When I was a new breastfeeding mother for the first time (nearly 10 years ago!), I distinctly remember wondering when it would be ok to have a glass of wine again. Is it safe? Would I be harming my baby? Am I selfish to want a glass of wine? Would I be judged by the people around me? You know, typical mom guilt that shows up literally the very second you find out you’re pregnant and never ever leaves.
When I spoke with a lactation consultant who told me that if my baby was a bit older (over eight weeks or so), that it was perfectly fine to have a glass of wine (or a beer) without worry of safety for my baby, it was a huge relief! This is literally what she told me, “If you have one glass of wine or a beer, you’d be safe to drive, you’d be safe to care for your baby, and most likely you’d be safe to breastfeed. Just don’t co-sleep with alcohol in your system”. That not only relieved my worry of safety, but also removed my fear of being judged. I mean, if a lactation consultant said it was ok, then it should be ok, right?!
I wanted to share that bit of my story with you. Of course, I’m NOT a lactation consultant, or a medical professional. I’m just a mom and an owner of a jewelry business. So do what works for you!
I asked Alaina, our team member and jewelry studio administrator, to share some safety and research info with you, because she is a Certified Lactation Counselor, and she was happy to help! If you’re in the shoes I was in 10 years ago, I hope that my anecdote and Alaina’s information below will help you make the right decision for you, your baby, and your family. xo, Maria
After nine months refraining from drinking, the decision to have a drink while breastfeeding can be a difficult one. As with all things motherhood, the internet and all our motherhood social media support groups come with varying opinions that can down right make us feel like the crappiest mother in the world. So, here’s the facts with no judgment attached. Here’s what you need to know about alcohol consumption while breastfeeding.
Alcohol is NOT a galactagogue, meaning it is not a substance that induces, increases, or maintains milk production. It will not allow milk to flow more freely and will not increase your supply. Alcohol blocks oxytocin and increases prolactin, which in turn affects the milk ejection reflex. Your milk will take longer to flow and your baby’s intake will be reduced.
Pumping and dumping will NOT get rid of alcohol in your milk. Alcohol is not “trapped” in your milk. As your blood alcohol level goes up, so do levels of alcohol in your milk. As your body metabolizes alcohol, the blood alcohol levels go down and with it, so does the level of alcohol in your milk. Lactating women may metabolize more quickly. Eating while drinking may help metabolize faster to reduce levels. If you’re planning a night out of fun, you can pump and clearly label this milk until you know your BA levels have lowered. You can label it “boozy milk,” “alcohol milk,” “jungle juice,” “DO NOT DRINK,” or whatever you need to remember this is not for consumption. Rather than dump it, save the milk for baths, topical use, or send it to us to make some beautiful jewelry!!! You can read about lots of other uses for this milk from some of our previous blogs:
Any alcohol consumed should be limited to .5g of alcohol per kg body weight. This equates to approximately 8 ounces of wine, 2 beers, or approximately 2 ounces of liquor. Even with this guideline, the effect of alcohol can depend on many factors. It’s important to go by your own cues. If you feel impaired enough that you’re unable to drive or safely care for your baby, then it is likely not safe to breastfeed until your BA levels have come down. To check things more accurately, you can use this calculator:
The length of time alcohol remains in your milk depends on how much you have consumed, how quickly it was consumed, body weight, metabolism rate, etc. Generally, alcohol levels in breastmilk are highest approximately 30 minutes to one hour after consumption. The length of time it remains in your milk increases with the number of drinks. Each drink can usually still be detected 2-3 hours later, so if you’ve consumed 3 drinks it will still be there 6-8 hours later. Again, this is only a guideline since there are so many factors contributing to BA levels and how each person metabolizes it.
Infants cannot metabolize alcohol like adults. Try to avoid alcohol until baby is at least 8 weeks. The liver of a newborn is immature and will be affected. Infants up to three months metabolize at about half the rate of an adult. Infants older than three months metabolize faster, but not like an adult.
Keep in mind that any alcohol consumed may have sedative or stimulant effects on your baby.
These could include:
Short sleep cycles with more frequent waking
Less active REM sleep cycles 1-3 hours after alcohol consumption
Increased REM sleep 3.5-24 hours after alcohol consumption
Increased crying/irritability
Increased startling and arousal
If you are unable to drive or safely care for your baby, you should ensure there is a sober caretaker and refrain from co-sleeping. Alcohol is a depressant and slows down brain functioning and neural activity. Senses and reflexes are impaired, therefore it is not an ideal safe sleeping environment for the baby.
It is important to remember that regular, frequent, and excessive consumption of alcohol and exposure through breastmilk can have serious negative side effects for baby including:
Decreased immune function
Negatively impacted growth/Failure to thrive
Potential motor skill delays
Impaired cognitive developmen
The effects of alcohol vary greatly among everyone, and therefore any effect while breastfeeding will vary. What constitutes as “safe” will be different for everyone. A general guideline is that if you feel impaired, the levels of alcohol in your milk may be unsafe. Hopefully some of this information can help you make an informed decision about what you think is best for your baby without the added judgment, opinions, and false information you may find elsewhere. More information can be found at the sources listed below.