Water and breastfeeding: what can you drink?

Nutritionists, cosmetologists, doctors insist that a person should drink more water, and this is at least 2-2.5 liters per day, not including liquid dishes, coffee, tea, juices. With the help of it, metabolism, digestion, cardiac activity, and the condition of the skin are improved. Does this apply to a nursing woman? Not so long ago, it was believed that drinking plenty of fluids promotes lactation, is that so? [1]

How much water should nursing mothers drink?

It is reliably known that the hormone prolactin affects the production of breast milk, and its amount is directly proportional to the frequency of the baby's attachment to the breast, the correct grasping of the nipple and its sucking. Therefore, the statement about the dependence of the abundance of milk on the liquid drunk has no basis. And yet it facilitates the passage of milk, and this has been noticed by many women. It is best for a woman to drink as much as she wants during the feeding period. Too much volume will increase the load on the excretory system, a lack, especially in heat, can lead to dehydration. The best indicator in this case is the color of urine: dark with a pungent odor indicates a lack of fluid, light - about normal processes. An important question for a nursing mother is what to drink. [2]

Dill water

It is known that dill water contains its medicinal property to relieve intestinal spasms and release it from gases. It also has an antimicrobial effect, improves digestion. That is why it is given to babies when they cry from bloating and pain in the tummy. Women in the postpartum period also often suffer from similar symptoms. Dill water is credited with the ability to increase lactation and promote milk separation. In any case, the spice plant from which the preparation is prepared contains essential, fatty oils, vitamins A, C, group B, flavonoids, glycosides, and minerals that are useful for both women and children. What is popularly called dill has the scientific name common fennel. It prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system, normalizes blood pressure, has a diuretic, expectorant effect. For women with hypotension, such water is contraindicated, because contains a vasodilator.

How to prepare dill water?

Dill water is sold in pharmacies in bottles and the ratio of its components - fennel essential oil and purified water - is 1: 1000. But the drug can be prepared by yourself at home. To do this, you need a teaspoon of seeds or 3 g of chopped fruits, which are poured with a glass of boiling water. After insisting for an hour, you can strain it and drink it. A nursing mother should take a drink 30 minutes before feeding the baby, half a glass one time.

Sparkling water

We know sweet carbonated drinks: lemonade, Coca-Cola, Sprite and others, and, in addition, mineral sparkling water. The former are not recommended not only for nursing mothers, but also for everyone else because of the high sugar content, flavors, dyes. Mineral waters are rich in nutrients, vitamins, microelements. The different composition corresponds to specific water and is intended for the treatment of certain pathologies of the digestive tract and other organs. During lactation, it is important to simply quench your increased thirst. Mineral table water is suitable for daily use. To be able to drink it away from sources, carbon dioxide is used as a preservative. It is he who is undesirable during breastfeeding, because irritates the lining of the stomach, intestines and can cause colic in a child. If you really want carbonated water, then you need to limit it in volume, and it is best to leave it in a glass for a while until the bubbles evaporate, and then drink it. [3], [4]

Raw water

Raw water is the best way to quench your thirst, which is caused by the hormone oxytocin during breastfeeding - the more you feed your baby, the more it is produced. It does not disturb the water-salt balance, therefore it is suitable for daily consumption. The best water is artesian, which has not passed a long way of centralized water supply. Most of us do not have the opportunity to drink this. Chlorinated, and sometimes insufficiently neutralized and epidemiologically unsafe, flows from the taps. Therefore, the solution lies in the purchase of bottled water, which is most often taken directly from sources, or filtered. [5]Boiled water is considered dead water, however, if a woman doubts the quality of raw water or has had a negative experience of using it, then it is best to boil it.