Parentpedia

What Experts Say^*

After saying no to all drinking during pregnancy, a new mom often looks forward to sharing a glass of wine during dinner with her partner. But how much alcohol is safe if you're breastfeeding?

How Drinking Does -- and Doesn't -- Affect Breastfeeding

Light or occasional drinking is considered safe.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs, nursing mothers can drink alcohol in moderation. Occasional or light drinking, of one or less drinks a day, has not been found to be harmful to the nursing baby.

If you drink, be smart.
Keep in mind that alcohol can have a wide range of effects, depending on how much you drink. Stick to the one-drink-or-less-a-day rule and have something to eat along with your drink.

Since it can take two to three hours to metabolize one drink, depending on your weight, it's wise to nurse right before you have a drink and then wait two hours or so to breastfeed. It doesn't hurt to have some of your expressed milk on hand in case your baby gets hungry before you feel comfortable nursing.

After you have a drink, it doesn't take long for it to get into your milk.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed (in about 15 minutes), with levels peaking 30 to 60 minutes after you drink it and 60 to 90 minutes if alcohol is consumed with food.

"Pumping and dumping" will not remove the alcohol from your milk.
It's commonly believed that you can clear the alcohol from your milk more quickly if you express your milk and then toss it out. This is not true, because alcohol levels in your milk at the time of a feed correspond with blood levels of alcohol, regardless of how much milk has previously been expressed.

The use of alcohol will not increase your milk supply.
While a drink may help you relax, researchers have found that babies take in less milk after their mothers have consumed alcohol.

Your baby will not sleep better if you have a drink.
Though you may have heard that babies sleep better after Mom has a drink, research shows that it actually disturbs a baby's sleep-wake cycle, resulting in significantly less time sleeping.

Safety Note

• Moderate to heavy alcohol use can interfere with the milk-ejection reflex, cause a baby to be overly sleepy and weak, and limit a baby's breast-milk intake. This can potentially lead to slow weight gain or failure to thrive. Too much alcohol can also affect a baby's motor development. If you are abusing alcohol, get the help you need from your physician or a substance abuse counselor.
• If you have too much to drink, do not breastfeed and do not express your milk to save until later.
• If you are alcohol impaired, you need help caring for your baby.
• Do not sleep with your baby if you or your partner have had too much to drink.