5 Easy Tips to Hydrate Postpartum
Hey, mama! In today’s episode, I’m sharing five super simple ways to stay hydrated without making it feel like just another thing on your already long to-do list. Hydration is key to keeping your energy up and supporting your body’s recovery, especially if you’re breastfeeding. This episode is all about small habits that make a BIG difference.
Remember, self-care is a MUST, not a luxury. And I’m here to remind you how strong you are. Plus, we’ll talk about some must-do self-care habits for your first three months postpartum you can’t miss so… let’s get it, let’s go!
If you loved this episode, you’ll also love Episode 488: My Non-negotiables For Self-Care During The First 3 Months Postpartum
https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/my-non-negotiables-for-self-care-during-the-first-3-months-postpartum
What I discuss:
Making hydration a natural part of your daily routine
5 simple ways to stay hydrated everyday
Self-care Tips for postpartum mamas
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Get my eBook: FREE Macro Counting Ebook
Amazon Storefront: Julie Ledbetter's Amazon Page
Transcript:
Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go.
00:37
Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace your Real podcast. If you are a new mama navigating this beautiful chaos of postpartum life, today's episode is absolutely for you. But if you're even someone who isn't a new mama but still needs tips on staying more hydrated, especially as we start as we start keyword to head into the spring season, I am so excited about Daylight Savings. I don't know about you, but Daylight Savings is coming up and I cannot wait for it to be lighter longer. Oh my gosh, can Congress please just pass that bill so that we never have to experience Daylight Savings again? But anyways, if you are not a new mama but you still again need tips on staying hydrated, this episode won't let you down, because hydration is really what we're just diving into, at the heart of it today, and, yes, that is something that we all know we should be doing and somehow we forget, between diaper changes, feedings, attempting to sneak in a nap or some movement, staying hydrated postpartum is so important, and yet it's one of the first things that oftentimes gets neglected when you're running on little to no sleep. And so today I want to give you five super simple ways to stay hydrated without making it feel like just another thing on your already long to-do list.
01:48
But before we dive in, I wanna share this review. It comes from Emily Nicole 08. She gave a five-star view and said I never miss an episode. This show is the best. Julie's podcast is one of my absolute favorites. I always look forward to her episodes twice a week and I truly appreciate her knowledge and passion about health and fitness and just helping us become the best versions of ourselves. She's so easy to listen to and I always learn something from her episodes.
02:11
Thank you for all that you do, julie. You're amazing and you're helping me embrace my role more and more all the time. Well, I'm so grateful. Thank you so much, emily, for leaving a rating interview. I appreciate you guys so incredibly much for taking the time to do that. I know that your time is so valuable, especially now as a new mom myself. Like time is so valuable, time is so valuable I cannot say that enough and so thank you for taking your precious time out of your day to send an interview. If you could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating interview, all you have to do is go to the podcast app type in Embrace your Real First, make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode when they release, and then also you can scroll all the way down and leave a rating interview. That would mean so, so much to our team. Just kind of know how these podcasts are helping you, maybe one episode in particular or this podcast in general. We love to hear from you. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay. So first things first.
03:02
Why does hydration even matter so much when you're postpartum? Well, for starters, your body literally just went through something huge, like whether you had a vaginal birth or a C-section. Your body is in recovery mode and water plays a huge role in that healing process. And, on top of that, if you're breastfeeding, your hydration needs to actually increase because your body is using extra water to produce milk and so not drinking enough can lead to fatigue. It can lead to dizziness, constipation and even decreased milk supply, which is the last thing that you need when you're already running on fumes, even if you're not breastfeeding, dehydration can make postpartum recovery even harder by contributing to headaches, mood swings, low energy levels and, let's be honest, when you're exhausted, the last thing that you need is something else, making you feel even more drained. So how do we fix it? Let's get into it.
03:53
Number one Always have water within reach. This might sound obvious, but hear me out. When you're juggling a newborn, especially if it's your first baby or it's your third baby, or it's your fourth baby, the last thing on your mind typically is getting up to grab a glass of water, and that's why you need to set yourself up for success by having water in places that you spend the most time, or, at the very least, having like a hydro jug that has an easy handle that you can just hold along with holding one child or three child or however many kids you have. But it's so, so important keeping a water bottle on your nightstand, next to your nursing or feeding station, in the diaper bag, in the car, places that you work out. If you don't see it, you won't drink it, and so that makes it impossible to ignore when you have it in places that you are most and keep it cute. The cuter the water bottle, in my opinion, the more excited you are to be drinking the water. So when you're stashing your water bottles in different places, be sure to just get a water bottle that you actually enjoy, and this is honestly something that you can just tell your husband or significant other say hey, honey, I'm going to spend $200 on some water bottles that actually bring me joy. Okay, and it's because I need hydration, because my body's recovering X, y and Z, and you have a solid, valid reason for that. Okay, so, whether it's a giant tumbler with a straw, an insulated bottle that keeps the water cold all day long, or even one with like time markers, having a bottle that you love can really make hydration feel more like a treat than a chore.
05:18
Number two drink a glass of water before your morning coffee. I know, I know, I know you need your coffee. I get it. But before you reach for that, drink a glass of water. Why? Because after a long night, especially if you were at multiple times with your baby, your body's already dehydrated. Adding coffee into the mix, especially if you drink it on an empty stomach, that can honestly make it worse. Plus, rehydrating first thing in the morning can actually help you to wake up naturally, get your digestion going, which is super helpful postpartum. So make it a habit.
05:48
Before coffee, water first. This is what I do personally. I fill up my huge hydro jug before I go to sleep and I bring it up with me. I do not try to drink water like right before I go to sleep, or else I will literally be up multiple times just going to the bathroom, which is already frustrating if your baby is waking up and on top of that you're waking up in different times because you have to pee. So what I do is I fill it up so it's completely full in the morning and then, before I go in to feed Blake first thing in the morning, I try my hardest to drink at least half, if not the whole, hydro drug, which I know that might be a lot for some people. It's I have the 40 ouncer. So I typically tend to wake up 30 to 40 minutes before Blake in the mornings or before I go in to feed him, and so I will take that time. You know, while I'm reading my Bible and journaling, I will try to drink again half to the entire hydro drug. So that way by the time I'm already going to feed Blake in the morning at seven, I've already drank at least half, if not the whole, hydro drug. So it just it helps me to just get into a routine and also it really I have seen the benefits from being able to drink water first thing in the morning before I drink anything else, because I obviously don't drink like my protein shake, which is coffee, until I go downstairs and that's when I eat my breakfast. And so, again, just trying to be more intentional about that, and so I've just made it a habit before I go upstairs to go to sleep, I will fill it up and I will bring it up with me.
07:16
Number three flavor your water and make it more appealing. Let's be real, sometimes plain water is just boring, like when you're sleep deprived. Drinking something exciting might actually make you more likely to sip on it throughout the day. So try adding fresh fruit like lemon or lime or berries, cucumber. You can also throw in some mint or basil for just like a refreshing twist If you need something a little more hydrating with electrolytes coconut water, sugar-free electrolyte powder that can also be a game changer.
07:44
Another easy trick is to drink herbal teas If you love warm drinks but you want to cut down on caffeine herbal teas like chamomile, ginger, peppermint. If you are breastfeeding, be careful about peppermint because that can decrease your milk supply. For some people that can also be hydrating while just helping you with digestion and relaxation. You can also get like a fun fruity flavor and sweeten it with honey or stevia. They also have this mother's milk. If you are a breastfeeding mom, don't love the taste, to be honest, but if you add some honey in there, it's not bad. It's not bad. I will say it's not like the best, but it's not bad and it will. It will can maybe help with your milk supply, so that's something that you can look into.
08:27
Another way to stay hydrated is to load up on sparkling water, even if you get, you know, a sparkling water machine if you're into, if you're that into sparkling water, you can get like these sparkling water machines on Amazon and you can add like different flavors so that it doesn't just feel like you're drinking just plain sparkling water all the time or just regular water, and so you can really spark it up there. I personally have found if I drink too much sparkling water, my stomach just gets like gargley and I just don't feel my best. But sparkling water in moderation can absolutely be amazing. I personally love Topo Chico's. They're like super fancy too. I obviously don't drink one every day because they're very expensive, but they come in these glass bottles and they're just like fun to pop open and just drink. They have a grapefruit one, they have a lime one, but the Topo Chico's are amazing.
09:13
Number four eat your water. Yes, you can even hydrate through food. So some foods are naturally packed with water and they can actually help you stay hydrated without even thinking about it. So load up on water-rich foods like cucumbers or watermelon, strawberries, oranges, grapes, bell peppers, zucchini all great foods to always have on hand. And if you're struggling to drink enough water, adding more of these into your meals and snacks can give you an extra hydration boost without feeling like you're forcing yourself to drink gallons of water all day long.
09:42
And last but not least, number five set a hydration reminder on your phone. I know this sounds silly, but trust me, it absolutely works. When you're busy taking care of your baby, it's so easy to forget to drink water and before you know it, half the day is gone and you have barely even had a sip, and so setting a simple reminder on your phone, even every couple of hours during the day, can be an absolute game changer. Even better, you can use a habit stacking trick, so pairing water with something that you already do multiple times a day. So, for example, every time you breastfeed or you feed your baby, take a few big sips of water before or during or right after. Every time you breastfeed or you feed your baby, take a few big sips of water. Before or during or right after. Every time you change a diaper, drink some water. Every time your baby naps, fill your water bottle so it's ready to go.
10:21
Making hydration a natural part of your daily routine is going to make it way easier to stay consistent with it. Let me do a quick recap on what we talked about in today's episode. Number one keep water within reach in all of your main spots that you are on a regular basis. Number two drink a glass of water or try to drink, you know, half of a hydro jug or a full hydro jug, before your coffee or before whatever it is that you eat or drink in the morning to rehydrate first thing in the morning. Number three flavor your water to make it more exciting. Number four eat your water with hydrating foods. And last but not least, number five, set reminders and pair hydration with daily tasks.
11:01
Remember that staying hydrated isn't just about drinking a ton of water. It's about finding ways to make it work within your lifestyle, because I know personally how overwhelming postpartum life can be. But I promise you that these small changes can and will make a difference in your energy, your recovery and your overall well-being. If you love this episode, I know you will also love episode 488, my non-negotiables for self-care during the first three months of postpartum. I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below so that you can easily go check that out. And, as always, I am so grateful for you tuning in. If you found this helpful. It would mean the absolute world to me if you left a quick review.
11:40
Until next time, keep embracing your real. I love you so dang much. I mean it. You got this. Let's go all right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an a in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it. You.