PolkMoms.com

Okay, so now I am confused. I read this article that I am linking as well as a handful of others that say pregnant women need more sodium while they are pregnant?

If you are expecting, don't feel that you need to run out and eat more salt. Most people eat more sodium than what is the daily recomended allowance anyway making most pregnant women safe on not needing to increase their sodium intake.

I was told to decrease my sodium to 500mg a day in the end of my pregnancy with Ryan. This was so hard, I think a coke has that much in it. (I wasn't drinking cokes, just using it as an example of how you can go over 500mg a day real fast ) My blood preassure was good. My swelling was AWFUL.

This article suggests discussing a sodium restricted or increased diet with your doctor.

What have you ladies been told by your docs on this?

http://www.storknet.com/ip/nutritional_health/nutrients/sodium.html

Restricting sounds weird as if you have too much it can cause problems too. When I was pregnant with my last three I was told to watch the amount of sodium and told not to add salt to any of my food.

My blood pressure with them was really bad. So bad with Gavin I was admitted to LRMC and had to stay weeks.
My sister was actually told the same thing when she was pregnant with her first son. She was induced with him at 34 weeks due to high protein in her urine, she was so swollen, the baby was not growing do to the restriction to the placenta from her blood pressure being high.

Hello Mrs. Arnold. Sorry to have missed you at the gathering today, something came up. I heard you met my wife and 2 children, Lisa, Luke and Abigail.
Generally we recommend limiting salt intake during pregnancy because of a condition that can develop called preeclampsia which includes a triad of signs - high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and significant swelling sometimes seen in the hands and face. If left unmanaged, it can lead to significant complications for mom and fetus. It can also lead to eclampsia in mom (seizures). This is part of the reason why your regular visits to the obstetrician is very important during pregnancy.
During the second trimester of pregnancy, blood vessels dilate in response to hormones, sometimes leading to low blood pressure. We don't generally recommend treating this with increased salt intake, rather caution when getting up from a flat or sitting position as this activity may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and dizziness.

Hi Dr. Ghaly! You have a beautiful and wonderful family! It was such a joy to meet them! I'm sorry we missed you.

Thank you very much for giving us ladies professional advice on a subject such as this! It is very appreciated!

I was never told anything about sodium intake in either of my pregnancies

My blood pressure is generally on the way low side of the normal range so I guess it never really came up as a concern with me.

It's nice to see advice straight from a doctor here - sometimes information 'out there' can be so confusing, and oftentimes conflicting.