Precious Arrows Doula Services

03/13/2026

We are a whole system that needs support not suppression for long term health. What are your thoughts? hvilkrchildbirthclasses

02/28/2026

02/28/2026

02/28/2026

Truth

02/28/2026

Drinking more water doesn’t increase milk supply

UNLESS… you were a little dehydrated to begin with

Hydration matters
But once you’re hydrated, extra water (or electrolytes, or coconut water, or that trendy sports drink) won’t turn into extra milk

Here’s what to watch for if you are a little dry:
• Dark yellow / straw-colored urine
• Headache or feeling blah
• A small, temporary dip in supply

We all need different amounts of fluid
Different body sizes
Different milk output
Different sleep situations (because… newborns)

So instead of forcing a specific number of ounces:
Drink to thirst
Aim for urine that’s light yellow to clear

If you have an emotional support water bottle that follows you from room to room like a loyal golden retriever? Perfect. We love her. She can stay. Just know she’s supporting you, not directly increasing your supply 😌

If your goal is more milk, the lever you pull is milk removal

Milk out = signal to make more

That’s the physiology

A genuinely helpful partner/friend job?
Refill the emotional support water bottle
Hand it over during a feed
No lectures required

Hydrate your body
Remove milk consistently
Trust the biology

02/28/2026

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

Just a reminder of a really important question.

In an editorial in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine, Professor Hannah Dahlen looked at the meta-analysis by Hutton et al (2019), which looked at 14 studies involving around 500,000 women.

It showed (again) that home and hospital birth are equally safe and that homebirths in well-integrated settings appear to lead to better perinatal outcomes.

She then raised an important question: 'Is it time to ask whether facility based birth is safe for low risk women and their babies?'

If you’d like to know more about the evidence on home birth, see https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/is_home_birth_safe/

We have an entire page of studies and links to load of evidence-based information about homebirth.

Dahlen HG (2019). Is it Time to Ask Whether Facility Based Birth is Safe for Low Risk Women and Their Babies? EClinicalMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.003

02/20/2026