Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate…

Whether it is for a few weeks, a few months or even a few years, if you decide that breastfeeding is what works best for you and your baby there is one REALLY important thing you must remember, STAY HYDRATED.

Nursing or not, you need to drink adequate amounts of water to prevent dehydration. There are many different opinions on how much water you should be drinking, but most health providers recommend at least eight, 8-ounce glasses (about ½ a gallon) a day. Many health professionals go so far as to recommend that you drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. If you weigh 160 pounds, that would be 80 to 160 ounces of water daily.

While drinking more water is not necessarily associated to increasing milk production, not drinking enough or becoming dehydrated can affect your health which in turn, can affect your milk production. Dehydration can lead to headaches, moodiness, dry mouth and chapped lips – none of that is fun when you are already sleep deprived, hormonal and dealing with your post-partum recovery.

Remembering to drink water can be somewhat challenging with the all the other craziness that comes with being a new parent. Here are a few ways to maintain your hydration while taking care of your new addition:

• Have a large glass of water whenever you sit down to feed your little one. Most newborns will need to eat 8 to 12 times every 24 hours. If you drink an 8 oz glass of water each time, that is 64 – 96 ounces. Just with that one behavior, you are WELL on your way to maintaining good hydration.
• Don’t limit yourself to plain water. Low-sugar beverages like tea and sparkling water TOTALLY count toward hydration. I personally drink WAY more water since I discovered sparkling water is tasty! LaCroix Grapefruit is my personal favorite (I like to call it pamplemousse, because it is one of the 10 or so words I remember from my one semester of French in college)
• Fill a pitcher each morning with a measured amount of water and make a point to take a small glass every time you reach in the fridge for something. Seeing a visual representation of your daily intake is good reminder that you are (or aren’t) on track.

Taking care of yourself is SO important when caring for a little one. Thinking ahead NOW, even about something as simple as hydration, is one way to make sure you don’t lose sight of that!