ALCOHOL & BREASTFEEDING

Can I drink?

Most pregnant mums know about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. But what about once your new baby arrives? Even the experts can’t agree about how much is safe to drink when you’re breastfeeding, or whether you should lay off the wine altogether. Some suggest occasional drinking – one or two drinks a week – is fine while others say its best not to drink at all. Auckland lactation consultant and pediatrician Leila Masson says it’s okay to have a drink every once in a while. However, she recommends mums wait until their baby is six months old when they should have a more predictable feeding pattern and their liver is better able to detoxify alcohol.

Passing alcohol into your breast milk

Alcohol passes into breast milk and peaks in your blood and milk about 30 to 60 minutes after drinking and up to 90 minutes if you've been eating. The level of alcohol in the breast milk is the same concentration as in your blood and it will clear from your milk as it clears from your blood, explains Leila. So the more you drink, the longer it will take for your milk to be alcohol-free. Many experts suggest waiting two to three hours per drink before feeding to clear the alcohol from your system. There's no need to pump the milk in the meantime (unless you're uncomfortable), as it doesn't speed up the elimination process.

Everything in moderation

If you choose to drink while breastfeeding, the key is to drink in moderation - a glass of wine at a social gathering or occasional drink with dinner to relax isn't going to harm your baby - and drink just after you feed, not before. And forget that old wives tale that drinking wine or beer will increase your milk supply – moderate to heavy drinking can actually affect your letdown and volume of milk as well as your baby’s weight gain and development.

Tips for drinking while breastfeeding

Denise Fisher, an Australian lactation consultant who has studied social drugs and breastfeeding has these tips for drinking mums: Try to minimize exposure until at least three months Choose low alcohol drinks Eat before and while drinking Avoid breastfeeding for two to three hours after drinking Store alcohol-free breast milk to use after moderate or heavy drinking