Mama 2 Mama Tips

At least once in her breastfeeding time, most mothers will be confronted with the idea that breastfeeding and drinking are an unsafe combination. For some mothers this means abstaining from having a glass of wine or bottle of beer until their infants have weaned. Some mothers wean their infants early to enjoy a needed night out or weekend away. And still others do the often prescribed “pump and dump”, where the milk is pumped and tossed out.

But are any of these really necessary? Can you safely drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding mothers should avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, because alcohol is concentrated in breast milk and its use can inhibit milk production. An occasional celebratory single, small alcoholic drink is acceptable, but breastfeeding should be avoided for 2 hours after the drink.”

The AAP’s use of “concentrated” is rather vague. Is it heavily concentrated, lightly, moderated? According to one study:

When a lactating woman consumes alcohol, some of that alcohol is transferred into the milk. In general, less than 2 percent of the alcohol dose consumed by the mother reaches her milk and blood. Alcohol is not stored in breast milk, however, but its level parallels that found in the maternal blood. That means that as long as the mother has substantial blood alcohol levels, the milk also will contain alcohol. Accordingly, the common practice of pumping the breasts and then discarding the milk immediately after drinking alcohol does not hasten the disappearance of alcohol from the milk as the newly produced milk still will contain alcohol as long as the mother has measurable blood alcohol levels. Peak alcohol levels both in the mother’ s blood and in the milk occur approximately one-half hour to an hour after drinking and decrease thereafter, although there are considerable individual differences in the timing of peak levels and in alcohol elimination rates in both milk and blood (Lawton 1985; Mennella and Beauchamp 1991)

Less than 2% is a fairly small amount of alcohol actually reaching the infant. A mother would have to be a binge drinker and heavily intoxicated for her breastfed child to suffer from the alcohol. Chances are the child is more in danger of being dropped than actually suffering alcohol poisoning.

Can you drink while breastfeeding? Yes! As long as you do so safely, feel free to enjoy alcohol while still nursing your child.

• Drink in moderation if you are still going to be caring for your infant.
• Plan your drinking between feed sessions, or if you feel you may drink into excess have milk pumped before hand.
• Have a sober care person with you just in case.
• Use common sense about drinking. You should not be drunk while caring for your baby

What are your thoughts on drinking alcohol while breastfeeding?

Related Reading:

The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk: Foreword by Martha Sears, RN (Breastfeeding Mothers Guide)

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding

National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) 2007 Handbook