Today I googled “how much water should I drink while breastfeeding?”.
I have a serious problem staying hydrated, especially while breastfeeding.
I wish I could say it’s because I have three kids and I’m so busy. But I remember having this same problem when I only had one child.
This blog post is written to the thirsty breastfeeders, looking for information and a solution.
How Much Water Should I Drink While Breastfeeding?
Let’s just cut to the chase. How much water should I drink while breastfeeding?
The average adult needs about 8, 8 ounce glasses of water per day. 64 ounces. During pregnancy and breastfeeding this average intake obviously increases. During breastfeeding we should drink an extra quart, or 32 ounces, per day. Roughly, we should be drinking around 100 ounces of water per day. Around 3/4 ths of a gallon of water.
This is the same amount of water a woman needs to drink when pregnant. Just because you give birth, your hydration needs do not decrease!
Since my kids drink out of my water bottle too, I need to increase this even more.
No wonder I’m always feeling dehydrated.
Dehydration While Breastfeeding
When I am dehydrated, my baby is just peachy. She keeps on eating, sucking the life out of me.
I, on the other hand, start to feel…
- Tired
- Irritable
- Spacey
- Can’t multi-task
- Inability to deal with lots of stimulation
- Dry skin
- Constipated
- Depressed
Hydration Tips and Tricks
Ya’ll, it’s one thing to KNOW how much water to drink. It’s quite another to actually drink said water.
Here at Mother Rising I think it’s important to know WHAT to do for better health, but also HOW to do it.
Here are a few hydration tips and tricks that are helpful for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers (or anybody, really).
Drink Water
Water is the best liquid to drink. Limit diuretics – soda, coffee and alcohol – as they promote dehydration. Don’t be like me and only drink coffee in the morning. Come 11 am you’re going to crash and it will take hours to recover.
Glass Jars, Lids and Straws
I am obsessed with mason jars and drinking out of them makes me happy.
I prefer the Ball Wide Mouth Pint and Half jars. (You can buy them at your favorite canning supply store, Hobby Lobby or online.)
The sip & straw lids are absolutely necessary.
So are these wide mouth plastic storage caps.
Pour Water in the Morning
I learned this trick from a smart doula client of mine. Every morning, pour the amount of water you need to drink for the day and set it out on the counters (or put it in your bag to take).
By the end of the day the containers should be all empty.
By the way, this photo only shows 60 ounces of water. This would be adequate for a regular person, but not a breastfeeding or pregnant person. Add two more of these jars and you’re good to go.
The Rubber Band Trick
Another neat trick I learned from a fellow doula is to place the same number of rubber bands around your water jar as the number of refills you need to have to meet your daily water quota.
Each time you refill it, remove one of the rubber bands.
At the end of the day your jar should be empty and have no rubber bands.
Hydration Reminder App
I also downloaded a hydration reminder app to help me remember to drink water. Hey, why not. It was free.
CamelBak Hydration System
I keep threatening to start using a CamelBak Hydration System because I forget to hydrate and FEEL AWFUL. However, now that I know how much water should I drink while breastfeeding, and wrote myself a blog post all about it, maybe it won’t come to that.
Leave a Comment
I hope you found that helpful! Please leave a comment and let me know how you manage to stay hydrated. What are you trips and tricks?
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Dana says
Every time baby latches I get stranded on the desert kinda thirsty. Drinking water is so important when nursing.
Emily says
My first was born last fall and I thought I was going to need an IV after the first 24 hours of nursing. Yay for MORE surprises! Fruit and cucumbers help when you are tired of plain water for an extra tip.
Kelsey says
One awesome thing I have found is called a hydroflask water bottle that comes in many sizes!! I like cold water and don’t like it when it gets warm! This will keep ice for 24 hours and doesn’t sweat!!
Gena says
If you have heart issues like I do; a VSD and WPWS; electrolytes are mega important, too. I like Propel electrolyte water for that. They come in a bunch of really great flavors and they count towards your daily water intake. Just don’t drink more than 4 every three days. That’s what my cardiology specialist told me.
Sarah says
I actually wish that breastfeeding would make me thirsty so that I would remember to drink more. I keep my hydroflask filled with ice water nearby at all times, but aside from sipping it now and then I don’t get the volume of water that I need to help my milk supply. My daughter is almost one month old and she’s addicted to nursing. She has to have a boob in her mouth at all times to be happy, it seems. She’ll suck on the same one for over 90 minutes sometimes! Today, she sucked so long that my boob ran out of milk! She was so mad! I had to have my husband try to calm her while I chugged water and drank mother’s milk tea. Then I pumped for 15 minutes to see how much I could get from each side. The left side hardly had any at all and the right side had 1.5 oz (which was way more than I had gotten on either side before during pumping). We gave her that pumped milk in a bottle but when it ran out she was mad again. I’ve been taking my placenta capsules plus fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules but my baby will sleep for six hour stretches and I tend to sleep as well because otherwise I’m exhausted, so I can’t seem to get the chance to pump to keep up my supply. This is so hard!
Lindsey Morrow says
You could also try ice water or sparkling water. Or put strawberries in the water, or lemon. You could even brew a bunch of mother’s milk tea and serve it chilled. That way you’d have it on hand. Whatever you can do to make you remember to drink water and possibly make it more appealing.
Kris says
Whether nursing or not you need to consume half your body weight in oz of water. For example 150 pounds needs 75 ounces of water per day. If you don’t like regular water try adding some fresh fruit or cucumber and fresh mint to naturally sweeten or flavor it. Start out slow and build up to the amount you need add a few ounces every day and soon you’ll be getting all the water your body neds.
Mamalife says
Love your comment in the bottom about getting a Camelback! I’m a mom of twins and my husband is constantly threatening me on that he is going to get me one because on the weekends I’ll realize I barely had a sip of water…definitely not helping my milk supply!
Jen E. says
That’s actually a really good idea. I get busy working and forget. That would solve that.
Jackie Lynnell Fisk says
So I am a breastfeeding mother of 3 yr old and a 23 month old. I never knew I was supposed to be drinking 100 ounces of water a day !! I am only still breastfeeding my 23 month old girl. I seem to have a great milk supply because my kids basically own my boobs so to speak lol I know I have not been drinking even the recommended amount for adults. And on top of that I drink my Starbucks veinte sized coffee! My kids are as healthy as can be! My pediatrician says I have super milk ! However I get a bad headache at least once a week.:(
Meridith says
Question then, I drink my 100 + oz a day I’m working out as well for about 1 hr a day. I can’t seem to stay hydrated. I already had an episode where I got an iv from drinking too much water. I do add electrolytes and I’m trying to do some coconut water and still I’m Sahara dry! Please any help would be amazing. I’m breastfeeding an 8 mo and she still nurses every 3-4 hours through the night. She’s struggling with solids (my son was eating them at 6 mo so not for lack of trying)
SW says
You probably have already consulted a doctor, but just in case, have you had your glucose checked?
Mary says
Thank you Lindsey! I can tell this website is gonna be so good for me to have!! :). Just gave birth to my son 9 days ago!!
Lindsey says
You’re welcome!:)