Alcohol and breastfeeding
Did you know that “pumping and dumping” is no longer the recommendation when drinking alcohol while breastfeeding?
Research has found that breastmilk alcohol levels closely match blood alcohol levels. This means that as your blood alcohol level rises, so does the level in your breastmilk and vice versa: as your blood alcohol level decreases, so does the amount in your breastmilk!
Based on this new evidence, it is recommended to breastfeed or pump up to an hour before drinking or 2-2.5 hours per drink after.
It is important to note that heavy alcohol consumption (5 drinks or more) has the potential to negatively impact milk supply by impacting the milk ejection reflex (note: this negative impact only lasts as long as the mother’s blood alcohol level is elevated). On the flip side, beer may actually increase prolactin levels, with one survey finding that breastfeeding women that consumed beer (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) reported that they thought their milk supply increased (it is important to note that this study was subjective rather than objective).
According to the CDC:
“Not drinking alcohol is the safest option for breastfeeding mothers. However, moderate alcohol consumption, meaning up to one drink per day, is not known to be harmful to the infant.”
Here are some things to consider:
Drinking more alcohol means that the alcohol will be detected in the breastmilk longer: “alcohol from 1 drink can be detected in breast milk for about 2 to 3 hours. Alcohol from 2 drinks can be detected for about 4 to 5 hours. Alcohol from 3 drinks can be detected for about 6 to 8 hours.”
Blood alcohol level is also influenced by:
how fast the alcohol is consumed
whether or not the alcohol is consumed with food
mother’s weight
how quickly the alcohol is metabolized by the mother’s body
Moral of the story:
It is completely up to you if you decide to drink alcohol while breastfeeding! Now you know it can be done safely and there is no need to waste your milk by “pumping and dumping”.
Another thing to note: some milk banks are very conservative and will not accept a milk donation if the mother consumes alcohol while breastfeeding. Others will not accept milk that is pumped within 6 hours of consuming alcohol.
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