When I started breastfeeding as a new mom, one of the most surprising things in my breastfeeding journey was learning that breast milk was more than 80% water. This meant I needed to chug more water than I was used to – way more water! But keeping up your water intake while caring for an infant is easier said than done. So, how much water should you consume while breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding moms should aim to drink 128 ounces of water per day. Drinking 16 cups each day will ensure that a breastfeeding mom’s body is hydrated and that her baby gets enough hydration from breast milk. Breastfeeding moms should limit or avoid drinking fluids that cause dehydration such as caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.
How Much Water Should I Consume While Breastfeeding?
The estimated water you should drink while breastfeeding is about 128 ounces daily. That is around 16 cups. This is the minimum you need. Luckily, our bodies are great at signaling us and you will feel more thirsty than normal when breastfeeding.
You must increase your water intake above the recommended level if you are active and working out, live in a hot place, or have twins. As your baby grows and needs more milk, your water intake has to increase slightly, but 128 ounces is a great goal to stick to daily.
Why Is Drinking Water While Breastfeeding Important?
Drinking water is an ongoing game from pregnancy all the way through to breastfeeding. First, you need water to develop those fetus cells in your womb; afterward, those growing cells need them through breast milk.
The human body is composed of 70% water. Thus, whether you are breastfeeding or not, water is essential for survival and for all of your organs to thrive. When we breastfeed, it is even more crucial as we supply another body with their water intake.
A baby’s body is 75% water and the only water they get is from breast milk. So where does the water in your breast milk come from? The water comes from your fluid intake. We can assume that we need to drink a lot more water when breastfeeding to ensure our bodies cope with the extra load and our baby’s body receives sufficient water.
What Could Happen If I Drink Too Little Water?
Breastmilk is made up of 80% water. Thus, a mother’s water intake plays a significant role in the quality of her breast milk. Increasing your water intake won’t necessarily improve your milk supply, but not getting enough fluids can cause your milk supply to drop. Conversely, too little fluids lead to dehydration.
How Does Dehydration Look And Feel Like?
Dehydration is a serious condition, but it’s especially serious when breastfeeding because now the dehydration doesn’t won’t affect one person but also impacts the baby too. Signs of dehydration are chapped lips, dry mouth and skin, dark-colored urine, and the need to urinate less. More extreme signs are fatigue, constipation, dizziness, and headaches.
Babies can quickly dehydrate by vomiting excessively, having diarrhea, and sweating. Ensure they drink enough on warm days and that the temperature is regulated in their room. Also ensure that they wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Your baby will show signs of dehydration in the following forms:
- Constipation – the digestive tract needs water to move the stool through the channels.
- Discolored hands and feet – without enough water, your body saves water to serve the organs. The same happens with a baby.
- Crying with no tears – with a shortfall of hydration, tears don’t form to preserve them for other systems in the body.
Because babies are sensitive to dehydration, breast milk is crucial in keeping them hydrated and happy. To accomplish this, a breastfeeding mom has to take care of her fluid choices and the amount she consumes daily.
What To Drink While Breastfeeding?
All fluids have a base of water which means that you can drink a variety of fluids to increase your water intake. While drinking straight water is your best option, consuming 16 cups of clear water can be challenging. Here’s some other options to help increase your fluid intake:
- Naturally flavored water – with fruit or nut essence
- Caffeine-free drinks – many people are more aware of caffeine and the risk of consuming too much. Today, the choices are endless for caffeine free alternatives.
- Sugar-free drinks – not everybody is a fan of sugar-free drinks, but if you can find one you like, it will make your baby happy and keep you healthier.
- Tea or iced tea – tea is an excellent substitute for water, and on a warm day, you can cool the tea with ice and turn it into an iced tea.
- 100% fruit juices – fruit has a lot of water content, and by drinking 100% fruit juice, you will get the natural water from the fruit.
- Consume fruit – fruits have high fluid content.
All foods have water content and contribute to your daily fluid intake. You can increase your fruit and vegetable intake to increase your fluid intake.
Which Fluids To Avoid When Breastfeeding?
Some fluids are not great to have while breastfeeding. While they are not as bad as alcohol, they can cause your body to take up less water.
Sugary drinks have been shown to reverse the effect of hydration as the sugars react in the kidneys and take water from the system and breastmilk to neutralize the body fluids. Thus, too many sugary drinks can decrease breast milk supply and lead to dehydration.
Caffeine is also not recommended in high quantities during breastfeeding as it goes straight to breastmilk and interferes with the baby’s mood and energy levels. This can intervene with their sleep patterns and overall quality of sleep. Caffeine also dehydrates the body, letting you drop water instead of holding on to it.
Many fruit juices contain artificial sugars, which are not a great source of fluids. 100% fruit juice, on the other hand, is an excellent option to have now and again when you want to increase your fluid intake.
Alcohol is one of the fluids you should generally avoid when breastfeeding. You can, however, have a glass of wine from time to time if you feel like it. Try incorporating it after a feed and when you know the stretch before the next feeding will be longer than the others. If you consume more than a glass of wine, feed your baby previously pumped milk that doesn’t contain any alcohol.
For every drink you have, your body needs two hours to get rid of it. Alcohol can have a harmful effect on a baby’s sleep and development. Alcohol can also cause dehydration and a reduction in breast milk supply.
Is It Possible To Consume Too Much Water?
You can actually drink too much water. It is called overhydration. The cells in your body use water to keep the balance of all fluids. Suppose the water in your body is too much; the sodium in your body drops, increasing the water in the cells, making them swell and causing many problems.
Check your urine color to know whether you drink too much water. This might be the case if you have clear urine early in the day.
How To Up My Water Intake While Breastfeeding?
Getting 16 cups of water in can be challenging if you are not used to drinking much water. Luckily, there are many tips you can try and implement to get your water intake up.
Drink Water Every Time You Breastfeed
This can be an excellent marker to set for yourself and a routine to get into. If you drink a cup before or after you breastfeed, you can get up to 12 cups in, as most babies drink 8-12 times from newborn to 4 months.
Enhance Your Regular Water To Increase Intake
Regular water can be tough to get in, especially if you have to drink 128 ounces of water. However, you can make your water more alluring and easy to drink in many ways.
- Add fruit – fresh fruit will add a tasty but healthy twist to your water. For example, add strawberries, blueberries, mint, and cucumber. Lemon water is incredibly refreshing in the heat of summer.
- Sparkling water – not everybody likes sparkling water, but it can be a nice change to regular water.
- Water tracking app – if you need accountability, you can download an app and log your water intake. Some apps give great motivation to reach your goals.
- Tracking bottle – You can buy some fantastic products with motivation printed on the bottle. These bottles give you a gallon (160 ounces) to follow in one go. If you are someone who doesn’t like to refill, this is a great option.
- Try a frozen treat – the best option would be to make your own frozen treat at home so you know the ingredients and can add healthy and water-based ingredients. You can also mix a nutrient-dense smoothie and freeze it as a lollipop for later.
Conclusion
Increasing your daily water intake to 128 ounces can be tough. At the same time, breastfeeding is crucial for a breastfeeding mom’s body and for her baby to grow and develop. You lose fluids when breastfeeding, so keep your water intake up by adding fresh fruit or tracking your fluid intake.