By Sebastian Madlangbayan, founder of Cleonse: the world's cleanest 3-ingredient organic electrolyte.
Are electrolytes safe or needed during pregnancy? The honest answer is that it depends on you, and it is a question for your doctor. Hydration and electrolyte needs in pregnancy are individual and medical. Some pregnant people are told to be mindful of fluids and sodium; others are told the opposite. There is no single answer this article can give you.
I want to be upfront about who I am and why I am writing this. My name is Sebastian Madlangbayan. I am a former state champion tennis player, and I built Cleonse because I wanted a hydration drink made from real, simple ingredients. I am not a doctor, an OB, a dietitian, or a medical professional of any kind. I am a founder who cares about hydration, and pregnancy is a topic where the responsible thing to do is hand you good general information and then point you straight to the person who actually knows your body and your history: your healthcare provider.
So please read this as what it is. This is an educational overview, not medical advice, not a recommendation, and definitely not a product pitch. If you take one thing from this piece, let it be this: before you change anything about how you hydrate during pregnancy, talk to your OB or midwife.
Why hydration generally matters more during pregnancy
Most healthcare providers and organizations like ACOG describe pregnancy as a time when the body's fluid needs generally rise. Your blood volume increases to support your pregnancy, and staying adequately hydrated is part of the everyday guidance many providers give. That is a broad, well-established idea, and it is not controversial.
What it does not tell you is exactly how much you personally should drink, what should be in it, or whether you need anything beyond water. Those specifics vary from person to person and from pregnancy to pregnancy. A provider considers your health history, how you are feeling, any conditions like high blood pressure, and countless other factors that a blog article simply cannot see. That is why "drink more" is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a finish line.
How morning sickness can affect fluids
One reason hydration comes up so often in early pregnancy is morning sickness. Nausea and vomiting are extremely common, and when they are significant, they can lead to fluid loss. Providers routinely talk with patients about staying hydrated when nausea and vomiting are in the picture, and in more severe cases (a condition your provider may call hyperemesis gravidarum) they may recommend specific medical management.
Here is the important part: if you are struggling to keep fluids down, that is a reason to call your doctor, not a reason to self-prescribe an electrolyte drink you read about online. Persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration, dizziness, dark urine, or the inability to keep water down are medical situations. Your provider can tell you what is safe and appropriate for your pregnancy, which may or may not involve electrolytes at all.
What electrolytes actually are
Since the word gets used loosely, let me define it plainly. Electrolytes are minerals in your body that carry an electrical charge and help regulate things like fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle function. The ones people usually mean are sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and calcium.
You get electrolytes from ordinary food and drink every day. A balanced diet supplies them for most people, most of the time. "Electrolyte drinks" are simply beverages that add some of these minerals, most often sodium, sometimes potassium and magnesium, in varying amounts. There is nothing magical about the category, and the amounts differ enormously from product to product.
During pregnancy, the question is not really "are electrolytes good or bad?" That framing is too simple. The real questions are individual: what does your body need right now, what are you already getting from food, and what has your provider advised? Those are medical questions with personal answers.
Why sodium during pregnancy is individual and medical
Sodium deserves its own section because it is where people most often get confused. In general, the body needs some sodium to function, and many everyday guidelines address a typical adult. Pregnancy changes the calculus in ways that are genuinely person-specific.
Some pregnant people are advised by their providers to watch their sodium intake carefully, for example if there are concerns about blood pressure or swelling. Others are given no such restriction. The same number that is fine for one person may not be appropriate for another, and only a provider who knows your full picture can weigh that. This is exactly why I will not tell you to increase, decrease, or target any particular sodium amount. I genuinely do not know what is right for you, and neither does any article.
If you see a hydration product with a specific sodium number on the label, the responsible move is to bring that exact number to your OB and ask whether it fits your situation. That is a conversation, not a purchase decision made from a blog.
Questions worth bringing to your OB
Rather than give you answers I am not qualified to give, here are some questions you might bring to your appointment. I built this table to be a starting point for talking with your provider, not a substitute for it.
| Topic | A question you might ask your OB or midwife |
|---|---|
| Overall fluids | How much fluid should I aim for each day given my pregnancy and health history? |
| Water vs. other drinks | Is plain water enough for me, or is there a reason to consider anything else? |
| Morning sickness | If I am nauseous or vomiting, what should I do to stay hydrated, and when should I call you? |
| Sodium | Is there any reason I should be mindful of sodium in my situation? |
| Electrolyte drinks | Here is a label with the exact amounts. Is a product like this appropriate for me, and if so, how much? |
| Sugar | Are there considerations around added sugar in drinks I should know about, including any screening like gestational diabetes? |
| Warning signs | What signs of dehydration or other problems should prompt me to contact you right away? |
Notice that several of these ask you to bring an actual label to the appointment. That is the point. Providers can give far better guidance when they can see the real numbers instead of a category name.
A neutral note about what Cleonse is
Because you may have found this article through Cleonse, I want to be transparent about what our product actually is, stated plainly and without any recommendation attached. This is a description so you understand the label, nothing more.
Cleonse is a hydration drink mix made from three ingredients: organic lemon or organic strawberry powder, organic cane sugar, and French grey sea salt. One 30g stick has 500mg of sodium, 100 calories, 26g of carbohydrate, and 24g of sugar, and it is meant to be mixed into 16 oz (473 ml) of water. It contains no stevia, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors, no dyes, no preservatives, no gums, no fillers, and no anti-caking agents. It is vegan and gluten-free. Cleonse does not add potassium or magnesium.
I will also be honest about the tradeoffs so nothing is hidden: Cleonse is a high-sodium (500mg) and real-sugar (24g) drink designed for general daily and sports hydration. Whether a high-sodium, real-sugar drink fits your pregnancy is a decision for you and your doctor, not something this article can or should decide. I am not suggesting it for pregnancy, and I am not suggesting any brand for pregnancy.
If it helps to review the details with your provider, you can read the full Cleonse facts, or look at the label on our product's label page and bring it to your appointment. If you are curious about what people mean by clean labels in general, we also wrote about what the cleanest electrolyte actually means. I am linking these only as references you can review with a professional, not as anything you should buy for pregnancy.
The mindset I would encourage
As an athlete, I learned to respect the difference between general knowledge and personalized guidance. A coach can tell the whole team how training generally works, but the physical therapist who examined your specific knee is the one you listen to about your specific knee. Pregnancy is like that, only far more so, and the stakes are higher.
General hydration ideas, that fluid needs often rise, that nausea can cause fluid loss, that electrolytes are minerals your body uses, are useful background. They are the coach talking to the whole team. Your OB or midwife is the professional who examined you. When the two ever seem to disagree, follow your provider, every time.
So my sincere advice is simple. Use this article to understand the landscape and to prepare good questions. Then bring those questions, and any product label you are curious about, to your appointment. Let the person who knows your body make the call.
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Shop CleonseFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need an electrolyte drink during pregnancy?
Maybe, maybe not, and I cannot tell you which. Many people meet their needs through a balanced diet and water, but individual situations vary widely. Whether you would benefit from anything beyond water is a question for your OB or midwife, who can consider your specific health and history.
Is the sodium in electrolyte drinks safe during pregnancy?
It depends entirely on you. Some pregnant people are advised to be mindful of sodium and others are not. The safest approach is to bring the exact sodium amount on any label to your provider and ask whether it is appropriate for your situation. I will not recommend a sodium target, because that is a medical decision.
I have morning sickness and cannot keep fluids down. What should I do?
Contact your healthcare provider. Persistent nausea and vomiting, trouble keeping water down, or signs of dehydration are medical situations that deserve professional attention, not a self-selected drink from a blog. Your provider can tell you what is safe and, if needed, recommend specific care.
Can I drink Cleonse while pregnant?
That is a question for your doctor, not for me. Cleonse is a general hydration drink that is high in sodium and made with real sugar. I am not recommending it for pregnancy or as a pregnancy supplement. If you are curious, review the label with your OB and follow their guidance.
How much water should I drink during pregnancy?
Fluid needs generally rise in pregnancy, but the right amount for you specifically depends on your body, your health, and your provider's guidance. Ask your OB or midwife what to aim for rather than relying on a general number from an article.
Is this article medical advice?
No. This is educational information written by a founder, not a medical professional. Nothing here is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation. Always consult your OB or healthcare provider before making decisions about hydration or electrolytes during pregnancy.
Editor's note: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Hydration and electrolyte needs during pregnancy are individual and medical, and they can differ significantly from person to person and pregnancy to pregnancy. Always consult your OB, midwife, or other qualified healthcare provider before making any decision about fluids, sodium, or electrolytes during pregnancy. Cleonse is a general hydration product; it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition, and it is not a pregnancy supplement. Nothing in this article is a recommendation to use Cleonse or any other product during pregnancy.