Is it ok to drink alcoholic beverages and still breastfeed?

Question

I read somewhere that it was ok to drink moderately while breastfeeding just as long as you drink immediately after the feeding so that when the next feeding comes around the alcohol content will be lowered and not so much will pass to baby. is this true?

Answer 1

Most doctors suggest not to at all. But I think moderately is OK. And if you do end up drinking more than you're happy with, then pump before you feed. Also, if the baby takes a bottle, give him/her a bottle of breast milk and pump and throw away what you think may be 'tainted'.
I bf my son for 1 1/2 years. Ugh!~ believe me! a drink was necessary once and a while during that time. I even had a few too many a couple of times and he turned out just fine.

Answer 2

It takes 1 hour per alcoholic drink to pass out of the body. So... if you drink 3 beers, or 3 mixed drinks, or 3 glasses of wine, it will take 3 hours to pass out of the body. Whether you drink 1 drink per hour or 3 drinks in 1 hour. This is because the kidneys can only process 1 drink per hour.

So ... it is safe to consume alcohol after breastfeeding, as long as it is only 1 or 2 drinks. And there is at least 1 hour before the next feeding.

I would suggest expressing some breastmilk prior to drinking and feeding the baby with a bottle. Then you can drink and still be able to safely breastfeed.

Or use formula, as a supplement.

Answer 3

I did alot of research on this. First, the american academy of pediatrics says that breastfeeding and alcohol are compatible. Meaning it is okay to drink alcohol in moderation while nursing. The academy says if you have one to two drinks you can nurse immediately. If you have more than that, then you probably want to wait before nursing. Second, alcohol leaves breastmilk once it leaves your bloodstream. It does not collect there, so there is NO reason to pump and dump. also, once you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to nurse, since the alcohol has left your bloodstream (and therefore your breastmilk). You don't need to pump and dump! If you want to be more scientific about it -The rule of thumb is that each drink takes about 2 hours to breakdown and leave your bloodstream (this is a rough estimate, as other variables such as your weight, whether you've eaten, etc...influence the numbers). Thus, to calculate when it is okay to nurse again, count 2 hours per drink from the moment that you BEGIN the drinking session. For example, if you have your first drink at 8pm and have 4 drinks, then you should be okay to nurse by 4am that next morning. Good luck! Have a great time! you've earned it!

Answer 4

Wow, it's amazing how mean and ill-informed people are on this subject.

YES, it's okay to breastfeed and drink, in moderation. The concentration of alcohol in your milk is very low, and if you feed right before you have your drink, the amount getting to your baby is even less. You don't need to pump and dump. There's NO reason to think that you'd be endangering your baby solely by bfing and having a few drinks.

PS: according to the AAP, it's still better for a baby to drink the breastmilk of a smoking mom that to have formula.

Answer 5

The real answer is: the amount of alcohol in your milk is equal to the amount in your blood ... so if you have one or two drinks it's likely okay. With a newborn it's worse b/c their livers are very immature. If you go on a bender, it's not a good idea, but it's a myth about pumping and dumping. The levels fall naturally as the blood level lowers. Many people are very ignorant about how various substances enter breastmilk. Alcohol does enter but not in large amount. Some things are worse b/c they might be concentrated but not booze.

If you want to avoid it, your idea of "nursing around the peak" (nursing and then having a drink) might work, but with a little baby, that's harder to time as they might want to nurse 20 or 30 minutes after you're done with a feeding.

Don't let the fanatics worry you. Check out the Thomas Hale website below for truly researched and accurate information about various drugs and lactation.

Answer 6

I can't believe how stupid people are. You are not going to hurt your baby and you are not stupid or a bad mother for asking this question.
Unless you are drinking a 12 pack a day and breastfeeding you are not going to harm your baby. And I am sure you already know that everything you eat and drink will affect your breastmilk you don't need every freak on here telling you that...people get on my nerves so bad on here. I have been breastfeeding my daughter since birth and she is almost 8 months old now...last weekend I went out for my birthday and I had 5 count 'em 5 beers. If you wanna go out and have a few drinks I would just prepare yourself...I pumped enough milk for a 2 day supply and fed my daughter before we left. I waited 24 hours before I nursed her again and guess what she survived!! She is a very happy healthily baby.
If you are worried about it or want real, correct answers I would suggest calling your pediatrician and tell all these people to kiss your [insert word here]! ♥

Answer 7

The fact is that alcohol is definitely excreted in breast milk. Your child is not exposed to the same alcohol content that you are, busting the myth that ‘if you have a drink so does your child’. Research has revealed that less than 2% of your alcohol consumption is passed to your milk. This means that if you have one glass of wine at 5% alcohol your child will receive .01% of that alcohol. Obviously the more drinks you have, your breast milk will contain more alcohol. The extent to which this amount of alcohol affects your infant is unclear and it probably varies from each individual baby.

To reduce exposure of the baby to alcohol avoid breastfeeding for 2-3 hours after drinking.

Peak levels in the milk appear after 30 -90 minutes

sounds like a glass of wine wont hurt. Enjoy



http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art15896.asp

Answer 8

Don't drink while breastfeeding ever, whatever you eat, drink, or whatever goes right to the baby its like being pregnant all over again but now that the baby is on the outside of the world, they will eventually have a problem breathing. This is why I don't breastfeed because I'm a smoker.

Answer 9

It is okay to drink a VERY moderate amount of certain types of alcohol, such as red wine, WHILE you are pregnant, but not while you're breastfeeding ...

My question for you is "are you an alcoholic?" Because I can't imagine another reason why you would even consider drinking while breastfeeding ... I mean, is drinking really so important to you?

Answer 10

I used to drink 1 beer right after I breastfed. It helps bring in your milk flow too. I didn't do it all the time but once a week when I played pool in league night at the bar. Don't get into the hard liquer.