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Alcohol & Breast milk
Author: Stef Daniel
After 9 months of abstaining from anything that might affect your growing baby in utero, you have delivered and are more than ready for a well-deserved glass of wine. But oops, you are breastfeeding and certainly don’t want to end up with a tipsy baby. According to the La Leche League, many new moms are given some confusing advice early on about whether or not they can enjoy a drink while they are breastfeeding. Many women may go out for a drink and then spend two hours pumping milk in order to get rid of any alcohol residue that may be left. But, here is some good news. You can have a drink or two while breastfeeding without hurting your baby. Here’s how!
If you are planning to have a drink and worry about the alcohol being left in your breast milk, there is something that you should know. Simply pumping and dumping your milk isn’t going to do the trick. Alcohol affects breast milk the same way it does your blood. Once it is out of your blood stream, it is also out of your breast milk. What may be left behind, however, is a sour after taste to your baby. So instead of pumping like a mad woman after a glass of wine or a beer, pump beforehand so that your baby will have breast milk when they need it if you are currently enjoying an adult beverage. It takes about 30 minutes from your first drink for the alcohol to reach your breast milk, which means that while you are having a drink – you should refrain from feeding.
This is just one of the many myths that breastfeeding mothers are being told. Sadly, it can make the whole idea of breastfeeding seem as restrictive as pregnancy when it doesn’t have to be. Obviously, you should be drinking and breastfeeding, and you should never breastfeed when you are under the influence. However, enjoying a Rum and Coke with your bubble bath or a beer with your backyard barbecue is not going to land you in the House of Bad Mothers.
The key, as with all things that involve alcohol, is moderation. If you are drinking excessively or daily, then yes – the alcohol could cause damage to your baby. In fact, an infant 2 months of age and younger can be severely affected by ‘alcoholic’ mothers. Their livers are not prepared to process any alcohol! Notice, I said alcoholic mothers. Not mothers like you who just want to unwind with a simple glass of Chablis.
If you are still wrought with guilt about wanting to have a drink or about having had a drink and you feel that you must pump in order to cleanse your body, then go ahead and do so. The important thing is that you feel good about your breastfeeding habits. Make sure to drink plenty of water after you have alcohol which will help move the alcohol through your blood stream (and breast milk) more quickly. The bottom line is that alcohol in moderation is not going to negatively affect your breastfeeding baby.
