How Much Water To Drink While Breastfeeding

For those wondering how much water to drink while breastfeeding, this post is for you.

I don’t know about you, but 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! Surely I’m not the only one. 🙂

On This Page

4 minute read
↓How much Water to Drink While Breastfeeding
↓Dehydration While Breastfeeding
↓Hydration Tips and Tricks
↓Drink Mainly Water
↓Liquid IV for Breastfeeding
↓Buy Your Favorite (Large) Water Bottle
↓Pour Water in the Morning
↓Hydration Reminder App
↓CamelBak Hydration System
↓Recipes to Stay Hydrated

How Much Water Drink While Breastfeeding?

Let’s just cut to the chase. How much water should new moms 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, breastfeeding mothers should be drinking around 100 ounces of water per day or 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 Mainly 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.

Liquid IV for Breastfeeding

Products like Liquid IV, coconut water, and other beverages with electrolytes can be very helpful to stay hydrated while breastfeeding – especially when you’ve become dehydrated. This powder can bring you back to feeling like yourself again. The ingredients of Liquid IV – cane sugar, potassium, salt, stevia, and various vitamins are safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Buy Your Favorite (Large) Water Bottle

Yes, it’s trendy. But yes, it’ll help you to drink more water. Cheers to drinking water in style!

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.) I love 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, the photo above 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 would be 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

It also may be helpful to download a hydration reminder app to help remember to drink water. Hey, why not – they’re 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.

Recipes to Stay Hydrated

Thirsty breastfeeders, want more tips, advice, and recipes to stay hydrated? I got you!

How Much Water to Drink When Pregnant
Easy Green Smoothies for Pregnancy and Postpartum
Protein Punch Smoothie for Pregnancy
Easy Freezer Smoothie Packs
Electrolyte Ice Cubes for Labor and Delivery