Does Drinking Water Affect Breastfeeding? (The Answer May Surprise You!)
There’s so much conflicting advice out there about drinking water and breastfeeding!
You may have heard that you need to drink a certain amount of water to maximize the water content of your milk….
Or that drinking more water will increase your milk supply... Or you may have been told the opposite!
It can be difficult to get good, reliable information when it comes to hydration and breastfeeding.
No worries: we’ve got you covered!
Here are the most frequently asked questions about water intake and breastfeeding answered—with evidence to back it up.
How Much Water Do You Need To Drink While Breastfeeding?
Most experts agree—and moms can attest to this— that when you’re breastfeeding, you’re going to be a whole lot thirstier than usual (and hungrier too!).
Most breastfeeding moms will naturally increase their fluid intake while breastfeeding, just because that’s what their body is telling them to do.
At the same time, there’s no set amount of water or other fluids that you need to consume in order to make enough milk for your baby.
“It is widely assumed that milk production requires a high fluid intake on the part of the mother,” write the authors of Nutrition During Lactation, “yet the evidence suggests that lactating women can tolerate a considerable amount of water restriction and that supplemental fluids have little effect on milk volume.”
Your best bet when it comes to breastfeeding and water intake is to “drink to thirst.”
This usually means drinking extra water, and you can accomplish this by keeping a water bottle with you while you’re nursing your little one.
And remember, all fluids count! You can drink tea, coffee (in moderation: 1-2 cups a day is fine), juices, and sparkling water.
Do what works for you and try not to stress about a certain number of ounces, liters, or cups of fluids.
Does Not Drinking Enough Water Affect Breastfeeding?
Another thing you hear all the time is that drinking extra water will boost your milk supply.
It seems like that would be so, huh? If you want more volume of milk, just drink more water.
But that’s not really how milk supply works. And the evidence backs that up, too.
“Contrary to popular belief, drinking more fluids is not associated with greater milk production.”
Want more? A study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health as well as a review published in the Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews back up these claims too, finding no relationship between increased water intake by moms and increased milk supply.
So what should you do if you’re concerned about your milk supply and are looking for ways to increase it?
Remember that the single best way to increase your milk supply is to nurse more frequently.
It’s all about supply and demand.
Is Too Much Water Bad For Breastfeeding?
At the same time that you’re wondering if drinking more fluids will boost your milk supply, you may have also heard that drinking too much water can cause your milk supply to decrease.
Information about this phenomenon is a little harder to come by, unfortunately.
There is one study about this, but it’s very old (it’s from the 1950s!). This study, published in The Lancet, found that moms who drank fluids in excess actually produced less milk overall. “The mothers who were forced to drink beyond thirst produced less milk, and their babies gained less well,” the researchers concluded.
But again, this study is from a while ago, and definitely should be taken with a grain of salt.
Again, the best advice here is to drink to thirst while breastfeeding, and not to worry too much about how much fluid you’re taking in.
Trust that your body knows what to you and that you and your baby will get it right.
Does My Breast Milk Have Enough Water For My Baby?
Especially when you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you may want assurance that your breast milk has enough water for your baby’s needs.
For example, when it’s warm outside, will your breast milk be enough?
You can rest assured that your milk has all the water your baby needs. As the World Health Organization (WHO) explains, breast milk is actually 80% water and can easily fulfill your baby’s fluid needs.
“Whenever the mother feels her baby is thirsty she can breastfeed him or her,” the WHO explains. “This will satisfy the baby’s thirst, and continue to protect the baby from infections, and help the baby to continue to grow well.”
The WHO also emphasizes that babies do not need extra fluids, even in hot weather. In fact, offering extra water to babies under six months old can be damaging to their health. “Giving water to young babies puts them at risk of diarrhea and malnutrition,” says the WHO.
In addition, the WHO contends that giving a baby extra water can have a negative impact on a mother’s milk supply, because a baby who is drinking extra water may come less frequently to the breast. “If mothers give water instead of breastfeeding it will also cause the mother to have less milk in the future,” writes the WHO.
The Bottom Line? Trust Your Body
While you’re breastfeeding, you’re going to get advice left and right about what to eat and drink, how to keep up your milk supply, and whether or not your milk has everything your baby needs.
It can be very easy to doubt your own body’s ability to produce the milk your baby needs and to do it efficiently.
The truth is, biology designed breastfeeding to be very sturdy and reliable, and most moms don’t have to do much at all to maintain a good milk supply and provide everything their babies need through breastfeeding.
Drink as much as your body is telling you to, nurse your baby on demand, and the rest will usually work itself out just fine.
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