Can Dehydration Cause A Miscarriage? Here's What You Need To Know

Once you're pregnant, staying pregnant becomes your biggest concern. You worry about exercise, what to eat, and mostly, what to do to keep your pregnancy healthy. It seems as though little things can make a big difference in your health, and pregnancy is no different. You know how important hydration is all the time and what dehydration can do to your body, but if you're pregnant, can dehydration cause a miscarriage?

Dehydration can be a serious issue in pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association (APA). Pregnant women need more water than non-pregnant people, and there's good reason for that. Water is used to form both the placenta, where baby gets all of his nutrients, and later, it helps form the amniotic sac. Dehydration can affect both of those, so it's really important to stay hydrated.

Unfortunately, dehydration can also cause other complications in your pregnancy, as the APA mentioned. Being dehydrated when pregnant can lead to neural tube defects, cause low amniotic fluid, inadequate breast milk production, and even premature labor.

According to Fit Pregnancy, being dehydrated during pregnancy can also lead to premature contractions. Essentially, when there isn't enough water in your body, your blood concentrates, and so do the hormone levels within your blood. Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for uterine contractions, can reach a higher level, and so, could induce contractions.

If you are having contractions due to dehydration, re-hydration is typically the first response by medical professionals to try to stop them. You'll want to let your doctor know if you're feeling major side effects of dehydration, as they may want to use an IV to help you with your fluid intake.

As far as if dehydration can cause a miscarriage, the research seems unclear. Many miscarriages, about 40 percent, are due to chromosomal abnormalities, noted an article in American Family Physician. As far as the other 60 percent, the causes are largely unknown, and there are not yet any medical studies or evidence that directly connects dehydration and miscarriages.

In any regard, there's no denying how important water is to a pregnant body. If you're wondering how much water is right for your body per day, talk to your doctor. And then, drink up.