What to Know About Staying Hydrated While Pregnant and Breastfeeding

Written by Parang Mehta, Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN
Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 21, 2025
9 min read

Knowing that you need to stay hydrated while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding seems simple, but according to a study published in 2024, it’s not. Researchers found that more than half of women didn’t know how much fluid they should drink during pregnancy, and even more weren’t meeting the recommended amounts, especially in early pregnancy. In other words, they weren’t drinking enough and didn’t even know it.

Making sure you drink enough fluid while you’re pregnant and breastfeeding can be tough, but it’s important for both you and your baby to lower the risk of certain complications. If you don’t drink enough fluids, dehydration can happen over time orvery quickly. For example, you might lose a lot of water due to vomiting or diarrhea. If you don’t drink extra liquids to replace those fluids, you could get dehydrated.

It is important to know the symptoms of dehydration during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as it helps you know when to drink more.

(Please note that some people prefer the term “chestfeeding” when talking about nursing a child. For this article, we are using the term “breastfeeding.”)

Being hydrated is important for both you and your baby. For you, it helps:

  • Improve your digestion
  • Circulate the nutrients you’re eating and drinking
  • Remove waste products
  • Replace water lost due to increased energy use

“Water is kind of a lifeline between the mother and the baby in utero,” says Carla Ornelas, RD, a registered dietitian at AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles. For your baby, it helps:

  • Make the amniotic fluid in the womb, which keeps your baby safe
  • Produce extra blood to supply your baby, which provides nutrients

According to Ornelas, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends you get at least 12 cups of water during pregnancy. “For a person who’s not pregnant, it’s 8 to 10, but it’s actually 12 cups when you’re pregnant, so about 96 ounces,” she says. 

Although it can’t be measured in cups, remember that a lot of foods, such as fruits and vegetables, contain water and offer several essential nutrients for you and your baby. About a fifth of your water requirement can come from the water in solid foods. And the fluids in soups, stews, and other meals count too.

If it gets hot where you live or work, dehydration is even more of a concern when you’re pregnant. Your body is already working harder to keep you and your baby cool. The extra heat can make it harder for you to regulate your body temperature. In these situations, you’ll have to drink even more water or drinks with electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, to replace what you lose through your sweat.

Breast milk is made of 88% water, so getting enough water is very important for your breast milk production, Ornelas says. “When you’re breastfeeding, [your water intake should] increase even more because your body is working nonstop to make the breast milk,” she says. “The recommendation is about 125 ounces, which is 16 cups. That’s a lot of water.”

Not only do you need this water to help produce breast milk, but you also lose about 25 ounces of water through your breast milk every day, which needs to be replaced. And again, if you’re in a very warm place and sweating a lot, you’ll need even more. 

Your water intake is essential for your baby, too. Water makes up 70%-83% of a newborn’s body weight. Babies who don’t get enough fluids become dehydrated, which can lead to serious, even life-threatening complications.

If you’re struggling to drink enough water, try having a glass of water every time you feed your baby. You don’t need to be obsessive about counting your cups of water, but drink enough so that you rarely feel thirsty. 

Ornelas believes that helping someone who’s pregnant or nursing get enough fluids is one of the best ways family members and loved ones can offer support.

“One of the things I recommend is to support the pregnant or breastfeeding mother by bringing them water every hour,” she says. “Every time you’re going to feed [your] baby, have someone bring you a large cup of water and just have it next to you at all times.” This means you don’t have to remember or worry about that one thing. “You just forget to make drinking water a priority, and you don’t remember until it’s been four hours and your mouth is completely dry.”

Pregnancy can sometimes make it hard for you to eat and drink well. You might have significant nausea and vomiting within the first few months. Also known as morning sickness, these symptoms affect about 80% of pregnancies. 

Sometimes, nausea and vomiting are severe and continue for the entire pregnancy. You may be unable to keep any food or drink down. This condition, hyperemesis gravidarum, can cause dangerous dehydration.

If you’re vomiting and it seems like more than morning sickness, or it lasts longer than the first three months, talk with your doctor or midwife. You might need to go to the hospital so you can get IV fluids. 

Watch for signs of dehydration:

  • Headaches
  • Muscle cramps
  • Fatigue
  • Dark yellow urine (your prenatal vitamins may also change the urine color, so don’t consider this sign alone)
  • Constipation

If your dehydration is getting serious, you could:

  • Pee less often than usual
  • Have dry mouth and tongue
  • Have dry eyes
  • Feel lightheaded or dizzy
  • Have a high heart rate
  • Get low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Experience chills or an intolerance to heat
  • Have swollen feet

If you are dehydrated while breastfeeding, it might affect your baby too. “Some of the things that can happen to babies, as well, are that they will start to get signs and symptoms of dehydration like the mom,” Ornelas explains. Some of the signs include:

  • Dry mouth and lips
  • No tears when crying
  • Fewer wet diapers than before — the average should be at least six wet diapers per day for infants
  • Dark circles under their eyes
  • Fever
  • Sunken fontanelle, the soft spot at the top of the baby’s head
  • Dry, wrinkled skin
  • Fast breathing or deep breaths
  • Cold hands and feet, which may be blotchy

Pregnancy can be a delicate time, and dehydration can put both you and your baby at risk. For you, dehydration could cause:

For the baby, it can lead to:

Researchers in 2018 conducted case-control studies to see if there was any link between how much water a person drinks while pregnant and certain birth defects. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, they found that those who drank more water had a lower risk for certain birth defects. These included spina bifida, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, gastroschisis, limb deficiencies, and several congenital heart defects.

But very few studies have examined if there is a direct link between birth defects and dehydration during pregnancy, which severely limits researchers’ understanding of any true association.

The best option is water, but not everyone enjoys drinking water; some may get fed up with it. And sometimes you might be out and want something else for a change. There are many options. “My first tip is if you don’t like water, try what we call fancy spa water, which is basically just diffused water,” Ornelas says. You could infuse the water with lemon, cucumber, berries, apples, or any type of fruit. Mint is also a good choice. Ornelas points out that there are also flavorings you can buy to add to your water, many of which are now sugar-free. Some people also prefer bubbly or sparkling water. 

You could also drink:

  • Coconut water
  • Electrolyte drinks without added sugars
  • Milk
  • 100% fruit juice
  • Herbal tea, just be sure they’re safe for pregnancy

Popsicles and ice cream can be delicious options for extra fluids without even drinking something, Ornelas says. But just like fruit juice, watch out for products that have added sugar. Also, skip sugary drinks altogether, such as sodas, which can worsen dehydration.

Finally, Ornelas says not to forget about fruits and vegetables. “Some of the fruits that have the most water content are cantaloupe, watermelon, and strawberries,” she says. “They’re made of around 90% water.” Vegetables that have a good bit of water include tomatoes, celery, lettuce, and cucumbers. 

While having a small amount of caffeine is considered to be safe during pregnancy, there’s not enough accurate research on how it affects the growth of fetus. A 2023 overview of studies did find that too much caffeine may result in faster fetal breathing and heart rate and lower birth weights. But more research is needed to know if there is a connection between caffeine and birth defects. Talk to your doctor about how much caffeine is safe for you. 

Don’t drink alcohol while pregnant. Alcohol crosses your placenta and reaches your baby. This can result in a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), including alcohol-related birth defects to neurodevelopmental disorders. There is no safe amount or timing for alcohol use in pregnancy.

The fluids you need while breastfeeding are the same as those you need when you’re pregnant. You just need more of them. This includes not only water but also milk, which provides key nutrients, including calcium and protein. Fruit juices without added sugar are healthy choices for staying hydrated while breastfeeding.

Like with pregnancy, it used to be that if you were nursing, you were told to avoid coffee or other forms of caffeine. But again, like pregnancy, this has changed. Up to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day (about three cups of coffee) is considered safe, but less is better. Ornelas says that all babies are different and some may react to caffeine that comes through your breast milk, while others don’t.

It’s best to avoid alcohol during breastfeeding, as alcohol reaches your breast milk. If you choose to drink alcohol, you shouldn’t have more than one drink a day. Also, it’s best if you have it at least two hours before feeding or pumping.

If you're experiencing nausea and vomiting that won’t stop, you might need to stay in the hospital for a while. There, you will be given fluids and electrolytes by IV, as well as medications to try to stop the nausea. 

If your vomiting continues beyond the first three months, you might have hyperemesis gravidarum and need to stay in the hospital for a while to get rehydrated. 

Aside from severe nausea and vomiting, signs of hyperemesis gravidarum include:

  • Signs of severe dehydration (listed above)
  • Losing 5% or more of your prepregnancy weight
  • Confusion
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a memory disorder

It’s not common to be admitted to the hospital for dehydration while breastfeeding. But if the dehydration is serious enough, your doctor may recommend you get the fluids and electrolytes you need.

Dehydration during pregnancy or breastfeeding isn’t uncommon. It’s easy to forget to drink enough water when you’re pregnant or nursing, and you need more than you did before. If you’re vomiting, this also adds to fluid loss. Try drinking a glass of water every hour or so, and eat fruit and vegetables that are high in water content. Ask your partner or someone else to help you with this by having them bring you water to drink regularly. Dehydration can hurt both you and your baby, so keeping an eye on your fluid intake can make a big difference.

Does hydration affect breast milk?

Yes. Breast milk is made mostly of water. So, if you’re dehydrated, you might not be able to make as much breast milk as your baby needs.

Is it good to stay hydrated while pregnant?

Yes, not only is it good to stay hydrated while pregnant, but it’s also essential.

Is it OK to drink water while breastfeeding?

Not only is it OK to drink water while breastfeeding, but it’s also recommended that you drink about 16 cups of water a day during this period.