Plain water is the ideal beverage to keep you hydrated, straight from the tap (if safe in your area) or bottled (still or carbonated). Other suitable drinks are milk and fruit or vegetable juices. These all contain water and count toward your fluid intake. Soup also counts, and can provide a good serving of beneficial nutrients too. Drinking enough water or other fluids will keep you healthy and hydrated. It will also help you to maintain your milk production.

• Drink whenever you feel thirsty; you may feel thirstier when breastfeeding.
• A good way to check your hydration level is by looking at the colour of your urine. If it is clear or light coloured, you are probably sufficiently hydrated.
• Drink often, take small sips and preferably drink when you feed; enjoy sitting for that moment with your baby.
• Keep in mind that juice and sweetened drinks also provide a lot of extra calories so it may better not to rely on these too much. Juice can be high in sugar, but pure fruit juice can also count as part of your daily fruit intake.
• It's best to limit caffeine too, including caffeinated coffee, teas, and fizzy drinks.