Drink plenty of liquids. If you rarely feel thirst, check your urine. Dark yellow urine is a sure sign that your fluid intake is low. Use caffeine in moderation. If your infant is fussy or irritable, caffeine could be the culprit.
Newborns are particularly sensitive to caffeine and alcohol.
If you choose to drink alcohol, moderation is the key. Limit yourself to one or two small drinks on special occasions and wait two to four hours before breastfeeding to allow your milk to be cleared of alcohol. Although individual needs vary, the energy RDA set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences for average-size, normally active women is 2200 calories per day. This means that most nursing moms need about 2700 calories per day. Copyright 1999 Baylor College of Medicine.