During your first trimester, water is the single most important thing to drink, and you need more of it than you might expect: 8 to 12 cups (64 to 96 ounces) every day. But plain water gets old fast, especially when nausea makes everything unappealing. The good news is you have plenty of safe, helpful options beyond water, along with a short list of things to limit or avoid.
How Much Water You Actually Need
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends 64 to 96 ounces of water daily throughout pregnancy, including the first trimester. That’s roughly eight to twelve 8-ounce glasses. Your blood volume is already increasing to support the placenta, and adequate hydration helps prevent constipation, urinary tract infections, and headaches, all of which are more common in early pregnancy.
If plain water triggers your nausea, try it ice-cold or add slices of lemon, cucumber, or fresh mint. Small, frequent sips often work better than trying to drink a full glass at once. Keeping a water bottle nearby and taking a sip every 15 to 20 minutes can help you hit your daily target without feeling overwhelmed.
Sparkling Water and Seltzer
Plain sparkling water is safe during pregnancy and counts toward your daily fluid intake. Some women find the carbonation actually helps settle nausea in the first trimester. The trade-off: it can increase gas and bloating, which are already common early on thanks to rising progesterone levels. If bloating becomes uncomfortable, switch back to still water or try coconut water, which hydrates without the fizz.
Check the label on flavored seltzers. Plain carbonated water with natural fruit flavor and no added sweeteners is fine. Products with added sugars or artificial sweeteners are a different category (more on that below).
Milk and Calcium-Fortified Drinks
The recommended daily calcium intake during pregnancy is 700 mg. Two 200 ml glasses of semi-skimmed milk provide about 464 mg of that, making milk one of the easiest ways to get calcium without a supplement. Calcium is critical in the first trimester because your baby’s bones and teeth are beginning to form.
Stick to pasteurized or UHT milk only. These have been heat-treated to kill bacteria like Listeria, which poses a serious risk during pregnancy. If you’re lactose intolerant or prefer plant-based options, fortified soy, almond, or oat milks can provide similar calcium levels. Check the nutrition label to confirm the product is fortified to at least 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml, which is roughly equivalent to cow’s milk.
Ginger Tea for Morning Sickness
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for pregnancy nausea. One teaspoon (about 5 grams) of freshly grated ginger steeped in hot water is roughly equivalent to a 1,000 mg dose of standardized ginger extract, which is the maximum recommended daily amount. Medical guidelines suggest spreading your intake across the day rather than consuming it all at once.
A practical note: warm drinks can amplify smells, and heightened smell sensitivity in the first trimester may make hot ginger tea harder to tolerate. If that happens, try brewing it and letting it cool, or pour it over ice. Ginger ale is a popular substitute, but most commercial brands contain very little actual ginger and a lot of added sugar, so freshly brewed tea is more effective.
Herbal Teas to Be Cautious About
Not all herbal teas are safe in early pregnancy. Large amounts of certain herbs can stimulate uterine contractions or affect fetal circulation. Chamomile tea, for example, has been linked in some reports to higher rates of preterm labor and miscarriage when consumed in large quantities. An occasional cup is likely low risk, but making it a daily habit in the first trimester isn’t recommended.
Raspberry leaf tea is often marketed as a pregnancy tea, but it’s traditionally used in the third trimester to prepare for labor, not in early pregnancy. No studies have confirmed it actually helps with labor, and its effects on early pregnancy aren’t well established enough to recommend it in the first trimester. Peppermint tea is generally considered safe and can help with nausea, but keep it to one or two cups a day. When in doubt about a specific herbal blend, check the ingredient list for unfamiliar herbs and ask your provider.
Caffeine: What 200 mg Looks Like
You don’t have to give up coffee or tea entirely. The recommended limit is 200 mg of caffeine per day. That’s roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee, or about two cups of black tea. Espresso-based drinks vary widely: a single shot of espresso has about 63 mg, but a large latte from a coffee chain may contain two or three shots, pushing you close to or past the limit in one drink.
Caffeine also shows up in places you might not expect. Green tea has 25 to 50 mg per cup. Dark chocolate has about 12 mg per ounce. Cola has around 35 mg per can. If you’re combining sources throughout the day, it adds up. Decaf coffee still contains a small amount (2 to 15 mg per cup), but it’s a practical swap if you want the taste without the caffeine math.
Fruit Juice and Sugar
Fruit juice provides vitamins but also delivers sugar quickly, without the fiber that slows absorption when you eat whole fruit. This matters because pregnancy already shifts your blood sugar regulation, and excess sugar intake in the first trimester can set the stage for gestational diabetes later. A reasonable portion is about 3/4 cup (180 ml) per day, and whole fruit is the better choice when you can manage it.
Orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D can be a useful supplement to your diet, but treat it as one serving of fruit rather than a hydration source. Avoid freshly squeezed, unpasteurized juice from farmer’s markets, roadside stands, or juice bars. When fruits are cut or squeezed, bacteria from the outside can spread to the juice inside. About 98% of juice sold in U.S. stores is pasteurized, but the remaining 2%, and anything sold fresh by the glass, may not be. Pregnant women are at higher risk for serious illness from pathogens like E. coli, and acid in juice does not reliably kill these bacteria.
Smoothies: A Good Option With One Caveat
Homemade smoothies can be a great way to get fluids, fruit, and calcium in one glass, especially if nausea makes eating meals difficult. Blending pasteurized milk or fortified plant milk with frozen fruit, a handful of spinach, and some yogurt gives you hydration, calcium, folate, and fiber. Frozen fruit is flash-pasteurized and safe to use directly from the bag.
The caveat is smoothies made at juice bars or restaurants, which may use unpasteurized juice as a base. Foodborne illness outbreaks have been linked to blended drinks made with raw, unpasteurized ingredients. If you’re ordering out, ask whether the juice base is pasteurized.
Coconut Water and Electrolyte Drinks
If you’re vomiting frequently from morning sickness, you’re losing electrolytes along with fluids. Coconut water is a natural source of potassium and sodium and tends to be gentle on a queasy stomach. It’s lower in sugar than most sports drinks and doesn’t have carbonation, making it a good alternative if sparkling water causes bloating.
Commercial electrolyte drinks and rehydration solutions are also an option, but check the ingredients. Many contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. No specific guidelines for artificial sweetener consumption exist for pregnant women, and the available research is limited. Animal studies have raised concerns about effects on offspring, including changes in metabolism and gut bacteria. While occasional exposure is unlikely to cause harm, water, coconut water, or drinks sweetened with small amounts of real sugar are simpler choices when you have the option.
Drinks to Avoid Entirely
Alcohol is off the table. No amount has been established as safe during pregnancy, and the first trimester is when the brain and major organs are forming. Energy drinks are also best avoided. They often contain 150 to 300 mg of caffeine per can (already at or above the daily limit), plus herbal stimulants like guarana and taurine that haven’t been studied in pregnancy.
Unpasteurized kombucha contains trace amounts of alcohol from fermentation, along with unpredictable bacterial cultures. Pasteurized versions exist but still contain some caffeine and sugar. Raw milk and any unpasteurized dairy drinks carry Listeria risk and should be avoided completely throughout pregnancy.