In early August 2018, Jessie James Decker, a singer-songwriter and reality television personality, posted a photo of herself holding a glass of wine while breastfeeding, and the Internet exploded. All manner of opinionated people came out of the woodwork, either to support her and say they’d done the same, or to call her selfish and question her parenting skills. So, who’s right here? Is it actually safe to drink while breastfeeding?
Like so many things, the answer has to do with moderation. Moderate alcohol consumption is safe for women breastfeeding their babies. Moderate alcohol consumption is considered about one drink per day, or 12 ounces of beer with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5 percent or less, 8 ounces of malt liquor with an ABV of 7 percent or less, 5 ounces of wine with 12 percent ABV or less, and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor.
Alcohol levels typically peak 30 to 60 minutes after drinking an alcoholic beverage. The alcohol can be detected in breast milk for two to three hours. In newborns, breastfeeding sessions take 20 to 45 minutes. It can take longer because newborns are frequently sleepy and may nod off in the middle of feeding. As babies get older, it should only take between 10 and 20 minutes. So, there’s really not much chance of alcohol being passed through the milk if you want to start drinking at the same time as you start breastfeeding, or little after if you’d rather err on the side of caution. If you’re being extra careful, you might also want to wait until the baby is a little older, because infants under three months of age metabolize alcohol at about half the rate of adults. If you want to ensure that no alcohol is being passed along to the baby, wait a couple of hours until the alcohol has been processed by your liver.
Even if you’re drinking continuously while breastfeeding, studies have shown that the amount of alcohol passed along to nursing infants through breast milk is approximately 5 to 6 percent of the amount in the mother’s bloodstream. Even if the mother was binge drinking – which is inadvisable for everyone, not just nursing mothers – the child would not be subjected to a significant enough amount of alcohol to cause harm.
Someone women do what is called pump and dump if they’ve been drinking. This means they pump the breast milk and then discard it, thinking it will reduce the amount of alcohol in the milk. This isn’t really necessary, however, as it doesn’t actually clear out the alcohol any faster. If you’re really concerned, the thing to do would be to pump ahead of time – before you start drinking – and save it for feeding time.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
