There are many myths associated with pregnancy, having a baby, and taking care of an infant. These are huge responsibilities, and moms from the beginning of time have been seeking wisdom from each other. However, the truth is that wisdom is not always fact, and this includes information about drinking alcohol and breastfeeding.
What are the truths and myths about drinking breastfeeding and alcohol? The biggest myth is that moms with infants cannot drink any alcohol at all. The truth is that careful consumption of a moderate amount of liquor will not harm a nursing baby as long as the mother is careful about when nursing occurs.
When mom knows she will have a drink or two with dinner, she should feed her baby before the meal, or during or shortly after having the drinks. Alcohol will take approximately thirty minutes to get into the blood stream, and thus the milk. Up until that point, the milk should be liquor free and safe.
Another myth related to drinking alcohol and breastfeeding is that a mother will need to pump and dump. This refers to the act of pumping breast milk and discarding it because it is not fit for a baby to drink. The truth is, alcohol will not remain in milk any longer than it will remain in the blood. Once the time period for blood alcohol contamination passes, milk is safe to drink and should not contain alcohol. Breastfeeding mothers do not have to get rid of the liquid unless they pump prior to that time. However, if a woman has consumed large amounts of beer, wine or liquor, they may need to pump due to the length of time involved.
Although it is never good to introduce these types of things into a baby’s system, the age of the infant greatly effects how digestion works. Babies up to two months process liquor at half the rate an adult would, making tiny quantities in the milk dangerous to baby’s liver. At three months and older, the liver is more mature. Liquor is processed faster, and trace elements of alcohol may not be as harmful.
Of course, when drinking alcohol and breastfeeding, a mother should make every effort to ensure her milk is free of contaminants prior to breastfeeding. This generally involves waiting a short time before feeding, planning in advance by pumping and saving good milk, or, in extreme cases, pumping and dumping contaminate milk that would not be good for baby. Please be aware that we do not recommend drinking while breastfeeding as any amount of alcohol could be dangerous to young infants. Babies need fed often and if you are not careful you may not have the alcohol completely out of your system when baby is ready to eat. Again, it is safest to not be drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. If you have any concerns AT ALL about this, please contact your doctor for more information.