Breastmilk and alcohol
✌️BYE BYE pumping & dumping, see you almost never!
🍷Let's bash the guilt surrounding lactating mothers enjoying alcohol. If you want a drink or two, you can have them and 100% enjoy it.
🔬Let's get a little scientific for a second, for good reason. The alcohol you drink, small amounts of it enter your bloodstream. And since your body and bloodstream are what's making baby’s milk, approximately 2% of alcohol consumed reaches your milk. Alcohol peaks in your bloodstream/milk 30-60 minutes after consumption. alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood. (Source: kellymom.com)
🩸In summary: your blood alcohol content is equal to the alcohol content in breastmilk.
🤱🏽Our tip: DRINK WHILE YOU'RE FEEDING/PUMPING. This way, alcohol doesn't have as much time to get into your bloodstream and there is the greatest amount of time between feedings.
🚘If you feel safe enough to drive, you are safe enough to feed baby. This looks different for every mother, taking into account metabolism, whether it was consumed with food, etc.
So start with 1/2 to one drink. A quick refresh, one drink is:
🍺12oz beer
🍷5oz wine
🍸1.5 oz liquor ("one shot")
🚮"Pump and dump:” not necessary if you do not feel impaired. Since the alcohol leaves you milk at the same rate it does from your bloodstream, removing and discarding milk is a literal waste!
If you feel impaired and it is time to feed your baby, consider having expressed milk or formula ready in a bottle for baby to be fed.
💕Every mother is different so please do not compare this small aspect or really another other aspect of postpartum to anyone else! This is your journey, do what feels right. But know you can breastfeed your baby and enjoy alcohol together.
❔Did you drink alcohol during your breastfeeding journey? Tell other mamas below so we can normalize a very safe in moderation activity.
Your postpartum nurses Meg and Carly here to prepare you for postpartum and beyond. We want to make sure you have the education you need to care for your own healing body after birth, not just your baby.
Postpartum prep courses occurring virtually and regularly intended to be taken during pregnancy are now open for registration. Our return to work support group is pay what you can and supports that tough back to work transition. Then join us in our online community for the growth, support and empowerment to continue <3
