During my breastfeeding journey with my daughter, the TOP suggestions to help with production was to drink electrolytes. I wanted to do a deep dive into WHY and if it actually works. For reference, my BF journey can be found here. Again, I would like to note that this is not medical advice nor should it be taken as such. While I am a prenatal and postpartum certified trainer and a fitness nutrition specialist, my suggestions should not replace or trump that of your OB or general practitioner.

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. Electrolytes in living systems include sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, molybdenum, copper, and chromium. You get them from the foods you eat and the fluids you drink. The levels of electrolytes in your body can become too low or too high. This can happen when the amount of water in your body changes.

Symptoms of Dehydration While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding + Electrolytes

When you’re breastfeeding, you are hydrating your little one and yourself: Breast milk is about 90% water. Although research has found that nursing mothers do not need to drink more fluids than what’s necessary to satisfy their thirst, experts recommend about 128 ounces per day. Many women do not consume this much water daily, and by increasing their water intake, they can deplete their bodies of electrolytes. This creates the vicious cycle, you want to stay hydrated but you also need to balance your electrolytes and replenish what you are losing.

The Solution: REPLENISH

While there are many different electrolyte options on the market, many are full of carbs, sugar, and extra fillers. If you aim to drink a few a day, it’s best to ensure you are drinking one that isn’t full of things you don’t need. We created REPLENISH to help restore your electrolytes in your body. Our product contains: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Manganese, Chromium, Sodium (derived from himalayan pink seal salt), Potassium, and Boron. We also have several unique flavors that can be added to water to make drinking enough water delicious and easy. Of course, as always, supplements are never necessary if you have a perfect diet to hit your daily needs, breastfeeding or not! And we do always recommend talking to your doctor prior to introducing any supplementation.

If you have any questions, please comment below!