Q: Good day Dr. please, is there any side effect of cold water/drinks during pregnancy on labour and baby after birth? Thanks in advance

A: This question has been asked again and again in different ways. Can my baby get pneumonia if I drink cold water in pregnancy? Can the baby become asthmatic etc? The answer to all of these is a resounding no. There are so many stories and taboos surrounding pregnancy that we need to address, really. Some pregnant women are practically banned from drinking cold water during pregnancy for this and other unclear reasons. There’s no medical basis for any of these stories. If you have a cold and you’re staying off cold water and filling up on warm fluids, I get it! 😀 However, if it’s for any of the ‘traditional reasons’ kindly ask for an explanation if you’re uncertain. Your doctor is always a great and useful resource. For more on pregnancy myths and what my professional opinion of them are, please click on these links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/06/14/our-take-on-some-pregnancy-myths/

Click to access excerpts-1-from-jfthoi.pdf

Whenever I am pregnant, I not only drink cold water but actually take a lot of ice cubes because I can’t just seem to get cool enough! I’m constantly sweating and generally feeling hot! 😀 And I can tell you for a fact that none of my children were born asthmatic or with pneumonia! Having said that, as with everything else, moderation is key!

What you may notice though when you drink cold water is that baby moves around. This is, theoretically because the uterus/womb is close to the digestive tract such that the cold water in the digestive tract stimulates the baby to move. Women who feel concerned about their baby’s movements are sometimes asked to do this and check for baby’s movement.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night 😀

Here’s to a healthier you!