Alcohol and Breastfeeding

You will get different opinions on the compatibility of alcohol and breastfeeding depending on who you ask.

The main idea of most of the information currently available online is “everything in moderation.” This is usually good advice, but I'm still no fan of one-size-fits-all medicine. A moderate intake is no big deal for some moms, but for others it just won't work!

Here are the pros and cons of having an occasional “adult beverage” while breastfeeding-- make an informed decision that is right for you.

1. Most of us followed our health care provider's advice and abstained for 9+ months. After a while, it is easy to feel out of touch with the adult world. It is also easy to feel restricted. Having a small drink with dinner can be liberating, make you feel more like yourself again, and help you reconnect with your partner.

2. Having a baby is wonderful, but also very stressful! Drinking to relieve stress is not typically recommended, but the feeling of warm relaxation from a small drink could really take the edge off.

3. If you are drinking wine, it has excellent nutritional benefits. Click here to learn more about the protective health benefits of wine.

4. Many European women drink a glass of wine with dinner throughout their pregnancies and continue to drink while breastfeeding with no troubles.

5. Most professional organizations agree that infants fed after their mother has a small drink are not likely to be harmed.

6. The amount of alcohol that makes it into your milk is very small. It peaks in approximately 30 minutes, and then steadily decreases as it is processed by your body.

One drink usually clears the body in 2 to 3 hours. It is possible that none will be left in your breast milk at the next feeding depending on when you had your drink.

Wondering how long it will really take for the alcohol you drink to leave your breast milk? Try this handy tool: How long until my milk is clear of beer, wine, or liquor?

7. Babies appear to consume less milk in the 4 hours after the mother has a drink and then make up for that decrease over the next 8-16 hours (1). (note: this may actually be a negative as this indicates that your baby’s feeding pattern will be disrupted--see “cons” below).

8. Even mothers who smoke are encouraged to continue to breastfeed because the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the potential consequences of exposure to nicotine. This is also true of mothers who drink small amounts of beer, wine, or liquor.

9. Alcohol is not stored in breast milk, so no need to pump & dump!

10. Acetaldehyde, a nasty toxin that your body has to deal with when you drink, does not go into breast milk. So even if you have a lot of acetaldehyde in your blood, it doesn’t go into your breast milk (2).

Are these good enough reasons for you to give it a go? Read on and then decide what is best for you.

CONS

1. A recent study found that even a small amount of alcohol can disrupt the normal functioning of the hormones necessary for lactation.  This can cause a temporary decrease in your supply, yet make you feel like your breasts are full.

Furthermore, even though the mothers in this study felt more relaxed after drinking, it took longer for their milk to “let down” than when not drinking (3). This means that your baby can’t get your milk as quickly or as much of it than when you are not drinking.

This is a temporary problem that corrects itself after the buzz has worn off, but could be troublesome if breastfeeding is already not going well for you.

2. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that large amounts of alcohol can cause serious problems for babies such as drowsiness, sweating, deep sleep, weakness, decrease in linear growth, or abnormal weight gain (4).

The problems with sleep are especially troubling as this can be a factor in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The AAP's official policy statement on alcohol while breastfeeding states:

“Breastfeeding mothers should avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, because it is concentrated in breast milk and its use can inhibit milk production. An occasional celebratory single, small drink is acceptable, but breastfeeding should be avoided for 2 hours after the drink.”(5)

It is difficult to say in advance how much is “a large amount” where your baby is concerned. What is only a small amount for some may be way too much for others.

3. Before 3 months of age (and possibly longer for some babies), the liver is not very efficient at eliminating alcohol from the blood.  This could be dangerous for your baby.

4. A study in 1989 found significant declines in motor scores for infants whose mothers consumed one standard drink daily. That is the same amount that is typically considered OK.

Please note, however, that this drinking occurred DAILY. A glass of wine here and there with dinner is not the same thing.

5. It doesn’t help your baby sleep. Your baby may fall asleep, but he won’t sleep very long or well because alcohol interferes with REM sleep (6).

6. Drinking impairs your normal behaviors, and may make you more susceptible to depression, fatigue, and lapses in judgment. This could lead to you unintentionally harming your baby.

Decide what is best for you.

There is no need to stop breastfeeding for a little social drinking, but how much you drink at one time may have an impact on your baby.

References

1. Mennella J. Regulation of Milk Intake After Exposure to Alcohol in Mother's Milk. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2001;25:590-593.

2. Kesaniemi Y. Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in the milk and peripheral blood of lactating women after ethanol administration. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1974;81:84-86.

3. Pepino M Mennella J, Teff K. Acute alcohol consumption disrupts the hormonal milieu of lactating women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90:1979-1985.

4. AAP Committee on Drugs. The Transfer of Drugs and Other Chemicals Into Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2001;108:776-789.

5. AAP Section on Breastfeeding. 2005 AAP Policy Statement of Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2005;115:496-506.

6. Gerrish C Mennella J. Effects of exposure to alcohol in mother's milk on infant sleep. Pediatrics. 1998;101:21-25.


If your questions about alcohol and breastfeeding include dealing with addiction, please visit Alcoholics Anonymous by clicking here.