During pregnancy, your best drink is water, and you need more of it than usual. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends at least 12 cups (96 ounces) per day during pregnancy, compared to the standard 8 to 10 cups for non-pregnant adults. Beyond water, you have plenty of good options, from milk to certain teas to the occasional coffee. A few drinks, though, are firmly off the table.
Water and Staying Hydrated
Water is the single most important drink throughout pregnancy. It supports your increased blood volume, helps form amniotic fluid, and carries nutrients to your baby. Hitting 96 ounces a day sounds like a lot, but spreading it across your waking hours makes it manageable. Keeping a reusable bottle nearby and sipping steadily is more effective than trying to catch up in large gulps.
If plain water feels unappealing, especially during the first trimester when nausea is common, adding slices of lemon, cucumber, or fresh berries can make it more palatable without adding significant sugar or calories.
Coconut Water and Electrolyte Drinks
Coconut water is a solid choice during pregnancy because it delivers electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium without a lot of added sugar. This is especially useful if morning sickness is causing you to vomit frequently. Every bout of vomiting depletes your body’s fluid and mineral stores, and coconut water helps replenish both at once. Women with severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) often need extra electrolytes to compensate for what they’re losing.
Commercial electrolyte drinks like sports drinks work too, but check the label. Many are loaded with sugar or artificial colors. Look for options with lower sugar content, or dilute them with water.
Milk and Calcium-Rich Drinks
Pasteurized milk is one of the best sources of calcium and vitamin D during pregnancy. You need 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily to support your baby’s developing bones without depleting your own stores. A single cup of fortified milk provides roughly 300 milligrams of calcium and 115 to 124 IU of vitamin D, which your body needs to actually absorb that calcium.
If you’re lactose intolerant or prefer plant-based options, fortified soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk can offer similar calcium and vitamin D levels. Check the nutrition label to confirm they’ve been fortified. One thing to avoid: raw or unpasteurized milk of any kind, which can carry harmful bacteria like listeria.
Coffee and Caffeine Limits
You don’t have to give up coffee entirely. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers moderate caffeine intake, defined as less than 200 milligrams per day, unlikely to be a major factor in miscarriage or preterm birth. That’s roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee.
Keep in mind that caffeine adds up from multiple sources. A cup of black tea has about 50 milligrams, green tea around 30 to 50, and a can of cola about 35. Dark chocolate contributes a small amount too. If you’re drinking coffee and tea in the same day, tally the total. Decaf versions of coffee and tea are fine and contain only trace amounts of caffeine.
Herbal Teas: What’s Safe and What’s Not
Research on herbal teas in pregnancy is limited, so the general advice is to keep consumption to two cups per day and stick to varieties with better safety profiles.
Ginger tea is one of the most well-supported options. It can help ease nausea and is considered safe in moderation. If you’re using it specifically for morning sickness, about one teaspoon (5 grams) of freshly grated ginger steeped in hot water is roughly equivalent to the commonly studied dose. One thing to note: the warmth of hot tea can sometimes amplify smells and actually trigger nausea for some people. If that happens, try letting it cool or switching to ginger chews.
Peppermint tea is another popular choice. Studies have shown it does not harm mother or baby, and it can help with nausea and bloating. Avoid drinking very large amounts, but a cup or two a day is fine. Raspberry leaf tea is also likely safe during pregnancy, though studies haven’t confirmed the folk belief that it helps with labor.
Chamomile tea is one to be cautious with. There are suggestions it could stimulate the uterus, and higher rates of preterm labor and miscarriage have been reported with large quantities. Dandelion tea and rosehip tea lack enough safety data to recommend during pregnancy. When in doubt, skip it.
Fruit Juice and Smoothies
Pasteurized fruit juice is safe and can be a good source of vitamins, particularly vitamin C and folate from orange juice. The key word is pasteurized. About 98% of juice sold in the U.S. is pasteurized, but the remaining 2%, often found in refrigerated sections of health food stores, at cider mills, or at farmers’ markets, may contain harmful bacteria like E. coli or parasites like toxoplasma.
Unpasteurized juice sold in stores is required to carry a warning label, but fresh-squeezed juice sold by the glass at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, or juice bars has no such requirement. Avoid these during pregnancy. The same applies to smoothies made with unpasteurized juice. There have been documented foodborne illness outbreaks linked to exactly that.
Even with pasteurized juice, keep portions reasonable. Juice is high in sugar and lacks the fiber of whole fruit, so it can spike blood sugar quickly. Diluting it with water or sparkling water is a simple way to cut the sugar while still getting the flavor.
Drinks With Artificial Sweeteners
If you prefer diet sodas or sugar-free drinks, several common sweeteners are considered safe during pregnancy. Aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet) is approved by the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics for use during pregnancy. Sucralose (Splenda) does not cross the placenta and is also considered safe. Stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and Pure Via are safe to consume as well.
That said, water and naturally flavored options are still a better baseline than diet sodas, which offer no nutritional value and can contribute to bloating.
Why Kombucha Is Best Avoided
Kombucha creates alcohol as a natural byproduct of fermentation. Even varieties labeled as non-alcoholic still contain some alcohol, just below the 0.5% threshold that would require a pregnancy warning label. Bottles have been pulled from store shelves in the past after fermentation continued inside the container, pushing alcohol levels above that threshold without anyone knowing.
Homemade kombucha is riskier still. Depending on the yeast, fermentation time, and temperature, homebrews can reach 3% alcohol or more. Beyond the alcohol concern, most kombucha is unpasteurized, which means it can harbor bacteria like listeria and salmonella. The safest approach is to skip kombucha entirely during pregnancy.
Alcohol: No Safe Amount
There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. This applies to all types: wine, beer, cocktails, and liquor. The CDC is clear that there is no safe time during pregnancy to drink, either. Alcohol exposure is associated with increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Mocktails and non-alcoholic beers can fill the social gap if you miss having a drink in hand. Just check labels on non-alcoholic beers, as some contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume, similar to kombucha. True 0.0% options are available and are the safer pick.