is it bad taking alcohol while breastfeeding?

Question

i have a 4 month old baby girl which i'm breastfeeding exclusively. my friend saw me taking alcohol and told me it isn't good. not that i'm a heavy drinker but i due take 3 or 2 cane of beer a wk. i need ur advice cos i'm ready to stop drinking if it's risky to my lovely chelsea.

Answer 1

Women are often warned to not consume alcohol during pregnancy, as ample evidence has shown that it poses a severe and avoidable risk to her unborn baby. The risks of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding are not as well defined. Breastfeeding mothers receive conflicting advice about whether alcohol consumption can have an affect on their baby, which often leaves mothers feeling like they have more questions than answers. So, what information should a mother who is considering drinking while breastfeeding know?

La Leche League's THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING (p. 328) says:

The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother ingests. When the breastfeeding mother drinks occasionally or limits her consumption to one drink or less per day, the amount of alcohol her baby recieves has not been proven to be harmful.

La Leche League's THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK (pp. 597-598) says:

Alcohol passes freely into mother's milk and has been found to peak about 30 to 60 minutes after consumption, 60 to 90 minutes when taken with food. Alcohol also freely passes out of a mother's milk and her system. It takes a 120 pound woman about two to three hours to eliminate from her body the alcohol in one serving of beer or wine...the more alcohol that is consumed, the longer it takes for it to be eliminated. It takes up to 13 hours for a 120 pound woman to eliminate the alcohol from one high-alcohol drink. The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother consumes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs considers alcohol compatible with breastfeeding. It lists possible side effects if consumed in large amounts, including: drowsiness, deep sleep, weakness, and abnormal weight gain in the infant, and the possiblity of decreased milk-ejection reflex in the mother. The drug transfer table is available at http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;108/3/776/T6 and the full text of The Transfer of Drugs and Other Chemicals Into Human Milk can be found at http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;108/3/776

Dr. Jack Newman, member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his handout "More Breastfeeding Myths":

Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.

Thomas W. Hale, R.Ph. Ph.D., member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his book Medications and Mothers' Milk (12th ed.):

Significant amounts of alcohol are secreted into breastmilk although it is not considered harmful to the infant if the amount and duration are limited. The absolute amount of alcohol transferred into milk is generally low. Beer, but not ethanol, has been reported in a number of studies to stimulate prolactin levels and breastmilk production (1, 2, 3). Thus it is presumed that the polysaccharide from barley may be the prolactin-stimulating component of beer (4). Non-alcoholic beer is equally effective.

In a study of twelve breastfeeding mothers who ingested 0.3 g/kg of ethanol in orange juice (equivalent to 1 can of beer for the average-sized woman), the mean maximum concentration of ethanol in milk was 320 mg/L (5). This report suggests a 23% reduction (156 to 120 mL) in breastmilk production following ingestion of beer and an increase in milk odor as a function of ethanol content.

Excess levels may lead to drowsiness, deep sleep, weakness, and decreased linear growth in the infant. Maternal blood alcohol levels must attain 300 mg/dl before significant side effects are reported in the infant. Reduction of letdown is apparently dose-dependent and requires alcohol consumption of 1.5 to 1.9 gm/kg body weight (6). Other studies have suggested psychomotor delay in infants of moderate drinkers (2+ drinks daily). Avoid breastfeeding during and for 2 - 3 hours after drinking alcohol.

In an interesting study of the effect of alcohol on milk ingestion by infants, the rate of milk consumption by infants during the 4 hours immediately after exposure to alcohol (0.3 g/kg) in 12 mothers was significantly less (7). Compensatory increases in intake were then observed during the 8 - 16 hours after exposure when mothers refrained from drinking.

Adult metabolism of alcohol is approximately 1 ounce in 3 hours, so mothers who ingest alcohol in moderate amounts can generally return to breastfeeding as soon as they feel neurologically normal. Chronic or heavy consumers of alcohol should not breastfeed.

Answer 2

3 or 2 cans of beer a week is just fine. Enjoy.

"Breastfeeding Myths
A mother should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding. Not true! Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers."

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=79

You do NOT have to "pump and dump," as some suggested. That makes as much sense as having your blood cleaned and replaced to sober yourself up...

"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.
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."

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

Answer 3

I have an occasional Amaretto Sour, but only after my daughter s gone down for the night since she sleeps all night and that gives my body enough time to metabolize it out of my system

Answer 4

One serving of alcohol (one beer, or one shot of liquor, or one glass of wine) is not going to effect your breast milk. It metabolizes out of your system before it reaches the milk. To be on the safe side, dont nurse for a couple hours after drinking, or else pump a meal first and then have a drink.

Its always best NOT to risk it, since alcohol effects each body differently, as these are just generalizations.

Answer 5

depends on your comfort level. breast milk only outputs about 2% of what you take in. so technically thats a safe level for your babe. i did it. a beer everyone once in awhile will not affect your babe in any way........and if your a first time mother, it can relax your inhibition regarding breastfeeding. but..........if you are really that freaked don't do it. when my mum and granny were in the hospital with us...guiness was considered a prescription for breastfeeding mothers...and i turned out alright! don's stress on other peoples parenting advice...people get too anal about stuff.......

Answer 6

2 or 3 cans of beer a week will not do any harm, so long as you're not drinking them all in one go.

Answer 7

yes its bad but if you really must drink. pump out a few bottles of milk before you drink and save it. after you drink pump again a few times but throw it out. and use the milk you pumped before to feed your baby after.

Answer 8

A beer every one and awhile can actually stimulate milk production. Choose a high wheat beer. Just don't get drunk and feed, since she gets what you take it.

Answer 9

no....2 or 3 cans of beer weekly....not together .....but on separate days is just fine!

Answer 10

I would recommend not drinking while breast feeding. It's not the worst thing you can do. if you do drink while nursing it's best to pump and dump then you can feed, alchol does not stay in your milk if you wait long enough after drinking to nurse you should be ok.