Breastfeeding and alcohol
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EmailLearn more about how alcohol affects breast milk and nursing parents’ bodies.
Lactating parents often receive mixed messages about alcohol consumption while breastfeeding. The advice can range from “drink a beer to help your milk let down” to “never drink a drop of alcohol the whole time you are breastfeeding” or you need to “pump and dump”.
Clearly, lactating parents are often left very confused by these conflicting recommendations. While the advice is clear during pregnancy that consuming alcohol can cause problems for the unborn child, it becomes murky when it comes to lactation. This is because the effects of maternal alcohol consumption are much more complicated and vary from person to person.
Alcohol levels in breast milk are similar to the levels of alcohol in the parent’s blood. Alcohol levels in breast milk peak in breast milk about 30 to 60 minutes after drinking on an empty stomach, and 60 to 90 minutes after drinking on a full stomach. One drink takes about two hours to leave the body, and two drinks take about four hours. The amount a lactating parent drinks determines how long the alcohol remains in their body. The more someone drinks, the longer it takes for their body to process the alcohol.
Moderate use of alcohol (one drink per day) when breastfeeding has not been shown to cause problems for infants, particularly if the parent waits two hours or more after consumption to breastfeed. Greater consumption has been linked to issues in development of the child as well as sleeping problems. Higher consumption of alcohol has also been linked to decreased milk production.
Not consuming alcohol at all is the safest for breastfeeding parents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consuming alcohol at a moderate level does not appear to cause harm to the breastfeeding infant. It is also important to consider that consuming alcohol at greater than moderate levels may impair your judgment regardless of how you are feeding your child, so it is important to make sure someone is available to safely care for your child.
It is often recommended to nurse before consuming any alcohol. This will put as much time as possible between drinking and the next feeding. Also consider pumping before consuming to further increase the time before you need to nurse again. It is not necessary to “pump and dump” breast milk with occasional alcohol intake, as this will not decrease the level of alcohol in the breastmilk.
Michigan State University Extension offers nutrition education and breastfeeding support to feeding mothers, their babies and their companions. Contact your local MSU Extension office to find support near you.
