Sheri Menelli was early in her second pregnancy this summer when she learned firsthand the importance of drinking enough water. "I wasn't keeping track of the water I was drinking, but I always had a glass with me and I figured I was doing fine with it," says Menelli, a hypnobirthing educator in Carlsbad, Calif.

At about 13 weeks along in her pregnancy, Menelli realized her lips were chapped, which was odd, considering she was living in a 70 percent humid area of California. She noted other symptoms: Her urine was dark yellow; she felt constantly exhausted and she was queasy all the time. One Sunday she needed three naps just to get through the day.

"I suddenly realized that I was dehydrated," Menelli says. "It wasn't just morning sickness causing these symptoms. I made a chart for the fridge to really track how much water I was taking in. I was shocked."

At that turning point, Menelli drank as much water as she could for the next few days. "I was only drinking 35 to 45 ounces when I pushed it," Menelli says. "I realized that I was probably only drinking 25 ounces the days before. After a few days I was finally able to take in 80 ounces a day."

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