Most women know that it is important to drink water while they are breastfeeding. However, not all understand why so much water has to be consumed. As such, new moms may not see drinking water as a priority when they are breastfeeding. Something that can harm both the production of breast milk and the quantity of the milk being produced. Both of which can cause struggles with breastfeeding. That is why knowing the number of ounces of water that needs to be drunk daily is necessary to know so that breastfeeding moms know whether they need to drink more water.
When caught up with caring for babies during the day, it can be hard for women to always remember to drink the necessary water to continue to produce breast milk without fail. As such, many mothers wait until they are thirsty to drink a glass or two of water.
Unfortunately, at that point, dehydration has already started to set in. This is why having a schedule to drink water throughout the day can be helpful to make sure that breastfeeding moms are getting the water necessary for their bodies to remain not only hydrated but producing milk without interruption.
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Here is why breastfeeding moms need to drink more water.
Breast milk is made up of 88 percent water, according to SOS Rehydrate. Because of this, women's bodies need to remain hydrated to be able to produce quality breast milk for their babies while not feeling exhausted and wiped out in the process.
If women do not drink enough fluids during the day, the breast milk production that babies are used to can change. This means that either there will be less breast milk or the concentration or taste can change, according to the publication. All things that can cause babies to drink a smaller volume of breast milk and in some cases, become dehydrated themselves.
To remain hydrated, people either follow the rule of drinking eight, eight-ounce glasses of water daily or drink half their body weight in ounces of water. For most, these tricks seem to work with keeping properly hydrated. But, when it comes to breastfeeding, this amount of water does not keep women hydrated. And because of this, they need more.
According to Creekside Center For Women, the additional amount of water needed depends on how much babies are consuming breast milk. This means if babies are having 32 ounces of breast milk during the day, moms need to drink that much more water to keep their bodies hydrated and breast milk production consistent. If extra water is not consumed, then women will feel dehydrated and depleted. Neither of which is a sign of optimal health in breastfeeding mothers.
If new breastfeeding mothers are finding it difficult to remember to drink enough water, let alone more water during the day, there are ways to remember to increase the volume of fluids. Some may have been practiced during pregnancy to ensure enough water was consumed.
According to University Hospitals, ways to make sure breastfeeding mothers get enough water throughout the day include:
Along with these tips, mothers may want to consider flavoring their water with fruits and vegetables to make it more palatable.
If mothers can remember to do this, they can increase their water drinking habits in short order. Keeping both mothers and babies healthy one glass of water at a time.
Source: Creekside Center For Women, SOS Rehydrate, University Hospitals