Nursing how much water

Your lack of water intake is most likely not responsible for your decrease in breast milk and drinking too much water can actually harm your milk supply. When you drink too much water, your body tries to restore the electrolyte balance in your body by dumping the excess water in the urine.

This results in water being diverted away from your breasts, which can actually decrease your milk supply. Drinking to thirst and checking your urine is the best way to get the right amount of water for you. Taking care of yourself by taking the time to stay hydrated will help ensure your little one has the nutrition they need to thrive. Some ways to do this include:. Staying adequately hydrated will help you feel energized and help your body to produce enough milk.

Use these tips to get the right amount of water you need each day to stay healthy. While being slightly dehydrated may not affect breast milk production, it can affect your general mood, amount of energy available and overall skin health. Balance is key. Calories Fluids. In general, you should simply listen to your body and eat to appetite — this is usually all you need to do to get the calories you need.

When exclusively nursing a young baby, it is very common to feel hungry much of the time… listen to your body. Mothers of older babies may feel hungrier when baby temporarily increases his or her milk intake for example, during a growth spurt … again, listen to your body.

Counting calories is rarely necessary unless you are having problems maintaining a healthy weight. Studies have shown that most healthy breastfeeding women maintain an abundant milk supply while taking in or more calories per day. Consuming less than calories per day most women should stay at the high end of this range may put your milk supply at risk, as may a sudden drop in caloric intake.

See Can I diet while breastfeeding? An exclusively breastfeeding mother, on average, needs to take in calories per day above what was needed to maintain pre-pregnancy weight. Per Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Riordan, , p. Like this post? Check out these breastfeeding tips:. Blog Podcast Non-toxic cleaner. Every share supports this site. Thank you! If you do decide to have that glass of wine or beer, there are some steps you can take to make sure it does not interfere with nursing.

To ward off dehydration, be sure to drink a glass of water in addition to the alcoholic drink. And because it can take a few hours for alcohol to fully clear from your body, preparation and timing of a nursing mother's drink is key. Time your drink so that your baby won't be nursing for a few hours afterwards by having it right after a feeding, for example, or during one of your baby's longer stretches of sleep.

Another option would be for you to bottle-feed your baby previously expressed breast milk. Fish and seafood provide important nutrients. To reduce your exposure to known chemical contaminants such as mercury, avoid eating large bottom-dwelling fish while breastfeeding.