Water intake and BFing

[Fedfedfedup]

I've always been rubbish with my water intake. Trying to increase my supply...how much water should I be drinking? And how long after being really rubbish with it so you notice a dip in supply?

Pumping whenever I can too. Started having oats today too. Any other tips? My DD didn't agree with fenugreek sadly.

You should have a glass of water at every feed. Or squash or something. I used to like drinking hot water from a flask at night, and cold water with a slice of lemon in during the day, or lime cordial for a change.

If your wee isn't pale straw colour, then you aren't drinking enough.

Don't forget you also have to drink during the night.

In my experience you cannot drink too much, so I used to keep a very large reusable water bottle with me, and keep refilling that.

Water intake doesn't really affect your supply, it's a bit of a myth that it does, but it will make you feel crap if you're dehydrated so def worth drinking for your own sake.

Putting the baby to the breast once an hour helped me boost supply a day or two later.

Could I ask why you're trying to increase, what's made you think it's low/dropped? There are a few aspects of BF which are totally normal but can easily be mistaken for low supply. And if you genuinely have low supply, then you're likely to need more targeted, specific and personal support than any generic supply-boost tips you can find online. In that case I'd seek advice from an IBCLC if you can afford to pay for support, if you can't, look at resources such as La Leche League, NCT, ABM or if your baby is very little (under 10 days) your infant feeding specialist midwife.