If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably already noticed that you’re thirstier than usual. You may have also heard that you’re supposed to drink a certain amount of water every day. While most people don’t need to actually measure their water intake (unless there is a particular concern and your doctor or midwife advises you to), one does need to drink more than usual to stay sufficiently hydrated. There are a few reasons for this, for why we need more water during pregnancy, and some of them might surprise you. This list is not at all exhaustive–there are many more reasons than this!--but here are a few of them.