I am not drinking enough water. Anyone have any tips to help remember?

I was once told to refill my glass after each nursing session.
Or to put 8 glasses on the counter or in the fridge (near whatever you like to drink) as a reminder to use them all up. But that one means a lot of dishes to wash - LOL

I'm not breastfeeding (yet) but I've been a big water drinker for awhile and have continued throughout my pregnancy. I find that drinking enough water is often as much, if not more, about convenience than just remembering. So I've found large containers and drinking with a straw help me consume more.

What I came up with for home was these 64 oz containers (what you might make drink mix drinks in). I fill them with water (filtered from the faucet) and rotate them...keeping one in the fridge and carrying the other around. I have a tupperware cup with a lid (where you can put your own straw in) that I drink from and while I'm at my desk or in bed at night or wherever in the house I simply use the big container to "refill" the smaller one. And since I like cold water I'll often put ice in the smaller one to cool the water from the larger container (especially if it's been sitting around all night). I think this system has really kept me in check because I'm never in a situation of being thirsty and feeling too lazy too go get a glass of water. Plus I'm easily able to track about how much water I'm drinking as well since it's been measured out.

I do hit the bathroom a lot, but hell, I'm 8 months pregnant! LOL So I figure it wouldn't matter much anyhow.

Natkins & Lisa,
Thanks for the tips I have never had much of a thirst for water, coffee yes but water no. I really think this is why I am hanging on to my weight. I actually went to Home Depot and bought a bubbler so that I can have cold or hot water on demand. Hopefully this helps. Lisa, eight months preggo? good for you! Have you found "Babyfit.com"? It was my saving grace in my last months of pregnancy. You can join forums of other moms that are due the same month that you are, just a wonderful resource.
Anne

Argh! I broke down and ate a piece of carrot cake today, nothing low carb about that ! It was so good. But now I have to get back on the LC bandwagon. Confession of the day

Hi ladies, I made sure to review this thread before asking the question...

I've noticed the concentration here was on LCing and milk production/quantity, but what I'd like to know is if anyone had fussy babies or "taste" issues (and therefore nursing issues) while breastfeeding and doing LC.

I know Helen said she didn't and was able to get feedback from her toddler, which is helpful. But I just wanted to get some replies from the rest of you about this. When you LCed, did you limit the kind of LCing you were doing - the kind of food you ingested?

I gotta be honest, I'm reading about breastfeeding in various books (where the rest of the information is really resonating well with me) and I keep reading the same damn thing about watching dairy and caffeine intake, spicy foods, etc. I'm groaning to myself because these are the very things I enjoy while LCing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a caffeine addict - one big mug or so a day basically. But dairy? Well let me tell you that's huge. And no, I don't mean ice cream (though I'd enjoyed that while pregnant) but I do mean cream in my coffee and cheese as part of my LC lifestyle. And spicy food? I love it. One of my fave LC meals is buffalo chicken with salad, and blue cheese dressing (spicy AND dairy). These are my maintstays and now I'm all kinds of worried.

Am I just overreacting? Is it possible if I start out right away my child would just be "used to it"? Is it all just scare tactics? Any advice about this would be appreciated!

Lisa, maybe I can help you with some of your questions. This is the third little one I'm BFing now, so I've read a lot and have some experience.

My first and third children were not affected by food I ate at all. I do enjoy spicy things, the hotter the better, as well as dairy, and it did not make any difference with those two. The hot stuff didn't bother DS#2, but too much dairy did when he was an infant. By the time he was one year old, dairy was fine as long as I didn't overdo. Most kids are fine with whatever's in mom's diet, and there are elimination diets you can try if you think your little one has issues.

As far as the low carbing, I've never done that with a tiny baby. I don't have the hugest supply and have always chosen to wait until my little ones were at least 1 and taking some nourishment from something other than me. However, I am nursing my 16 month old now and as long as I drink enough, it doesn't seem to matter how low my carbs go. I'm sick right now and not getting above induction level just because I can't taste anything and I'm not hungry. If you would have a supply issue, normally the herb fenugreek will help mitigate that. I used it with DS#2 when he had growth spurts and I needed a supply boost.

Neither of my toddlers were any fussier or lost sleep because of my LCing that I can pinpoint. DS#2 was sensitive to caffeine as a tiny baby, so I switched to decaf products and was fine. By the time he hit todderhood the caffeine was no longer an issue.

A lot of BFing is "your mileage may vary" in my experience. What works for me may not work for you, KWIM? For example, those women who lose oodles of weight while BFing without even trying - I am NOT one of those at all. I seem to cling to the extra poundage when nursing, and that is the most frustrating aspect for me.

However, I did not nurse DS#1 long term as I did my other two. Let me just say bottles are as COMPLETE HASSLE for me compared to BFing. Once you get the hang of it, it is just so much easier and healthier for your little one too.

I tend to agree with what she said above, it really depends on the child (I've nursed two, am still nursing my 18 month old).

One thing I remember being told was that baby is getting what you are eating now, and you shouldn't make any radical changes to your diet once he/she is born. He/she is already used to this diet, it shouldn't be an issue. If there are issues (severe reflux, rash, colic, whatever), then you can look at your diet for possible triggers.

For now, I really wouldn't worry. You have enough to think about right now, don't you?

So true! Thanks to both of you for responding...great advice and things to think about (in a positive manner). I have to say I've been pretty low-key most of the way through this, but this was one of the things that really started to get me worried. So again, thanks!

Just bear in mind that women the world over breast feed, and they eat all sorts of different things as part of their normal diet. In the "developed" world, processed carbs are considered normal, but in lots of other countries and cultures, they are not. In fact, it's just occured to me that the countries that have the highest breastfeeding rates are the ones with the lowest rates of processed food.

Anyone else nursing, and having a tough time getting into ketosis?

This thread rocks!

I am exclusively BF my 6 month old. I promised myself not to even THINK about dieting for the first 3 months. So, I didn't. Then, for the next three, I THOUGHT about it, but that's as far as it went.

Now, I am ready to lose weight. I am 70 over my "satisfactory/usual" weight and 90 over my ideal!

Ivanna,
Six months sounds like a great time to start!
Best of luck

Hoping we all do well losing WHILE nursing!!

My goal is 1 year of nursing, 2 years is my "ideal"... but at the same time, I cannot stay morbidly obese very long without it starting to really affect my health (more than it already has)... so I am really hoping I can lose this weight and still BF.