A Story of (De)Hydration, Headaches, and Herbal Infusions for Breastfeeding!

Crying seems to be a fairly standard occurrence for new mums – it was for me, and other friends have said the same. And let me tell you, all those tears didn’t just leave me feeling like a waterlogged mess. Apart from all the upset and crying being pretty crappy in itself, it meant I got extremely dehydrated and got headaches from that, too. Not the best combo for my mood!  

Breastfeeding plus crying means that some days, I felt like a kind of cartoon character made of sand, drying out and in danger of disintegrating! Dehydration can lead to a range of issues, such as headaches, fatigue, and constipation. I learnt pretty quickly that I have to make a conscious effort to drink more – and I’ve always been a proud 3-litre-a-day kind of girl! I needed to up my water intake to help me feel more energetic, maintain healthy skin, and support overall well-being during the postpartum period.

Memo to myself & other mums: The key is to drink – and drink a lot! The recommendation is actually to drink around 4 litres a day if you’re breastfeeding, which is like 8-10 big glasses.  (See this NHS guide.) Most guidelines emphasise the importance of daily water intake, but you can also drink fruit/herbal tea*, juice, squash, or other low-sugar soft drinks, too. But drink! Including hydrating fruits and vegetables in your diet can contribute to your overall hydration, too.

I’ve noticed that adequate hydration is essential for my body to maintain an optimal milk supply. It makes sense, I suppose, as breast milk is primarily composed of water. Feeling thirsty is a clear sign that we need to replenish the fluids we lose during breastfeeding so that the body can produce enough milk to meet our babies’ nutritional needs.

* Regarding infusions, another thing I didn’t know about drinks: Some herbal teas are good for promoting milk production, while others negatively affect lactation. Breastfeeding mothers should drink fennel or cumin teas to boost milk supply, but avoid peppermint or sage teas, according to information the clinic here gave me. (Also see this article from Pediatrics in Review journal, or this info-sheet by Royal Women’s Hostpital Victoria Australia.)

There are other herbal teas out there that can be problematic for other reasons. So, run a quick internet search on whether your favorite brew is pregnancy and breastfeeding-friendly. That’s not a problem for me, I’m luckily not a big fan of herbal hot drinks anyway. Still, I wanted to mention here that you should check up on your favourite herbal teas and make sure you’re staying safe while staying hydrated!

Over to you: What are you top tips for staying hydrated throughout the day?