Laborade - Staying Hydrated
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“Laborade” is a homemade drink that contains ingredients specifically aimed at hydrating the body thoroughly. Although the name implies its use is limited to mamas in labor (as was its original purpose), this recipe can be used by anyone.
Hydration in pregnancy and labor
From the moment you start trying to conceive (and, actually for some months before that) you should focus on taking excellent care of your body. You want your tiny tenant to thrive, so you should do everything in your power to get their home to be in the best possible shape for the nine or ten months that they're in there.
Aside from the usual need for hydration, there are a couple of factors that make it even more important during pregnancy.
First of all, your body has to create extra blood during pregnancy. Hydration is vital to give your body the raw materials with which to create the much-needed blood for you and your baby.
Second, your body needs to create and maintain a sufficient quantity of amniotic fluid for your baby to have an ideal environment in your womb. Again, proper hydration gives your body the raw materials it needs to do this. If you don't have enough amniotic fluid, you may wind up with complications in pregnancy or delivery.
“Drink more water”
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that, I'd have a whole lot of dollars.
Truly, it seems every malady has hydration as a remedy. Headaches. Cramps. Eczema. Digestive issues. Fevers. Kidney stones. Joint issues. Sinus issues. The list goes on and on and on.
As kids we learned that “up to 60% of your body is water” and we looked at the silly image of the outline of a man with water sloshing around up to his chest. Fun trivia fact, I suppose, but did that image really explain anything useful? Not for me, it didn't.
I found that getting an understanding of how and why one should stay hydrated was a much more practical approach.
The key functions of water in the body are:
Flushing out toxins and waste through urine and sweat.
Lubricating joints.
Regulating body temperature through sweat.
Creating saliva for oral health and to help break down food.
Helping digestion and preventing constipation.
Bringing nutrients and oxygen to the cells.
Keeping the skin healthy and elastic.
There are probably many more items that should be added to the list, but I think you get the idea. The point is, the annoying advice of “drink more water” is probably on point.
BUT
It's not enough to just drink water. The advice gets more annoying.
In order to properly absorb and utilize water, your body (the pesky, needy thing) also requires electrolytes.
What are electrolytes?
The basic definition of “electrolytes” is “minerals that carry an electric charge”.
Cool. What the heck does that mean?
Basically, your cells use electric signals to send all sorts of important messages throughout the body. In order to conduct these electric signals in the most optimum manner, the cells require specific minerals to be present in the body. Those minerals are called “electrolytes”.
Though not a complete list, the main ones are:
Sodium (salt)
Potassium
Magnesium
Calcium
If you maintain a good balance of electrolytes in your system and you drink enough water, your body will thank you.
Dehydration
If, on the other hand, your body doesn't have enough fluids and electrolytes, you're going to pay the price.
Mild dehydration can show up in the form of thirst, headaches, dizziness and darker-than-usual pee. If it gets a bit more serious, you might get dry, cracked skin, constipation, fatigue, muscle cramps and other discomforts.
More severe dehydration can make you feel extremely dizzy, very tired, confused and weak.
In extreme cases you can wind up with low blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever and even seizures.
Many people don't feel thirsty until after they have already hit the level of mild dehydration. I find that I have to stay proactive in hydrating my body and not wait until symptoms show up to start handling it.
“Sports drinks”
So called “sports drinks” like Gatorade or Body Armor are probably okay to drink in moderation. But with the amount of sugar, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, it's not a healthy option to rely on them as your primary source of hydration.
Alternative hydration options
If you don't have the time to (or just don't wanna) make your own laborade, that's understandable. Here's a couple of alternatives:
Coconut water contains many of the necessary electrolytes and is a great option if you need to hydrate fast. It's also super tasty.
Dr. Berg has a high-quality electrolyte powder that comes in a lot of different flavors and is sweetened with stevia. For most people, this is another great choice. Unfortunately, I get an almost instant headache from stevia so I can't use it.
Why I like laborade
Laborade is pretty simple to throw together. I usually make about ten cups of it, throw it in a pitcher, stick it in the fridge and sip on it over the course of two or three days.
You could probably make even bigger batches and freeze some, though I haven't tried this yet, myself.
The other great thing about it is that you can tweak the recipe any way you want to get the right flavor or to target a specific electrolyte deficiency, if you know you have one.
The ingredients
Here is a brief description of each of the ingredients, as well as possible alternatives you can use, if you wish:
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea has been shown to help strengthen the uterus and pelvic muscles. This translates to stronger, more productive, contractions. It can also (allegedly) help reduce time spent in labor, as well as help labor go more smoothly overall. It may also help the uterus heal, postpartum.
This tea contains many vitamins and minerals.
It is generally recommended that you do not drink red raspberry leaf tea during the first trimester of pregnancy. Wait until the second or third trimester to start.
Although one might expect this tea to taste fruity, in fact it is closer in taste to a black tea (just without the caffeine). I find the taste quite pleasant.
(For women who are not pregnant, red raspberry leaf tea is also great for uterine health, overall. It's been shown to reduce cramping and other discomforts associated with menstruation.)
Alternatives: you can use any kind of herbal tea you like. Just stay away from anything with caffeine as it'll counteract your efforts to hydrate your body.
Lemon Juice
In addition to tasting good, lemon juice can help relieve digestive problems like nausea and heartburn. It is also a really good source of vitamin C. I usually cut a lemon in half and just squeeze the juice into the pot. Then I throw the rind into the pot as well.
Keep in mind that exposing lemons to very high temperatures does reduce the vitamin C content, so add it last, after you've removed the pot from the stove and allowed it to cool down some.
Alternatives: you could use bottled lemon juice, although most of the store-bought varieties are so heavily processed, you'd really only be using it for taste, rather than any real vitamin content.
I've also used vitamin C powder in place of lemons and this worked pretty well.
CalMag
Get a high quality calcium and magnesium powder. I like the one by Outback Naturals.
Keep in mind that too much magnesium can have a laxative effect. If that occurs, cut back on the amount to find what is tolerable. Over time the amount can be increased back to the suggested serving size.
Alternatives: you could do without CalMag entirely and just add more trace minerals, but I found that my body really needs the extra magnesium, especially during pregnancy.
Honey
Aside from tasting delicious, honey contains natural glucose and can help with a quick energy boost. It also has other nifty benefits, like anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
Try to find a good quality raw honey. Even better if you can find a local raw honey. Regular honey typically goes through heavy processing which can reduce the nutritional benefits.
Alternatives: you may use maple syrup as a substitute. It contains various nutrients and it tastes delicious. Make sure you get the real stuff - not the processed “maple syrup” that's made of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.
Trace Minerals
There are several minerals of which the body needs a tiny (trace) amount in order to function optimally.
Trace minerals supplements can be found in capsule form as well as drops. I'll share the link to the one I like best. Start with a lower dosage and increase it gradually, as per the instructions on the bottle.
Alternatives: some people use a good quality salt (like Himalayan pink salt) in their laborade recipes. It also contains various trace minerals that your body needs. Just do your research. All salts are not created equal. Table salt, for example, is processed beyond recognition and contains no trace minerals whatsoever.
Recipe
10 cups of water
3 organic red raspberry leaf tea bags
2 tablespoons of CalMag
4 tbsp honey
10 drops of trace minerals
½ lemon
Instructions
In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil.
Place 3 red raspberry leaf tea bags into the pot, remove the pot from heat and let them steep for five or ten minutes.
Remove the tea bags and add 2 tablespoons of CalMag. Mix well.
Add 4 tablespoons of honey. Mix well.
Add 10 drops of trace minerals.
Wait until the liquid has had some time to cool down a little (it's okay if it is still warm) and squeeze the juice out of half a lemon into the pot. Throw the rind in there as well.
Pour the laborade into a pitcher and enjoy.
Notes
You can store laborade in the refrigerator for up to one week.