Hydration in Motherhood; from Pregnancy to Breastfeeding and Beyond
From pregnancy to the whirlwind of breastfeeding and juggling daily life, it’s no surprise that you’re often tired and thirsty. When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your body has a higher demand for you to drink more water due to the increased fluid requirements. You can be at risk for dehydration due to a variety of reasons, including morning sickness, vomiting, your body working hard in labour and your body having to produce more fluid when breastfeeding.
It's funny how that feeling of unquenchable thirst stays with you from pregnancy through to breastfeeding. And then when life gets busier, we seem to just constantly be thirsty and never have enough time to drink our recommended daily requirements.
That’s where our Motherhood Hydration Powder comes in. Crafted by expert midwives and naturopaths who understand the demands of motherhood, this hydration boost is your secret to better energy, focus, and digestion.
Pregnancy: Nourishing for Two
During pregnancy, your body undergoes incredible changes to support your growing baby. This includes an increased need for fluids. The recommendation for water intake during pregnancy is 12 glasses, or around 2.3- 3.1 litres per day. Adequate pregnancy hydration is essential for several reasons:
- Supports your baby’s growth and development.
- Aids in the circulation of nutrients to your baby: Ensuring essential nutrients reach your baby is a top priority.
- Helps prevent common pregnancy discomforts like constipation: Staying hydrated can alleviate discomfort.
- Reduces the risk of urinary tract infections, which are more common during pregnancy. Our Blood Orange Motherhood Hydration Powder contains cranberry extract, an ingredient specifically chosen by our health professional team, as it aids in preventing UTI's.
- Aids in alleviating headaches, fatigue, and fluid retention.
Labour
As you prepare for labour, staying hydrated is vital. Labour can be physically demanding, and dehydration can lead to complications that may require medical interventions. Your body’s natural response to the stress of labour is to increase your metabolic rate. This means that you will lose more fluid through sweat and breathing. Ensuring you are well-hydrated can:
- Staying hydrated is vital during your pregnancy, especially at the end because you can go into labour at any time, and if you’re well hydrated when labour starts you’ll have more labour stamina and energy than you would if you were dehydrated.
- Labour really is a marathon - staying energised as best you can while your body works hard to bring your baby earthside is key.
- Hydration may also contribute to a smoother labour, mum can often need IV fluids in labour if she becomes dehydrated.
Mums, don’t settle for those bright blue sports drinks or labour aids that claim to be healthy but are full of sugar and sodium. Our delicious tasting Motherhood Hydration Powder is a healthy way to hydrate your hardworking body.
Breastfeeding
Once your baby arrives, breastfeeding becomes a central part of your daily routine. One common discomfort that comes with breastfeeding is an unquenchable thirst.
This is because when you breastfeed, your body is working hard to produce milk, which requires a lot of fluid. As a result, your body naturally signals you to drink more water to keep up with the demand.
This is because when you breastfeed, your body is working hard to produce milk, which requires a lot of fluid. As a result, your body naturally signals you to drink more water to keep up with the demand.
The unquenchable thirst that comes with breastfeeding is not something to be ignored. Dehydration can have serious consequences for you and your baby, including decreased milk production and even reduced cognitive function for the mother. Proper hydration is necessary to:
- Support milk production; Breastmilk contains 87% water so for you to replace the fluid lost in your breastmilk, you should be aiming to drink on average an extra 700mL of water per day. If your baby has high demands of breastmilk or you are feeding twins or triplets, this water requirement may be increased.
- Supports you through exhaustion. We all know how tiring those early days (and years) are. Instead of reaching for another coffee - drink something your body will thank you for like our Motherhood Hydration Powder!
- Prevent common breastfeeding discomforts like mastitis: Adequate fluid intake can reduce the risk.
Postpartum (let’s be real, we are postpartum the day after birth, to 20 years down the line):
After giving birth, your body needs time to heal and recover. Staying hydrated remains essential:
- Hydration promotes wound healing.
- Aids in postpartum weight loss: staying hydrated can contribute to a healthy postpartum journey.
- Helps alleviate constipation, which can be common post-birth: Hydration is essential for digestive health.
- Reduces the risk of headaches and fatigue, which are common during the postpartum period. Staying hydrated can boost your overall well-being.
Our Motherhood Hydration Powder is designed with for women at all stages of mamahood and contains natural forms of electrolytes and plant material that will add to your daily intake and assist in the absorption of water. Hopefully it will encourage you to sip a little more because it is so tasty and therefore enjoy the benefits of being ‘truly’ hydrated.
Available in two flavours; we have Mixed Berry and Blood Orange in both the pouch and sachets. And remember mums, for every cup of coffee, you need at least 2 additional cups of water to cancel out the dehydration effects.