Can I drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding Baby Breast milk

Pregnancy is the time of a lot of changes a soon-to-be mom faces. The first thing many mom’s quit during pregnancy is drinking alcohol. And, as soon as they deliver the baby, they start drinking alcohol. But, the question of having alcohol while breastfeeding haunts the mind of every other mom who haves it. In this blog, we will discuss the effect of alcohol while breastfeeding.

Alcohol Effects on Breastmilk

Alcohol reaches the breast milk ducts of the mother. As per research, the quantity of alcohol in the bloodstream matches the levels present in breastmilk. Therefore, the correct proportion is necessary. The second question that troubles mothers concern the proportions of it.

If we believe studies, the more you drink alcohol, the long hours it will stay in your milk and the bloodstream. Also, its concentration becomes higher. After a single drink, approximately 30 to 60 minutes, the bloodstream has high alcohol levels and so is the case with breastmilk. Also, it depends on your body and weight as to how quickly you digest the alcohol effect. For example, if you consume one or two shot, it will leave your system in 3 hours at min that can vary in many cases.

Though it isn’t supported by any scientific research, it’s believed that babies dislike the taste of alcohol, thus, breastfeed less.

You may Like: Check out for tongue/lip ties if you or your baby is having trouble breastfeeding

Alcohol Effects on the Baby

If the mother starts drinking straight after giving birth, it gets hard for the newborn and the older babies to digest or metabolize the alcohol present in the breastmilk. As your baby is in the developing stage of the brain with an immature liver, it can be susceptible to alcoholic effects. Though consuming drinks once in a while aren’t stated destructive through any reliable scientific evidence, but drinking regularly surely is.

See also  5 Things You Should Not Wear While Grocery Shopping with Infants

The issues that observed by a mother who drinks excessively during breastfeeding and the baby are:

  1. Sleeping patterns disrupted.
  2. Experience poor weight gain.
  3. Delayed Psychomotor Skills.
  4. Later in life, cognitive delay can occur.

Also, the mothers that drink less alcohol faces issues of sleep pattern with their babies.

Let’s Face A Myth!

A common thing heard while a breastfeeding mom who starts indulging in alcohol is that drinking helps to increase the milk, somehow isn’t true at all. If you believe science, then it suggests you stay away from alcohol, as it decreases your breastmilk.

Related Topic: These 7 things a pregnant women never want to hear

Pumping & Dumping

In this context, this is another piece of advice given to drunk breastfeeding mothers. It is not a success of pumping out breastmilk to drain alcohol out of the stream by dumping it in the dustbin.

This technique is only suitable to use if you feel congested, full or uncomfortable. It will help to relieve or relax you after pumping. Otherwise, this pumping and dumping technique isn’t of use. It won’t work as a catalyst to exit alcohol from your breastmilk.

Always keep this intact in your mind that pumping dumping won’t empty alcohol levels in your milk and, there would be some amount of alcohol in your breastmilk. The chances of success for this technique to remove alcohol are very bleak.

Best Advice You Can Work On!

As we have come to the end of this, we would like to suggest some pieces of the best bits of advice you can follow through neglecting the urgency of consuming alcohol while breastfeeding.

  1. Take weekly spas to feel relaxed.
  2. Spend quality time with your loved ones.
  3. Call your friends and schedule night-outs to feel calm and relaxed.
See also  Swaddling- When to start weaning from it?

We understand that you might feel an urge of relaxing through a shot of alcohol, but we wouldn’t recommend you to do this, as alcohol is dangerous for your babies.

Suggested Article For You:

Breastfeeding FAQs

Entering into the world of parenthood isn’t easy for most couples. Be it feeding, diapering, bathing, or comforting a baby, everything seems to be a blur.

When it comes to the most essential part of parenting, that is, feeding; no matter how you decide to feed your baby, it just doesn’t come naturally and involves a lot of trial and error. Breastfeeding, as natural as it sounds, is not a skill a mother is born with, and to establish a successful mother-baby bond, a lot of patience, persistence, and learning is required. Read More:

Loading

You May Like
20 famous poems for kids to recite

Poetry offers up a wealth of benefits for kids. It fosters a love for language, thereby building literacy. It helps kids understand themselves and others, allowing them to cultivate valuable ... READ MORE

Food to eat during breastfeeding
Food for breastfeeding

Yes, it is a myth that a mother’s diet affects breastmilk. Once food, drink, or medication is consumed, the digestive tract breaks it down, and molecule-sized components of the material ... READ MORE

Deciphering Baby Food Labels: A Parent’s Essential Guide
Baby food labels

As parents, we want nothing but the best for our little ones, especially when it comes to their nutrition. But let's admit it, navigating through the maze of baby food ... READ MORE

Can I Get Pregnant While Breastfeeding? Understanding the Fertility Factors
Baby Breastfeeding small kids

Introduction: Breast feedings is a beautiful and essential part of motherhood, providing numerous benefits for both the baby and the mother. However, a common question that arises among new mothers ... READ MORE

See also  Embracing Winter Comfort: Unveiling the Latest Trends in Baby Skin Care

Leave a Reply