the extra glass of liquid with a whole fruit or vegetable. Fruits and vegetables perfectly quench your thirst without causing swelling, and at the same time supply the body with fiber, vitamins, healthy carbohydrates, and improve intestinal function.

Fighting swelling

• If you do develop edema despite fully following the recommendations, you will need to keep a “drunk - excreted” diary.
  During the week, write down in the left column everything that was drunk (in milliliters, measured with a measuring cup) or eaten juicy (fruits, vegetables, purees, soups, liquid cereals, sour cream, etc. - in grams, measured on a kitchen scale), and to the right - everything that is released during urination (in milliliters, measured with another measuring cup). When keeping such a diary, it becomes clear after which foods the body retains more fluid - such foods will have to be limited or eliminated. The very fact of keeping a diary already disciplines a woman and makes her think about whether it is worth eating or drinking. It is especially helpful to present the diary to the attending physician, who immediately notices in it all the errors in the pregnant woman’s regimen.
• A simple and accessible way to determine fluid retention in the body is to monitor body weight, which is regularly carried out in antenatal clinics.
  As a rule, up to 20 weeks, weight gain is insignificant, and in some women it is even lost. This is normal. From 20 weeks, weight begins to gain rapidly, and to a large extent the increase depends on the amount of retained fluid. Normal weight gain in the second half of pregnancy is about 350 grams per week. Excessive growth becomes dangerous for both mother and child. Some believe that in this case you need to limit yourself in food, since they are “feeding” the child. But this is not true: the child’s height and weight have virtually no effect on the mother’s weight. With the exception of some cases of true obesity (usually observed up to 20 weeks) and endocrine diseases, in most cases pathological weight gain is associated with fluid retention in the body - with edema. That is why it can be so rapid - literally in a day you can easily gain one or two kilograms.

In case of excessive weight gain, the main recommendation is not to go on a diet, but abruptly (on the same day) eliminate salt from the diet and maintain a drinking regime. In case of severe edema, fasting days are prescribed for a quick effect: their meaning is not in fasting, but in the diuretic effect and loss of fluid.

Options for fasting days: cottage cheese and apple. During the day, the expectant mother eats only 2 kg of cottage cheese (fresh, from the market) or apples. Usually, the next day, the woman returns to her normal weight for the given period and can continue to maintain it, strictly observing the water-salt regime.

Sometimes, with severe swelling and other changes in well-being and tests, the expectant mother has to be hospitalized and deal with this with the help of IVs. Complications from edema develop rapidly, they are very dangerous for the life of mother and child.

• In addition to scales, there is another great tool for controlling swelling - a mirror. Swelling is always visible in the mirror in the morning. And you don’t have to deceive yourself and tell yourself that you just didn’t get enough sleep, didn’t put on makeup, or were nervous. A woman’s face should not change at all throughout her pregnancy. Tip: Place a photo of yourself before pregnancy next to the mirror and compare yourself to it every morning.

Special position

In diseases such as pyelonephritis and urolithiasis, it is impossible to limit fluid intake. It is necessary to drink a lot so that the urine is not too concentrated and does not stagnate in the kidneys, so that the speed of its movement, volume and composition are as normal as possible.

To prevent edema, you need to especially carefully exclude salt and drink the so-called “kidney drink” - acidified, with weak anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects, for example, cranberry, lingonberry juice, decoction of lingonberry or currant leaves, kidney teas.

It is advisable that all free fluid consumed be kidney fluid. Then, provided there is no salt in the diet, liquid will not be retained in the body. Keep in mind that strong diuretics are contraindicated in these cases, as they lead to dehydration.