When you welcome a new baby into the world it is an exciting time, and your body is going through lots of changes. You may be wondering if it’s ok to return to some fun activities like enjoying a glass of wine.
Although we know that drinking during pregnancy is dangerous for your baby, moderate alcohol consumption (up to 1 drink per day) while breastfeeding is not known to be harmful to your baby.
Ultimately whether you begin drinking while breastfeeding is a personal decision typically made between you and your doctor. If you do decide to drink while breastfeeding, keep in mind that there are some risks to your baby and some things you can do to minimize that risk.
Things To Consider About Alcohol and Breastfeeding
When you consume alcohol, that alcohol will show up in your breastmilk. Alcohol levels are usually highest 30-60 minutes after you finish your drink and can remain in your breast milk about 2-3 hours after your last drink, sometimes longer.
Blood alcohol levels and the length of time alcohol can be found in breast milk depends on how much alcohol is consumed, how quickly it's consumed, whether it's consumed with food, and how much the mother weighs.
Other important considerations about alcohol and breastfeeding include:
Your baby's age. A newborn baby has an immature liver that is more affected by alcohol. Infants generally process alcohol at about half the rate of adults. Older babies can process alcohol more quickly than young babies.
Your weight. A person's size affects their ability to process alcohol. Heavier people tend to process alcohol more quickly.
Amount of alcohol. The amount of alcohol passed to your baby is directly related to the amount of alcohol you consume. The more alcohol you consume, the longer it will take for your body to process it.
Serious Consequences from Drinking While Breastfeeding
Depending on how much you drink, it could impair your ability to produce breast milk and impair your milk ejection reflex.
If your baby consumes breast milk with alcohol in it, it may have negative effects on your baby, including:
- Increased crying
- Increased arousal
- Decreased milk intake
- Decreased weight gain
- Increased REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep when their brain is more active)
- Sleep disturbances (shorter periods of sleep or more frequent wakefulness)
In severe cases, your baby may experience:
- Growth retardation (your baby not growing as they should)
- Impaired immune function (challenges with fighting off illness or germs)
- Motor development delay (delayed development of bones and muscles)
- Impairment of cognitive development (delayed ability to think and reason)
- Reduction in their capacity for abstract reasoning at school age (the ability to think critically or solve problems)
Can Breastfeeding Mothers Still Drink Occasionally?
Newborns struggle to process alcohol. If possible, avoid drinking alcohol while breastfeeding until your baby is at least 8 weeks old. If you drink, keep these safety considerations in mind:
● Before you drink, breastfeed your baby first
- When possible, pump your milk and save it before you drink
- Limit your alcohol intake to one drink
- Wait at least 2 hours to breastfeed after you've finished drinking
- Drink juice or eat food while you drink
- Remember that if there is alcohol in your bloodstream, there will be alcohol in your breastmilk
Alcohol and Milk Production
Many women are told that they should drink alcohol, most commonly beer, to help increase milk production. However, alcohol decreases milk production in breastfeeding women.
This happens because alcohol is an inhibitor of oxytocin. Oxytocin with alcohol stimulates milk ejection, which may also decrease the amount of milk available to your nursing baby. The higher the alcohol intake, the greater the effect.
Breast Pumping After Drinking
Expressing and pumping milk after drinking (also known as pumping and dumping) does not work. The amount of alcohol present in breastmilk will only go down when the alcohol in the mother’s bloodstream goes down.
A mother may choose to pump milk to relieve her physical symptoms or to keep up with her pumping schedule. If you choose to pump within 2 hours of drinking, you can discard the pumped milk.
If you are intoxicated, you should avoid breastfeeding until you are sober.
Alternatives
In the end, choosing to drink alcohol or not to drink while breastfeeding is up to you. Choosing to breastfeed or not is also a personal choice and you should be empowered to make the best decisions for your family. What works for you as a mother may not work for someone else and that’s ok.
It can be helpful to connect with people that can help take care of your baby so you can have a break from mothering and do the things you enjoy. After all, even new parents still need “me time” and deserve to enjoy themselves and get out of the house.
You can minimize your consumption of alcohol or refrain from drinking alcohol while breastfeeding completely. Some women opt to enjoy “mocktails” or fruity, alcohol-free drinks that still taste delicious.
Breastfeeding and taking care of a new baby can be some of the best moments of your life, but this time comes with its challenges. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
