Fluids
We should all drink plenty of fluids every day to stay hydrated. Water is essential for a healthy body… and even more so when so much fluid is leaving it in the form of breast milk.
What should you drink?
Generally, anything you fancy. Some drinks contain calories, others don’t. Water is great but remember that drinks such as tea and coffee can be part of everyday healthy living too.
Fruit juices provide fluid and offer a source of carbohydrate and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Flavoured water and diluted squash can make it easier to get children to drink their daily ration of fluids.
The only drinks to avoid are alcoholic ones; alcohol causes dehydration... one of the reasons you feel so bad after overindulging. More importantly, if a mother drinks alcohol shortly before breastfeeding it can be passed on to her baby through breast milk. Drinking alcohol may also reduce the amount of milk that is produced.
Apart from alcohol, any drink will add to your overall daily fluid intake. Choose from any of these options:
- Plain water.
- Flavoured water (with a twist of lime, lemon or diluted squash).
- Fruit juice.
- Vegetable juice.
- Milk.
- Sports drinks.
- Energy drinks.
- Soft carbonated drinks.
- Diet drinks.
- Tea – especially herbal.
- Coffee – (in moderation; caffeine is a diuretic that can contribute to de-hydration).
- Milky drinks – preferably half fat versions that are better for your health.
- Soups – but not with too high a salt content.
Drinks are not the only source of water!
Food can provide much more water in your diet than is commonly thought.
Salad items and vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli and carrots contain a very high percentage of water. So do fruits such as grapes, oranges, plums and kiwi fruit.
On the other hand, foods such as bread, cheese, raisins, honey and nuts contain very little water and are best eaten with a drink to help wash them down.