Salt intake during pregnancy

I know I am not alone when I have been given advice by women who notice my growing pregnant belly. I have been advised by more than one well meaning friend to not eat salt during my pregnant to prevent swelling. While that was the medical recommendation years ago, it is not the current recommendation because they found that by restricting your sodium during pregnancy can cause problems for the mom and her baby. Sodium is needed to maintain fluid balance and blood volume, so salt restriction is not necessary.

Edema (accumulation of fluid) in the feet and legs often occurs during pregnancy. This is a result of increased estrogen production and greater blood volume. Estrogen increases a mother's ability to absorb water into connective tissue, thus fluid retention is naturally higher. At the same time, progesterone increases the sodium content of urine, so more sodium than usual is lost by women during pregnancy. Therefore, despite the presence of edema, sodium needs still increase for pregnant women.

Although the increase in sodium requirement is not dramatic, it is important. Restricting sodium during pregnancy can cause problems for mother and her fetus, by disrupting this delicate fluid balance. Edema that occurs during pregnancy is not considered harmful, unless high blood pressure or protein loss in urine is also occurring. If your obstetrician advises a low sodium diet, clarify with the doctor the extent of sodium restriction and any fluid recommendation being made to you.

(References: "The Birth Book" By William and Martha Sears, and this article here.)