When I first started BFing after my baby was born, I had trouble getting enough liquid so that I wasn't dehydrated, probably due to our absorption issues and such, but eventually it all equaled out after I pounded liquids for 2 weeks straight.

I am still BF, my baby is 7 months old, I've been battling a nasty cold for 2 weeks and cannot seem to get hydrated enough. Some of this may just be "winter dryness" but I just feel seriously, seriously parched and dry all the time. My sinuses are bleeding when I blow them from dryness, and no amount of liquid I consume seems to help. On a typical day, I drink 4-6 litres of water and 2-4 eight-ounce glasses of juice. I have tried downing whole quarts of Gatorade, despite the nasty corn syrup and empty calories, but they don't touch my thirst or dryness. Nighttime is the worst. When the baby wakes up to eat, sometimes I have to leave him cry for several minutes as I try downing glass after glass of juice or water just to get the insides of my mouth to stop feeling like the sahara. I am also not peeing very much for all the liquid I am consuming. I also sometimes have a headache in the morning that I attribute to dehydration. Fatigue of course I have all the time, because I have a baby. Sometimes I feel too sick to my stomach to eat, and have to make myself eat even though I'm not hungry, which I think is also a sign of dehydration. I also have a little muscle cramping here and there, like if I point my toes.

My husband wants me to call my doctor, but I think maybe I'm just still getting over my cold, and it's taking 2-3 times as long to recover because of the constrant drain of liquids from my body either from the baby or my breast pump. Other than being dry, I generally feel fine.

What do you guys think?

What color is your urine? More like apple juice or lemonade? I know you know this already, but it should be colorless to like lemonade in color. If it's like apple juice, it's a sign of dehydration. How often are you urinating?

I really had to work to stay on top of the dehydration issue in the first year of breastfeeding, and I attribute it to having a j-pouch as well. And note that it's not uncommon for women to experiece the feeling of extreme thurst during letdown, so if it is happening when you start to nurse your son, it may just be the perception of extreme thirst.

I agree with your husband to see your doctor, as some women experience hormone imbalances and anemia post partum, but in the meantime, I'd probably increase my sodium intake a little, eat a lot of fruits and veggies with high water content and use vaporizers or humidifiers all over your house to try to combat the dry sinuses and feeling of being dried out until you get this resolved. I'd also carry a water bottle with me everywhere and keep a drink next to you when you nurse.

Breastfeeding requires a lot of calories, so I'd try to keep my calorie intake up with higher-calorie foods like avocados and peanut butter, though some people don't like to eat peanut butter while nursing due to risk of allergies to your little one (the jury is still out on that one, so pick your own theory).

On the plus side, my dehydration issues passed after the first year, when my son wasn't so dependent on me for nutrition. On the downside, being exhausted is what we signed up for when we became parents (I think it's in the small print that I didn't bother to read) and is especially brutal when we get sick when we're already rundown. Are you still taking prenatal vitamins? You should continue to take them as long as you are still breastfeeding, but I'd guess you know that already, too.

Hang in there, RnR. I hope you feel better soon.

I agree. Rather than forcing the water and juices, I would focus on drinks rich in salts and nutrients other than sugar, like soups and milk products. Chicken soup really is a cure-all in this instance! And, if you are taking any decongestants and/or antihistamines, that can add to your dryness.

Jan

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I'm doing all the right things.
- not taking any decongestants
- have a humidifier going constantly at home (it is starting to make my lungs feel funny though, I was going to skip it tonight?)
- have continued on prenatals this whole time
- soups and fruits and foods rich in fats and sodium. For example, for breakfast today I had a larabar and a BIG thing of homemade turkey noodle soup.
- FYI am on a no dairy/no soy diet so milk is out.
- color of my urine can change throughout the day. Right after I have a lot of liquids and 30 mins or so later go pee, it's clear, but other times it's definitely yellow, which I know isn't right. I also think given all the liquids I should be peeing more, but I just have a general idea of how often I'm going, I should keep track and actually see.
- always have water with me, and next to the bed.
- limiting caffeine (have to do this anyway with BFing)

I think I will equalize out eventually but it's just taking forever to bounce back from this cold, which has really dried out my tissues, and the baby keeps taking my liquid as it's getting replenished. I wish I could just hook up a saline drip here at home, I know I'd be doing better after a couple of bags were run into me.

Will check with doc if I'm not better in a couple more days. We are getting pounded with snow here and I hope to not be going anywhere for a few days.

I am wondering if your diet restrictions are contributing? I did the no milk, no soy thing for a few weeks because my son had a milk allergy and suspected soy allergy. I lost a lot of weight very quickly and found that I had more dehydration issues at that time too. In my case, my drs were so concerned with my weight loss and I was so panicked over managing the diet restrictions taht I weaned my son to Alimentum. Not saying you should do so, just saying that you may need to look at your whole nutritional profile to see what might be contributing.

When I breastfed my daughter a few years later, she too has the milk allergy, but we knew soy wasn't an issue so I was able to go longer without as many issues. BTW, my son outgrew the milk allergy at 2 3/4 years and we're hoping my daughter will too.

If things are really bad, you might want to ask about a porta-cath or PIC line to allow you to get more hydration, esp if you want to continue breastfeeding in the near term, or maybe even just a quick trip to the ER to help you get caught up from the cold? As Breezie said, you'll probably see improvement as your child starts to eat more solids.

Try adding some intentional electrolytes. Powerade zero is a favorite of mine. I used to drink a small bottle of it every night before bed. If I didn't, I woke up with a headache and a fluttery feeling in my heart (how's that for scary) I have also learned that salty snacks are TOTALLY my friend. I know you can't measure your pee, but when you go is it a lot? Also do you have any idea how much breastmilk your are producing? remember to factor that into your output calculations for yourself. I only got to breastfeed for about 3 weeks before I had to quit to have my initial surgery, but when I was, I could easily drink 64 oz of water in addition to whatever fluid I had with meals, and not see much of an increase in urination- and that was when I still had a colon... I do think a check in with your doctor would be wise, but try not to freak out about it too much. Also, ask them to check for thyroid problems, which are frequent postpartum, and can, at times, have symptoms like excessive thirst.

My new favorite dehydration fighter is Smart Water from Glaceua (sp?). I can't handle all the sugars in Gatorade... makes my heart race. Smart Water adds electrolytes besides being super tasty. :-)

Pedialyte helps me.