Cheryl asks about evidence that bf mothers need to drink lots more water.

I'll leave it to other Lactnetters to say of any research they know of  - I
don't know of any . It's certainly true, from observation, that mothers can
feel extra thirsty when bf, and so of course they should drink to satisfy
that thirst. But I can't see that nature would get things so wrong that
routinely, you need to drink lots more than you're thirsty  for in order to
make enough milk.  Throughout much of the world today and throughout
history,  drinking water has been in short supply - why would milk supply
be so dependent on something mothers may not have access to in abundance?

The idea that lots of water is essential for bf was quite strong some years
ago in the UK - I remember being urged to drink litres and litres when my
first baby was born. More recently, I just don't hear of it as often. It
annoys me when HPs give out this advice to a mother worried about her milk
supply - 'now, Mrs X, are you sure you're drinking enough water?' - instead
of asking about basic things like frequency of feeds and all the other
stuff we know is likely to be far more important.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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