How to Safely Enjoy Alcohol While Breastfeeding
First of all, I want to clarify that I’m not a doctor or any other kind of licensed health care professional… I’m just a mama that enjoys a nightly glass of red. Many of us women like to enjoy a glass or two of wine or something at the end of the day to wind down. However, if you’re a breastfeeding mom, this habit can be in a bit of a gray area as far as the impact it could have on your baby. Luckily, there are several facts you can know to see how you feel personally about including alcohol in your relaxing time as long as you breastfeed. It’s not illegal, but it is something you need to consider and be mindful of for the well-being of your baby.
Below are the facts you should consider as you make your drinking decisions.
How to Safely Enjoy Alcohol While Breastfeeding
Alcohol levels in your breastmilk are going to be the same as the levels in your blood. This means that there will be an even smaller amount in your baby’s blood if they breastfeed while or right after you drink. For example, if your blood alcohol level is at 0.08%, your baby’s blood alcohol level would be around 0.005% after drinking 4 ounces of your breastmilk at that time. As you can see, this is a very, very small amount that should have little to no effect on your little one.
To avoid any impact to your child, you should wait at least two hours after drinking to breastfeed again. This gives your body time to process the alcohol and it will dissipate from your breastmilk. During this time, pumping and dumping is not necessary unless you become too full… It does nothing to speed up the process of minimizing the alcohol in your system, so don’t waste it if you don’t have to.
If your baby is less than three months old, the risks with alcohol exposure are greater. At this age, your baby’s brain and organs are extremely delicate and are actually still developing. Alcohol consumption of any amount—even if it seems negligible—can greatly impact their overall development. Studies have also found that infants with breastfeeding mothers that drank even a little didn’t sleep as long or as well as those whose mothers didn’t drink at all.
Alcohol does nothing to help increase milk production. It is an old wive’s tale that says drinking alcohol can help you have more milk… However, we now know that alcohol consumption of more than two drinks a day actually decreases the amount of milk produced. While one occasional drink has no impact on production at all. It is also important to note that alcohol does nothing to the actual quality of your milk. It is still full of all the nutrients your baby needs. Alcohol is simply an optional addition you choose to have or not have in your system.
While there are some risks to drinking lots of alcohol while breastfeeding, it is important not to make this decision alone. Every baby and every mommy’s body is different, so the best course of action to take is to speak with your primary health care provider about what they recommend for your specific situation. My midwife was really easy going about it. She told me not to stress and enjoy my wine. So I did! But, while a glass (or two) a night can be fine for some, there may be a reason to completely abstain that only your doctor would be able to inform you about. At the end of the day, you want to do what’s best for your baby; and the best way to do that is to listen to your body as well as a health care professional, and make sure you are putting your child’s needs above your own.
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