Pregnancy Water Intake Calculator
See the National Academies' published water intake for pregnancy or breastfeeding in ounces, liters and bottles.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
- Shows the source
Pick where you are to see the published number.
National Academies adequate intake, shown in ounces, liters and bottles
General information, not medical advice. Medical disclaimerAsk your midwife or doctor about your own needs.
Where the numbers come from
This calculator is a lookup, not a formula. The National Academies publish an adequate intake of total water for women, with higher values for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Total water means drinks and food together. The “drinks” column is the part from beverages, including drinking water.
| Group | From drinks | Total water, with food |
|---|---|---|
| Women generally | 2.2 L (74 fl oz) | 2.7 L (91 fl oz) |
| Pregnant | 2.3 L (78 fl oz) | 3 L (101 fl oz) |
| Breastfeeding | 3.1 L (105 fl oz) | 3.8 L (128 fl oz) |
A review in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism says the National Academies based the pregnancy and breastfeeding total water figures on the median intake reported in a national survey (NHANES III). We report the figures as published and add no reasoning of our own. Mayo Clinic also says pregnant or breastfeeding women may need more fluids.
What this number is and is not
- It's an average for healthy women, not an individual prescription.
- It has no trimester split. We didn't find one in the sources we read.
- It has no activity or weather add-on. The National Academies say people who are very active or in hot climates may need more water, but they give no pregnancy-specific amount, so we don't invent one.
- It counts all drinks, with food covering the rest of the total.
Signs you may need more fluid
CommonSpirit Health lists these signs of dehydration during pregnancy: dark yellow urine (the page suggests aiming for a pale, lemonade-like color), a dry, sticky mouth, headaches, grogginess, dizziness, sleepiness, constipation and feeling overheated. It adds that nausea and trouble keeping food down make fluid intake especially important, and says to talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of dehydration or are worried about how much you're drinking.
Use the number above as a starting point and your own signs as the check. If you want to see it as bottles across the day, the bottles per day calculator can turn any goal into drink-by times.
Ask your care team
- You have been given a fluid limit or a specific drinking target.
- You have a kidney, heart or liver condition.
- You take a medication that affects fluids or sodium.
- You have signs of dehydration, or you can't keep fluids down.
- You're under 18. This calculator is for adults.
Related
Frequently asked questions
How much water should a pregnant woman drink?
The National Academies set an adequate total water intake of 3.0 liters a day in pregnancy, with about 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) coming from drinks, including drinking water. The rest comes from food. That's a group average for healthy women, not an order for you personally. Ask your midwife or doctor what fits your situation.
Does the amount change by trimester?
We didn't find trimester-specific figures in the sources we read, so this calculator doesn't give any. The published number is one value for pregnancy.
How much water should I drink while breastfeeding?
The National Academies adequate total water intake for breastfeeding is 3.8 liters a day, with about 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) from drinks, including drinking water.
Do coffee, tea, milk and juice count?
CommonSpirit Health says other drinks count, such as milk, juice and soup. Our guide on what counts as water intake covers coffee and tea. Ask your midwife or doctor about caffeine during pregnancy.
Why does this calculator not use my weight?
We didn't find a published weight-based rule for pregnancy. The National Academies figure is one average for the group. If we added a weight formula, it would be our guess, so we left it out.
Can I drink too much water while pregnant?
The National Academies didn't set an upper limit for water for healthy people, and we found no pregnancy-specific guidance on too much. If you're drinking far above these figures, or you have been given a fluid limit, check with your midwife or doctor. Our guide on how much water is too much explains how overhydration happens.
What if morning sickness makes it hard to drink?
CommonSpirit Health says nausea and trouble keeping food down make paying attention to fluid intake especially important. If you can't keep fluids down, call your midwife or doctor.
Sources
- National Academies Press. Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate, 2005. Water chapter.
- National Academies Press. Dietary Reference Intakes Summary Tables: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Total Water and Macronutrients (NCBI Bookshelf). Total water: women 19 to 30 years 2.7 L, pregnancy 3.0 L, lactation 3.8 L.
- Today's Dietitian continuing education table (CPE Table JJ22), which reproduces the National Academies water intake table. Used only to check the pregnancy drinks figure (2.3 L) and the lactation drinks figure given in cups (about 13).
- Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: Drinking for Two? Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, volume 70, supplement 1, page 13. Used for the statement that the National Academies figures are based on median NHANES III intake.
- CommonSpirit Health. Dehydration During Pregnancy. November 21, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Water: How much should you drink every day?
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. News release, Feb. 11, 2004. Report sets dietary intake levels for water, salt, and potassium to maintain health and reduce chronic disease risk.
How this page was built. The pregnancy water calculator on Daily Water Calculator was built by Cedrick Reese. The total water figures (3.0 and 3.8 liters) come from the National Academies summary table, and the dehydration signs come from the CommonSpirit Health article. The "from drinks" figures come from the same National Academies report: the 2.2 liters for women is in the water chapter text, while 2.3 and 3.1 liters (about 10 and 13 cups) were confirmed only through a published reprint of the table, so those two are less firmly checked. We couldn't find a primary source for a weight-based or trimester-based rule, so there's none. We will recheck the page when the National Academies or major obstetric bodies publish new guidance. Last reviewed: .
General information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have kidney, heart or liver conditions or a fluid limit, ask a clinician first. Terms and medical disclaimer.