As a mother, taking care of your little one & family is your priority (as I’m sure you know).

However, it’s also essential to take care of yourself (yep, I know you know that too!).  And, as you also know by know, this is what I’m all about with sharing and educating around this. 

Staying hydrated is part of the self-care

Water is critical for your body to function correctly, and staying hydrated has numerous benefits for postpartum women. 

It’s easy to forget to drink enough water when you’re busy with your family and especially with the cooler months kicking in. (I’m not a great winter lover myself!) 

What about eating lots of fruit?   

If you’re in your early days or weeks postpartum, or you’re looking to heal depletion or other health issues that have arisen since having your baby then a healing diet of warming nutrient rich foods is on the cards.    Generally, fruit, especially cold fruit, is avoided by many cultures for traditional postpartum recovery.  Smoothies are definitely a no-go. 

Digestive enzymes are low and eating raw foods requires more enzymes, hence the avoidance of raw fruit and vegetables.

In the nutrition plan I offer,  if you’re a fruit lover, we can go through this and personalise your plan.    

So rather than rely on the juices in fruits, you’ll benefit more from clean water.  Further down I’ve got a few tips on how to make water tasty.  

Drinking quality, filtered water will benefit your postpartum body by:

• flushing toxins from your kidneys – even if you had a birth with zero interventions, natural stress hormones and chemicals will still be present so water will help them flush through
• assist with digestion and to keep your bowels moving – many of us become constipated after birth from swelling, so water is very needed. When faeces stays in our body, it can become a toxic overload.  This leads to inflammation.   When we have inflammation in the body it creates further health issues.
  Our bowel supports removal of food waste, and drinking quality water helps this process.
• assist with breastmilk production – breastmilk is made up of over 80% water so it will help with your supply and keep you from being dehydrated.   Have your water bottles beside your breastfeeding chair and bed and ask your partner/helper to help you keep them topped up.
• hydrating your brain – because our brain is approx. 85% water, drinking quality water not only helps with memory and thinking but also the production of hormones and neurotransmitters within the brain.

Is all water equal?

With water being a top necessity for our health and wellbeing, it’s a shame that not more focus is on having pure, quality water for our body.  

The quality of water will affect your health.   If you’re drinking flouridated, chlorinated tap water your body will be taking in those chemicals which will go through the breastmilk.  And if you’re using it for formula, your baby will be taking in these chemicals too.

Rain water has it’s downsides also, especially if unfiltered.  Bacteria and all sorts of contaminants are in unfiltered rain water.

Our postpartum body is already dealing with the natural detox process of hormones and other toxins (maybe from medical procedures) and having impure water with chemicals and bacteria can further add to the load.

Not many of us have access to a fresh running spring with pure water, so a fantastic alternative is an alkaline or ionized water.  This is so much better for you than tap water because alkaline water is more readily absorbed by the body, increasing its drinkability and reducing the common bloated feeling when you drink a lot of water because you can’t quench your thirst.

Kangen water is a superior ionised water and assists in the neutralization of free radicals.  It keeps your body hydrated and flushes out toxins within the blood stream.  Especially helpful if detoxing, which during postpartum, your body naturally does.   If you would like to know more about Kangen water, how to check out the machines (they do so much more than just create amazing water to drink),  contact me here.

Ways to make water tasty:

• Add some fresh mint leaves, or organic citrus slices
• A squeeze of lemon with a pinch of sea salt to your water will add electrolytes
• Get a good water filter in your home whether you’re drinking rain water or town water – it will taste better
• Drink water through a straw – it seems to go down quicker and easier, just be careful you don’t drink it too quickly  
  (View my Instagram reel here)

If you’re in early postpartum or you’re further down the track and needing to reset your health if you’ve become depleted or having health challenges:

• Avoid drinking cold water.  Especially the first 6 weeks after birth.  Room temperature is fine.  In winter, boil the kettle for a few seconds and have it a bit warm (it’s nice with the squeeze of lemon)

Reach out if you’re unsure about the water you’re drinking, or want to know more about Kangen water.