The
risks of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding are not as well defined. The
information mothers
hear about drinking alcoholic beverages while breastfeeding is often
contradictory. The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly
related to the amount the mother ingests. La Leche League Great Britain
recently posted a tip sheet about breastfeeding and alcohol. When the
breastfeeding mother drinks occasionally or limits her consumption to one drink
or less per day, the amount of alcohol her baby receives has not been proven to
be harmful.
Alcohol also freely passes
out of a mother's milk and her system. It takes up to 13 hours for a 120 pound
woman to eliminate the alcohol from one high-alcohol drink. The effects of
alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother
consumes.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs considers alcohol compatible
with breastfeeding. Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all.
The
mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally
does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive
for nursing mothers.
The absolute amount of
alcohol transferred into milk is generally low. Maternal blood alcohol levels
must attain 300 mg/dl before significant side effects are reported in the
infant. Avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking alcohol.
In
an interesting study of the effect
of alcohol on milk ingestion by infants, the rate of milk consumption by
infants during the 4 hours immediately after exposure to alcohol in 12 mothers
was significantly less. Chronic consumers of alcohol should not breastfeed.
Alcohol
consumption has not been shown to stimulate milk production. As alcohol leaves
the bloodstream, it leaves the breastmilk. Since alcohol is not
"trapped" in breastmilk, pumping and dumping will not remove it.
Drinking
to the point of intoxication, by
breastfeeding mothers has not been adequately studied. Alcohol abuse by the
mother can result in slow weight gain. The let-down of a mother who abuses
alcohol may be affected by her alcohol consumption and she may not breastfeed
enough. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is drinking alcohol
excessively, call your doctor.
If consuming alcohol while breastfeeding is
concerning to you, consider enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage instead.
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