Hydration during motherhood isn’t as simple as “drink more water”.

Your needs change dramatically across:

• Pregnancy
  
• Breastfeeding
  
• The postpartum recovery period
  

Yet most hydration advice is generic, confusing, or contradictory — leaving many mums feeling tired, depleted, and unsure whether they’re actually doing enough.

This guide exists to give you a clear, trustworthy foundation for understanding hydration across motherhood, and to show you exactly where to go next depending on your stage and concerns.

Inside this complete hydration resource, you’ll learn:

• Why hydration needs change during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum
  
• How fluid needs differ for breastfeeding mothers
  
• When plain water is enough — and when it may not be
  
• How hydration connects to energy levels, recovery, and milk supply
  
• Common hydration myths that leave mums under-supported
  
• Where to find practical, evidence-aligned next steps
  

Each section below introduces a key area and links to in-depth guides so you can explore what matters most to you.

Water is involved in almost every major function your body is performing during motherhood, including:

• Blood volume expansion during pregnancy
  
• Breast milk production (breast milk is ~87% water)
  
• Nutrient transport and absorption
  
• Temperature regulation
  
• Hormone signalling
  
• Digestive and immune function
  

On top of this, sleep deprivation, hormonal shifts, and constant caregiving often blunt hunger and thirst cues — meaning many mums are under-hydrated without realising it.

Hydration isn’t about hitting a perfect number.

It’s about supporting your body through one of the most physiologically demanding seasons of life.

During pregnancy, fluid needs increase to support:

• Increased blood volume
  
• Amniotic fluid production
  
• Placental circulation
  
• Temperature regulation
  

Even mild dehydration during pregnancy can contribute to:

• Headaches
  
• Fatigue
  
• Constipation
  
• Dizziness

If you’re pregnant and unsure how much fluid you actually need — or which drinks are safest — start here:

Breastfeeding places a unique and ongoing fluid demand on the body.

Each day, water is transferred directly from your body into breast milk. Combined with sleep disruption and increased metabolic demand, this means breastfeeding mothers often require more total fluids than they expect.

Key questions many mums have include:

• How much water should I actually drink?
  
• Does hydration affect milk supply?
  
• Can drinking more water increase supply?
  
• Do electrolytes matter while breastfeeding?
  

Explore these topics in depth:

• How Much Water Should Breastfeeding Mothers Drink?
  
• Why Hydration Affects Milk Supply (and Where the Limit Is)
  
• Electrolytes for Breastfeeding: What Actually Matters

After birth, many mothers experience ongoing fluid and nutrient depletion — especially if they are:

• Breastfeeding
  
• Recovering from blood loss
  
• Running on minimal sleep
  
• Eating irregularly
  

Hydration during the postpartum period isn’t just about fluids — it’s about replenishment, supporting energy, recovery, and long-term wellbeing.

If hydration feels harder after birth than during pregnancy, you’re not imagining it.

Helpful next reads:

Some mums drink plenty of water but still feel:

• Persistently thirsty
  
• Fatigued or light-headed
  
• Headachy
  
• “Washed out”
  

In some cases, this can be linked to electrolyte imbalance, where fluids are present but minerals are depleted.

This doesn’t mean everyone needs electrolyte products — but it does mean understanding when mineral balance matters.

Learn more here:

There’s a lot of outdated advice around hydration, including:

• “Just drink when you’re thirsty”
  
• “Eight glasses a day is enough for everyone”
  
• “More water automatically means more milk”
  
• “Electrolytes are only for athletes”
  

These myths often leave mothers under-hydrated or over-correcting without real benefit.

We unpack these misconceptions — and what the evidence actually says — in our supporting guides linked throughout this page.

This page is designed to be your starting point, not the final destination.

If you:

• Want clear numbers and practical targets → start with How Much Water Should Breastfeeding Mothers Drink?
  
• Feel tired, depleted, or “off” → explore postpartum hydration and electrolyte balance
  
• Are worried about milk supply → read about hydration’s role alongside nutrition
  
• Want help choosing hydration support → see our breastfeeding hydration resources below.

Hydration support designed for motherhood

At Nella Vosk, our hydration products are created to support mothers through pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery — with a focus on:

• Gentle, mineral-balanced hydration
  
• No unnecessary additives
  
• Support for real-life motherhood demands
  

If you’re looking for hydration support designed specifically for this stage of life, you can explore our: