Breastfeeding hydration guide
Breastfeeding raises how much you need to drink. Here is a simple daily drinks guide while breastfeeding, so a glass by your side at every feed becomes a habit.
Your details
A daily drinks guide while breastfeeding
2.2
litres a day from drinks, about 9 glasses
- Total water, food included (EFSA)2.7 litres
- Extra for heat or activitynone added
- Drinks so far (tea and coffee count)0.5 litres
- Still to drink today1.7 litres, about 7 glasses
- Caffeine so far175 mg of the NHS 300 mg a day
- A drink with each feedabout 270 ml at each of 8 feeds
- In pints3.8
Keep a drink within reach for every feed. You do not need to force fluids: thirst is a good guide, and drinking extra does not make more milk.
Dark pee, dizziness or very little pee: drink more and, if it does not settle, call your GP or 111.
The working
An extra 700 ml
EFSA adds 700 ml to the 2.0 litre total for women while breastfeeding: 2.7 litres. About 80% from drinks is 2.2 litres, roughly 9 glasses. Over 8 feeds that is about 270 ml with each feed.
EFSA's extra 700 ml is for feeding only breast milk, when you make about 750 ml of milk a day. With mixed feeding we scale it to the share of feeds that are breast milk, an estimate: about half breast milk adds 350 ml. A mug of instant coffee and a mug of tea count as fluid and bring 175 mg of caffeine, inside the NHS 300 mg a day while breastfeeding.
Helpful habits
Easy ways to drink enough
- A big bottle of water within reach of your feeding spot
- A drink each time your baby feeds
- Milky drinks help with calcium too
- Caffeine passes into milk: the NHS says keep under 300 mg a day
Myths
What does not help
Drinking more than you need does not make more milk. Milk supply comes from frequent feeding. If you are worried about supply, your midwife, health visitor or the National Breastfeeding Helpline (0300 100 0212) can help.
Everything you have drunk
Water, cans and the rest of the day
Add glasses of water and any cans so far and we count them as well as tea and coffee. The caffeine from cola (about 40 mg a can) and a 250 ml energy drink (about 80 mg) is added to your total against the NHS guide of 300 mg a day while breastfeeding. Add the waking hours left and we show roughly how much an hour to drink, though thirst is a fine guide too.
Read with care
What this cannot tell you
- Milk supplyFluids alone will not fix supply worries.
- AlcoholIt passes into milk; ask about safe timings.
- IllnessA fever or a hot, red breast needs a GP check.
Questions
Common questions
How much water should I drink while breastfeeding?
About 2.2 litres of drinks a day, more in hot weather.
Does drinking more water increase breast milk?
No. Feeding often is what builds supply.
Can I drink coffee while breastfeeding?
Yes. The NHS says keep caffeine under 300 mg a day while breastfeeding, about two mugs of filter coffee.
Sources
- EFSA: dietary reference values for water 2010
- NHS: breastfeeding and diet
- NHS: food and drinks to avoid when breastfeeding (caffeine 300 mg a day)
- National Breastfeeding Helpline
Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
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