We need lots of hydration during pregnancy— about 100oz of water a day to be exact! While I support everyone getting in the habit of happily drinking plain old water daily, I understand that sometimes this can feel…well… boring.
As a health coach I’ve heard that complaint plenty of times. Water gets boring! Especially when you’re drinking so much of it, or weaning yourself off of sugary beverages or caffeine.
One way you can enhance the water drinking experience and support your water intake goals is to make your own infused spa water! “Spa water” is just a fun term for that spruced up water you may see at the upscale spa, fancy restaurant, or posh baby shower. Luckily making your own at home is extremely cheap and super easy! There’s just a couple things to know as you get started.
First off, know that you can use still water or carbonated water for any of these options. If we’re looking for the healthiest spa water, serve it at room temperature (cold temperatures tend to shut down digestion— just one reason why traditional practitioners always encourage warm food and beverages during postpartum healing!). But if you’re in the mood for an iced drink here and there, go right ahead. You can also make your base drink healthier by choosing a naturally carbonated fizzy water (as opposed to one that has been synthetically carbonated), if you’re going to use bubbles at all. For still water, choose any water that’s been purified. Wanna make it extra nutritious for pregnancy? Try adding some liquid mineral drops!
How to make spa water
Spa water is so simple and you don’t need any special equipment. Depending on the flavor ingredients you add, you can often get away with simply adding your fruits/herbs/spices directly into a pitcher of water, letting it sit on the counter to infuse for a while, and then pour directly into your cup with no problem at all. Sometimes a strainer can be helpful if your ingredients are small and spilling into your cup (there’s actually nothing wrong with this either, and it looks pretty! But sometimes people don’t want floaters in their glass, so just use a strainer or pick them out).
If you get really into the idea, you can get a fancy pitcher container that has a strainer built in, or a special compartment for your ingredients to go so they infuse in the water but are kept separate while pouring. You could always make your pitcher in the morning and keep it in the fridge or the counter top so it’s ready to enjoy all day long!
Now for the fun part!
Flavor Combos to wet your palate
Squeeze of lemon with fresh mint leaves
Fresh or frozen berries (think blackberries, blueberries or raspberries) with a sprig of fresh thyme
Sliced ginger root and a small scoop of honey (especially nice during the 1st trimester as ginger is calming for nausea)
Sliced cucumber and lemon balm leaves (nice and cooling)
Sliced grapefruit with rosemary
Watermelon cubes with mint leaves (a summertime fav!)
Sliced cucumber and orange wedges
Mix and match any of the above flavors!
There’s so much room for creativity here, you really can’t go wrong! I recommend experimenting with anything you find fresh at your local farmers market or in your backyard garden. I would just aim to consume your entire concoction within a day or two (refrigerate overnight) otherwise pitch it to avoid any bacterial contamination risk.
I hope this encourages you to stay well hydrated!