Here’s How Much Water Nursing Moms Need A Day

It took me only a few nursing sessions to start carrying a water bottle with me everywhere I went. My worst nightmare was forgetting to have a glass of water next to me when I was stuck nursing for a half hour or more. Why? Because breastfeeding moms are notorious both for their ravenous appetites and their undying thirst (which seems to conveniently strike right in the middle of a nursing session.) There is, of course, a reason behind your thirst and being dehydrated while breastfeeding can be dangerous, so it's important for nursing moms to ask "how much water should I drink while breastfeeding?" And then adjust their water intake accordingly.

When you're breastfeeding it's even more important to pay attention to your body's needs, because, according to Babble, dehydration is one of a nursing mom's worst enemies. Not drinking enough water can lead to fatigue, a drop in milk supply, low metabolism, and more. But exactly how much water you should be drinking will vary from person to person.

According to the Dr. Sears website:

Since the average six-month-old consumes around 1 quart of breast milk daily and 90 percent of that milk is water, it stands to reason that mother should drink four extra 8-ounce glasses of fluid daily.

However, the articled also pointed out that moms shouldn't become obsessive about their water intake either, since drinking extra water won't help you produce more milk. Drink to quench your thirst, and then a bit more.

Similarly, La Leche League International noted that as long as your urine is light colored and not dark from dehydration, you're doing just fine. Keeping a glass of water with you when you nurse is a good idea, since most moms are thirstiest while nursing. You can also carry a water bottle with you whenever you go out as a constant reminder to keep drinking throughout the day.

It can feel like a lot of work to listen to your body and feed another human (and it definitely is,) but paying attention to how much water you're drinking each day is a simple way to prioritize your own health and avoid the discomfort of thirst while you're breastfeeding.