Breastfeeding Question?

Question

If you are breastfeeding and decide to have an alcoholic drink, I know you are supposed to pump your milk, but for how long after should you pump? Please include some sites if you know any.

Answer 1

Guidelines
Current research says that occasional use of alcohol (1-2 drinks) is not harmful to the nursing baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.”
Many experts recommend against drinking more than 1-2 drinks per week.
It is recommended that nursing moms avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking (Hale 2002).
There is no need to pump & dump milk after drinking alcohol, other than for mom's comfort -- pumping & dumping does not speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk.
Alcohol does not increase milk production, and has been shown to inhibit let-down and decrease milk production (see below).
If you're away from your baby, try to pump as often as baby usually nurses (this is to maintain milk supply, not because of the alcohol). At the very least, pump or hand express whenever you feel uncomfortably full - this will help you to avoid plugged ducts and mastitis.
In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

Always keep in mind the baby's age when considering the effect of alcohol. A newborn has a very immature liver, so minute amounts of alcohol would be more of a burden. Up until around 3 months of age, infants detoxify alcohol at around half the rate of an adult. An older baby or toddler can metabolize the alcohol more quickly.

Answer 2

There is no reason to pump and dump if you have an alcoholic drink, unless you become engorged.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.” Actually, less than 2% of the alcohol mom consumes passes into her milk supply.

Dr. Thomas Hale, author of *THE* text on breastfeeding and medications, simply recommends that nursing moms avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking.

Pumping and dumping is NOT NECESSARY as alcohol leaves the milk supply in the same way it leaves the blood stream. If mom's head is clear, her milk is too. If she feels sober enough to drive, she is sober enough to nurse.

Answer 3

I have heard that 1 beer or 1 glass of wine is okay to have while you are breast feeding, but, you may want to pump before you have a drink so that while you are drinking some one is able to feed your baby. But as far as pumping after you drink... the alcohol will still be in the milk you pump ( I'm not sure for how long I've been told by a lactation consultant that it takes about a week to get totally out of your system, i have a baby who is allergic to cows milk and I'm breastfeeding and she told me that it takes a week for all the milk i had to get out of my system and then another week to get out of hers but i don't know if its different with alcohol). If you plan on throwing out your milk that you pumped after you drank then i don't see why you could have a drink but as far as I'm concerned breast milk is like liquid gold, and no one should throw it out. Its my opinion that you should just not have any alcohol until you are done breastfeeding.