Can Pregnant Women Drink Cold Water?

We often get asked this question on Molastic.blogspot.com , and the answers by most of our readers is this, there is nothing wrong with drinking cold water when pregnant.

According to this news report, the common myth in Nigeria is that pregnant women stand the risk of giving birth to babies with asthma, pneumonia and several other respiratory diseases if they consistently drink cold water. That is why in some of our communities, older women appear highly incensed with pregnant women who discard this age-long admonition by drinking cold water.

Another is that if a pregnant woman drinks a lot of cold water, the blood vessels in the respiratory mucous membrane such as nose, throat, windpipe will shrink suddenly and cause a reduction in the flow of blood and consequently reduces the woman’s resistance to diseases. Drinking a lot of cold water is also said to increase the frequency of movement of the foetus in the womb, thereby making the woman uneasy.

A group of Nigerian experts have however confirmed that this is false.

For example, a Nigerian gynecologist based in the United States, Dr. Tinuola Ajayi, has said there is nothing medically wrong with taking cold water.

“Over there, in the United States, pregnant women are given cold water when they require the baby to move or to know if the baby is awake. Thankfully we do not get much of such criticisms here; they could cut pregnant women’s head for almost anything especially in Nigeria. In the US women are given ice chips during labour. It helps with sensory pain. So I really do not think neither have I heard of any negative effect of cold water during pregnancy.”

A nurse and midwife at the Eko Hospital, Lagos, Mrs. Yinka Agbelusi also lent support t oAjayi’s view.

“I personally took a whole lot of cold water while I was pregnant with all my children. They are grown now and if anything, rather than be cold or asthmatic as people presume, they sweat a lot and cannot even stand a fairly warm weather,” she said.

Another consultant gynecologist, Dr. Oluwole Alabi, confirms that there is absolutely nothing wrong with pregnant women taking cold water.

“Pregnant women are generally advised to drink a lot of water. This reduces their risk of deep venous thrombosis (clots in the legs). If a woman reports reduced movements by her baby, we always advise them to take cold water and if all is well with the baby, movements would be restored to normal immediately,” he said.

Alabi maintained there are no consequences for the unborn baby whose mother takes plenty of cold water either in the womb or when the baby is delivered.

“The notion that certain chest problems such as asthma are associated with drinking of cold water has no medical basis,” he further pointed out.

In all of this, moderation, however, is prescribed as cold water not taken in moderation can make the mother susceptible to infections such as cold and catarrh at a time of low immunity such as in pregnancy.

Have a great Time.