Drinking while breastfeeding?

MassED, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2008

A friend of mine mentioned on Myspace she couldn't drink alcohol b/c she was breastfeeding. Maybe I missed that in OB, but is that true?!
(I know a lot of what we drink/consume can end up in breast milk, but I wasn't sure if you can end up with a drunk baby or something!)

um, YEAH. You're in nursing school? Ask your instructor that..... :yeah:

Limik · Jun 23, 2008

Uhhh, you are joking aren't you? That would seem as obvious as shooting up heroin while pregnant to me :eek: !!!

megananne7 · Jun 23, 2008

Uhhh, you are joking aren't you? That would seem as obvious as shooting up heroin while pregnant to me !!!

A lot of websites I've looked up say it's ok as long as you aren't going overboard:

"Most experts agree that the amount of alcohol transferred into the breastmilk from an average glass of wine or beer will not harm a baby. ",

"Although these experts disagree about the length of time between drinking and breastfeeding, one thing they all agree about is that mothers who drink while breastfeeding should only do so moderately and "moderate" means no more than two drinks per day.",

They also mentioned avoiding drinking while actually in the PROCESS of breastfeeding and for a certain amount of hours after you've had a drink.

(BTW, Maybe I need to clarify my original question... I didnt mean breastfeeding the baby at the same time as chugging down some beers!)

mcs1505 · Jun 24, 2008

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1170.asp

small amounts of alcohol do get into breastmilk and are passed on to the baby. one study found that breastfed babies of women who had one or more drinks a day were a little slower in acquiring motor skills (such as crawling and walking) than babies who had not been exposed to alcohol (10). large amounts of alcohol also may interfere with ejection of milk from the breast. for these reasons, the march of dimes recommends that women abstain from drinking alcohol while they are nursing. similarly, the american academy of pediatrics (aap) recommends that breastfeeding mothers avoid regular use of alcohol. however, according to the aap, an occasional alcoholic drink probably won't hurt the baby, but a mother who chooses to have a drink should wait at least two hours before breastfeeding her baby (11).

i think it's safe to say: if you shouldn't consume it while pregnant, you shouldn't consume it while breastfeeding.

MassED, BSN, RN · Jun 24, 2008

A lot of websites I've looked up say it's ok as long as you aren't going overboard:
"Most experts agree that the amount of alcohol transferred into the breastmilk from an average glass of wine or beer will not harm a baby. ",
"Although these experts disagree about the length of time between drinking and breastfeeding, one thing they all agree about is that mothers who drink while breastfeeding should only do so moderately and "moderate" means no more than two drinks per day.",
They also mentioned avoiding drinking while actually in the PROCESS of breastfeeding and for a certain amount of hours after you've had a drink.
(BTW, Maybe I need to clarify my original question... I didnt mean breastfeeding the baby at the same time as chugging down some beers!)

You are right about taking a break with breastfeeding while drinking - you have to pump and dump for a period of time, can't remember how long. And, now to contradict myself, drinking a beer can increase your milk production.....

beachgurl_1988 · Jun 24, 2008

Yes, alcohol can definatly be passed in breastmilk. Anything that you put into your body can be passed to breastmilk. You could however, pump before consuming the alcohol and feed the baby the pumped breastmilk while/after you are drinking. I saw in Parenting magazine there are like, test strips you can put in the breastmilk to see if you still have any alcohol in your breastmilk.

Wicked Wahine · Jun 24, 2008

I don't think you have to pump and dump though. My understanding is that when the alcohol is fully metabolized, it's also no longer in the breastmilk. I only add this because there are times when you do not need to pump and dump (and waste all that liquid gold!) and ETOH consumption is not a reason to.

allnurses Guide · Jun 24, 2008

From Dr. Sears' Website:

ALCOHOL IN BREASTMILK?

"I read that it is ok to have a drink of alcohol while breastfeeding as long as you do it right after breastfeeding and then don't nurse again for at least two hours after. Wouldn't the alcohol get in the breastmilk and stay there or does it just go away somehow?"

Let's say you're at a friend's party, have a couple of drinks and feel a little tipsy. At that point, there will be a small amount of alcohol in your breastmilk. Now, if the party goes late... things get a little out of hand... you've had quite a few more drinks, and wind-up prancing around your friend's house wearing nothing but a bear-skin rug... there will be a lot of alcohol in your breastmilk!

What happens to the alcohol in the breastmilk? Do you need to pump and dump? The milk-alcohol level will be based on your blood-alcohol level. As your body metabolizes the excess alcohol and the blood alcohol slowly decreases, so will the milk level. You generally don't have to pump and dump, unless you need to prevent engorgement. When the effects of the alcohol have worn off, then it is fine to nurse again.

One more thing: be prepared to pay top dollar to buy the negatives of any photos that were taken at the party!

Dr. Jim

MikeyJ, RN · Jun 24, 2008

Regardless of whether or not alcohol enters the breast milk -- common sense tells me to NOT drink while breastfeeding. Why risk it? If the alcohol is that important to soemone, then they obviously have a problem.

Wicked Wahine · Jun 24, 2008

The problem with that line of reasoning is that by forbidding nursing mothers from indulging in the pleasures of life (which for some people is having a few drinks now and then), you run the risk of reducing a) the number of mothers who are willing to breastfeed and b) the length of time mothers are willing to bf. As more and more research shows, breastfeeding is good for both moms and babies, which in turn is good for everyone else. So instead of forbidding moms from partaking now and then, we should be educating on how to consume alcohol safely.

untamable07 · Jun 24, 2008

I've heard the same theory about "pump and dump" from a W.I.C program consultant. SHe didn't go into detail as to how long you should "pump and dump" but I'm sure the longer the safer.