Physical Changes in Pregnancy- Salt in Pregnancy and Electrolyte Shift
- Summit Maternity Care Center
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
During pregnancy, pregnant women go through significant changes in their body to accommodate the needs of their baby. These changes begin shortly after conception and affect every organ in their body.
What Are Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essential minerals that we receive through our diet that help support our body in its essential functions. Electrolytes can be found in all bodily fluids, such as sweat, blood, urine, cervical fluid, and amniotic fluid. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. Electrolytes are vital to keep your heart beating, your energy levels normal, and your organs functioning properly. They help to support fluid balance as blood volume increases.
Changes in Salt in the Body
A hormone is secreted from the brain in pregnancy that tells the body to retain water and salt in the kidneys. These changes help blood volume increase in mama's body to help support the blood supply to her baby. As the kidney enlarges to handle the increase in blood volume, waste products, and water, it flushes the body of the retained salt and water. This mechanism is what is responsible for the need to urinate frequently in pregnancy. This action also makes it difficult to stay hydrated and eliminates much-needed salt from the body.
Salt often gets a bad rap, however, it is vitally important in your pregnancy. Sodium is essential for electrolyte balance, helping to maintain and regulate your bodily fluids and blood, and facilitating coordinated muscle movement. As fluid volume increases during pregnancy, there is also an increased need for electrolytes, including salt.
Salt also supports normal stomach acid levels. Stomach acid is necessary for the absorption of minerals and vitamins. Stomach acid also facilitates the digestion of proteins.
Controversially, many providers encourage women to consume a low-salt diet to prevent high blood pressure. However, this is not evidence-based. For most pregnant women, salt does have an impact on blood pressure and can reduce the risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia.
Interestingly, non-pregnant women with low sodium intakes (<1,500 mg per day) have been observed to have significantly lower progesterone levels (37% lower) compared to women who consume enough salt. Given the importance of progesterone to ovulation, conception, and a healthy pregnancy, you’ll want to think twice about restricting your salt intake if you’re pregnant (or trying to conceive!).
Progesterone usually increases with pregnancy, leading to an increase in breathing, which can cause shallow breathing and shortness of breath. This in turn, also uses up the salt in the body, causing low sodium. If you are struggling with keeping your breath, check out why here:
The quality of salt is very important. Iodized table salt is harsh and contributes to heart disease and vein issues. Pink Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt are good quality salts to use during pregnancy. Stay away from iodized table salt in pregnancy.
Sources of salt are also important. Great to sprinkle a quality salt in your water, on fruits, vegetables, or meats. Chips, deli meats, and processed foods are filled with harsh salts that contribute to negative effects on the body in pregnancy.
Thyroid changes can increase the need for calcium and phosphate.
Magnesium is required for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It plays a crucial role in regulating the vasomotor tone of the blood vessels, and its deficiency has been linked with hypertension in nonpregnant states. Serum magnesium levels remain unchanged or marginally reduced in pregnancy due to hemodilution. Magnesium homeostasis has not been well understood in pregnancy, as it is an intracellular ion, and serum magnesium level is an unreliable marker of magnesium deficiency.8,9 Red cell magnesium is a more accurate measure of magnesium status, but is not readily available. The gold standard for measuring magnesium deficiency is using magnesium loading and measuring its urinary excretion. The daily magnesium requirement is 300–360 mg in healthy women, and it is increased further by another 40 – 50 mg in pregnancy. Magnesium homeostasis is regulated via absorption in the small intestine and excretion through the kidneys.
A great start for a great pregnancy, labor, and postpartum is increasing your salt intake. Speak with your healthcare provider about running a CMP (complete metabolic panel), which will provide the level of sodium in your bloodstream. A good range for pregnancy is between 138-142. A little sodium can be the key to lifestyle changes in pregnancy.
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