If you're pregnant and addicted to soda, it's time to change. Switching from sugary drinks to water or unsweetened tea is easy to reduce your calorie intake without sacrificing flavor. But once in a while is Ok to take a small number of sugary beverages but make sure it must remain often.
Hannah Holt
Harmful effects of Cold drink
The cold temperature of cold drink
A pregnant woman's stomach is more sensitive and prone to stomach problems.
Drinking soft drinks during pregnancy can cause the blood vessels and stomach to constrict out of nowhere, resulting in indigestion, stomach cramps, reduced appetite, and sometimes even miscarriage. This can also cause congenital disabilities in your newborn.
Carbonic acid
Soft drinks like sprite have carbon dioxide molecules. Your stomach is very delicate at the end of your pregnancy period, and the carbonic acid may cause you severe heartburn and indigestion, which ultimately is bad for your baby's growth in the last few weeks.
Side effects of flavoring
The flavoring of soft drinks consists of phosphoric acid, which causes the seeping of calcium from the bones. Thus a pregnant woman drinking cold drinks can lead to brittle bones in the baby before they are even born.
Caffeine's after-effects
Caffeine is a chemical that makes cold drinks addictive and has many harmful after-effects on the mother and baby. Caffeine gets into the bloodstream quickly and reaches the placenta, where the unborn baby is.
It negatively affects your central nervous system and stays in the system for up to 11 hours. It also causes dehydration. High caffeine levels influence your rest and sleep patterns. It can also cause an increase in breathing and heartbeat of the pregnant woman, and caffeine of more than 300g can even result in miscarriage.
No nutritional value
Sprite and other soft drinks provide no additional nutritional value to the mother or the baby. However, considering the harmful effects, it can be said that it diminishes the nutrition and growth of the baby in the womb.
The excess calories from soft drinks can result in an overweight newborn.
Sweeteners and preservatives side effects
Unhealthy sugar consumption in the form of preservatives and sweeteners may cause weight gain and other complications during your pregnancy, affecting your baby's growth. Food dyes or coloring agents may cause allergies in your baby.
Baby's poor brain development
According to a study, excess sugar-sweetened drinks consumption by soon-to-be moms causes poor verbal memory and problem-solving skills in their babies. It also damages the motor and visual abilities through their early years.
What can you drink instead of cold drinks?
There is no doubt that water is the best refreshing drink for you and the little one in your womb. You should drink approximately eight glasses of water throughout your day.
Drinking plenty of water includes alleviates symptoms such as headaches, belly itching, fatigue, and constipation.
There are various natural and refreshing drinks that you can opt for as an alternative to cold drinks. The below-mentioned drinks are rather. Health alternative to cold drinks:
- Smoothies- are loaded with fiber that helps with constipation, important minerals for baby growth, and water content in the form of fruits like bananas, apples, pineapples, and vegetables like cucumber and leafy greens.
- Lemon-infused drinks- are full of vitamins and minerals that are good for a baby's overall development. You can add lime juice, lemon zest, and a spoonful of sugar with water to make this rejuvenating drink. It is also famous for reducing nausea and morning sickness.
- Buttermilk- is a yummy and healthy drink. You can add some salt and a pinch of ginger to make it tasteful.
- Fruit and Vegetable juices- you can combine fruits and vegetables of your choice to make a nutrient-dense juice. A good recommendation is the ABC juice made by juicing out an apple, a beetroot, and a carrot.
FAQs
Q1) Is this true that cold drinks can lead to miscarriage?
Cold drinks have caffeine, and more than 300mg of caffeine intake a day by a pregnant woman can cause a miscarriage. So, cold drinks regularly or in more quantity can cause miscarriage.
Studies have shown a correlation between a pregnant woman who takes more sugary drinks, including high levels of caffeine, and miscarriages.
Q2) How can I stop drinking cold drinks if I was addicted to them before my pregnancy?
You should make yourself understand the harm that it can cause your baby in terms of a weaker immune system since birth, weak cognition and brain problem-solving skills, and more.
It could also be risking their lives in case of a miscarriage. You can try carbonated-free drinks that taste similar to your favorite cold drink.
Conclusion
After weighing the pros and cons, where the pros of drinking cold drinks are just the taste, it can be confidently said that you should avoid cold drinks during this sensitive period for the sake of your baby's health and well-being.
You should drink healthy alternatives to ensure a safe and sound baby after the delivery.
