Beer And Breastfeeding: How Much Is Too Much?

Breastfeeding mothers are often given conflicting advice about whether it is safe to consume alcohol. While it is widely known that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm an unborn child, the effects of drinking while breastfeeding are less clear.

According to some sources, an occasional drink is okay, and a breastfeeding mother can safely nurse her baby after the alcohol has left her breast milk. However, others recommend abstinence, stating that there are no known benefits of exposing nursing infants to alcohol.

So, how often can you drink beer while breastfeeding? The general consensus is that drinking in moderation (i.e., one standard glass of alcohol) while breastfeeding is likely fine, but more research is needed. It is recommended to wait at least two hours after consuming one drink before breastfeeding. If you consume more than one drink, it is advised to wait an additional two hours for each additional drink.

It is important to note that alcohol passes into breast milk, and excessive consumption can impact a baby's sleep patterns and growth/development. Additionally, regular alcohol consumption can negatively affect breast milk supply and the let-down reflex, resulting in the baby receiving less milk.

Therefore, while occasional light drinking while breastfeeding has not been shown to have adverse effects, it is generally recommended to avoid alcohol until the baby is at least three months old.

How much alcohol is safe to drink while breastfeeding?

The short answer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the safest option while breastfeeding is to avoid consuming alcohol entirely. However, the occasional drink is generally considered okay, and you can safely nurse your baby after the alcohol has left your breast milk.

It takes about two hours for the average adult to metabolize one drink. This means that, based on metabolization math and recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, you can breastfeed about two hours after you've finished one drink. If you've had two drinks, wait four to five hours.

The level of alcohol in your milk mimics the amount in your blood. If your blood alcohol content is 0.10%, your breast milk will be at the same level. So, as your blood alcohol content drops, so does the alcohol content in your breast milk.

If you know how to time it and how much you can safely consume, you can have an occasional drink while breastfeeding. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended to limit alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day. However, one drink does not always mean one glass. Here are some standard drink sizes:

• 12 oz. of 5% ABV beer (about one can)
• 8 oz. of 7% ABV malt liquor (around the size of a standard drinking glass)
• 5 oz. of 12% ABV wine (one glass)
• 1.5 oz. of 40% ABV (80-proof) liquor (one shot)

It's important to note that the higher the ABV (alcohol by volume), the higher the alcohol content in the drink. So, for example, having one 12-ounce glass of 9% ABV beer is like having two drinks, not one.

Potential risks of drinking alcohol while breastfeeding

While occasional light drinking while breastfeeding has not been shown to have adverse effects on babies, drinking alcohol can affect the balance of hormones that control breast milk production (prolactin and oxytocin) and can reduce your supply. Even a small amount, such as a single beer or glass of wine, can disrupt the balance of milk-producing hormones in breastfeeding women. Chronic alcohol use has the potential to lower your milk supply overall.

Additionally, studies have shown that drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can have minor short-term effects on your baby's behaviour. Some babies experience increased awake times and are more irritable. A small study found that babies slept for 25% less time after exposure to small amounts of alcohol in breast milk. While breastfed babies may become drowsy and fall asleep more quickly after their mother drinks alcohol, they also sleep for a shorter amount of time.

Alcohol in your breast milk can also change the way your breast milk tastes and smells, which may cause your baby to be reluctant to feed.

Tips for drinking alcohol while breastfeeding

If you do choose to drink alcohol while breastfeeding, here are some tips to minimize the amount of alcohol that reaches your baby:

• Plan ahead: If you know you will be drinking, make sure to allow at least a couple of hours for the alcohol to go through your system before your next breastfeed. Alternatively, you can drink a small amount while you're breastfeeding, so that by the time the alcohol is in your system, your baby will have finished feeding.
• Express and store milk beforehand: If you plan on drinking alcohol, you can express and store milk beforehand to feed your baby for their next meal.
• Avoid bed-sharing: Do not sleep with your baby if you have been drinking alcohol. Mothers who have been drinking alcohol should never be in a situation where they might fall asleep with their baby, as this has been associated with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Don't "pump and dump": Pumping and dumping will not remove alcohol from your breast milk or speed up the process of metabolization. It is only necessary if you are uncomfortable and need to express milk to relieve discomfort.

How long after drinking alcohol is it safe to breastfeed?

It is important to note that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and it is always better to avoid alcohol altogether. However, if you are breastfeeding and choose to drink alcohol, it is recommended to wait at least 2 hours after finishing one drink before nursing your baby. This allows time for the alcohol to leave your breast milk. If you have had two drinks, it is advisable to wait for 4 to 5 hours. The general guideline is that for every drink consumed, you should wait 2 to 3 hours before breastfeeding.

The time it takes for alcohol to leave your breast milk depends on various factors, including how quickly your body metabolizes alcohol, how much you drink, how quickly you drink it, whether you consume it with food, your body weight, and individual variations in alcohol absorption and metabolism.

It is crucial to understand that alcohol can pass into your breast milk and then into your baby when you feed them. While an occasional drink is unlikely to harm your baby, regularly drinking above the recommended limits can be harmful to both you and your baby. Excessive alcohol consumption can decrease your milk supply and cause sleep, growth, and developmental problems in your baby.

To keep health risks from alcohol to a minimum, it is safest not to drink more than 14 units per week on a regular basis. A 'standard drink' or 'one drink' is defined differently in various countries, but generally, it refers to a specific amount of alcohol. For example, in the United States, one standard drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is typically found in 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.

If you intend to drink alcohol and breastfeed, it is recommended to breastfeed your baby before consuming any alcoholic beverages or pump and save your milk. If you need to nurse your baby before the recommended waiting time is up, you can use previously expressed milk or formula to feed your baby. It is also important to never share a bed or sofa with your baby if you have consumed any alcohol, as this has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Does alcohol affect breast milk production?

There is a common belief that consuming alcohol, especially beer, while breastfeeding can help boost milk production. While this is not entirely false, it is essential to understand the impact of alcohol on breast milk production and the potential risks to the infant.

Alcohol and Milk Production

The belief that alcohol can increase milk supply stems from the fact that barley, a component in beer, contains a polysaccharide that increases prolactin production, which stimulates breast milk production. However, alcohol, on its own, has a different effect. Alcohol is a potent inhibitor of oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates milk ejection. Consuming alcohol can lead to a decrease in the amount of milk available to the nursing infant.

Research has shown that infants breastfed by mothers who consumed alcohol prior to nursing consumed approximately 20% less milk in the first 4 hours compared to infants of mothers who did not drink. Additionally, alcohol consumption can interfere with the milk ejection reflex, leading to a further reduction in milk production. The higher the alcohol intake, the greater the effect on milk production and ejection.

Short-term Effects on the Nursing Infant

In addition to reduced milk intake, short-term effects of alcohol consumption on the nursing infant include changes in sleep patterns. Studies have reported more fragmented sleep and a decrease in total sleep duration by about 25% after infants consumed alcohol-containing milk.

Long-term Effects on the Nursing Infant

The long-term effects of alcohol consumption on breast milk production are less studied, but they may include adverse neurodevelopmental effects. Studies have suggested a link between maternal alcohol consumption and reduced abstract reasoning abilities in children at ages 6 to 7 years. Additionally, regular exposure to alcohol in breast milk has been associated with lower scores on indices of motor development.

Recommendations for Breastfeeding Mothers

Due to the potential risks associated with alcohol consumption while breastfeeding, it is recommended to minimise alcohol intake and limit it to occasional consumption. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no more than 0.5 g of alcohol per kg of body weight, which for a 60 kg mother is approximately 2 oz of liquor, 8 oz of wine, or 2 beers. Mothers are also advised to avoid nursing their infants for at least 2 hours after their last drink to allow for the alcohol to clear from the breast milk.

Should I pump and dump after drinking alcohol?

Pumping and dumping is a term used to describe pumping breast milk and then discarding it instead of storing it for future feedings. It is often done by women who think they have had too much to drink. However, it is important to note that pumping and dumping does not get rid of alcohol in your system. Alcohol will leave your breast milk and bloodstream naturally over time.

According to the CDC, moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least two hours before nursing. This is because it takes about two hours for the alcohol to be metabolized and leave your system. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend waiting to nurse at least two hours after your last drink. This is considered a safe amount of time for the alcohol to leave your system.

However, if you have had more than one drink, you may need to wait longer. For example, if you have two or three drinks, it is recommended to wait about four hours before breastfeeding. This is because the more alcohol you consume, the longer it takes for your body to process and eliminate it from your system.

If you are not sure whether the alcohol is out of your system, you can use milk alcohol test strips. These strips can detect the presence of alcohol in your breast milk and help you determine if it is safe to breastfeed.

In general, it is recommended to limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day while breastfeeding. Heavy and habitual drinking can be harmful to your baby's health and development. It can also decrease your milk supply and affect the taste of your milk, which may be unappealing to your baby.

If you have had a large amount of alcohol and are feeling tipsy, it is best to wait to breastfeed until the alcohol has left your system. During this time, you may need to pump and dump to relieve engorgement and maintain your milk supply. However, if you only have one drink and wait at least two hours, pumping and dumping is not necessary.

The bottom line is that it is generally safe to have an occasional drink while breastfeeding, as long as you time it right. Try to have your drink right after breastfeeding or pumping, so the alcohol has enough time to leave your system before your next feeding.

How does drinking alcohol affect a breastfed baby?

Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can have various effects on a breastfed baby. Firstly, it's important to note that alcohol passes from the mother's bloodstream into her breast milk, with levels of alcohol in the milk typically peaking around 30-60 minutes after consumption. This means that if a mother consumes alcohol, she should wait for a couple of hours before breastfeeding again to allow the alcohol to metabolize and leave her system and milk.

Short-term effects

Drinking alcohol occasionally while breastfeeding has been shown to have minor short-term effects on a baby's behaviour. Some babies experience increased awake times and are more irritable. A study found that babies slept for 25% less time after exposure to small amounts of alcohol in breast milk. While breastfed babies may become drowsy and fall asleep more quickly after their mother drinks alcohol, they tend to sleep for a shorter duration overall.

Alcohol in breast milk can also alter its taste and smell, which may cause the baby to be reluctant to feed. Additionally, alcohol can temporarily reduce milk supply, so the baby may seem hungrier and want to feed more. Studies have found that babies breastfeed more frequently but consume less milk in the 3-4 hours after their mother consumes alcohol.

Long-term effects

The long-term effects of drinking alcohol while breastfeeding are less clear and require further research. However, regular or heavy drinking while breastfeeding is not advised, as it may affect the baby's growth and development. Moderate, heavy, or continued drinking may lead to drowsiness, deep sleep, weakness, and decreased growth in the baby. Alcohol abuse by the mother can result in slow weight gain or failure to thrive in the infant.

Additionally, alcohol consumption can affect the mother's let-down reflex, which may result in the baby receiving less milk. A study found that babies consumed approximately 20% less milk in the first 4 hours after their mother consumed alcohol. Regular alcohol consumption can also delay the baby's motor development, with one study showing lower scores on motor development indices in infants exposed to alcohol in breast milk.

In summary, while an occasional drink is unlikely to cause harm, regular or heavy drinking while breastfeeding can have negative consequences for the baby. It is important for breastfeeding mothers to drink in moderation and plan ahead to ensure the baby's safety and well-being.

Frequently asked questions