In fact, just one or two drinks can reduce how much milk your baby drinks by 20%-23% because alcohol makes nerves in your nipples less sensitive to your baby's mouth reducing how much milk you can release during nursing. The other problem with drinking and breastfeeding is that it reduces the amount of milk you produce. Since it takes longer for the baby to flush the alcohol out of their system, they have longer exposure to it and its potentially harmful effects. The reason being that, even though a baby is only exposed to about 5%-6% of the amount of alcohol the mother drinks, they eliminate the alcohol at only half the rate of an adult due to a smaller, still-developing liver. cognitive, emotional, physical movement, and social capabilities). The review also found that infants who were fed milk from women with the highest alcohol intake scored significantly lower on scales for psychomotor development (i.e. For example, according to the ACOG, regularly having more than two drinks a day while breastfeeding may cause abnormal weight gain, drowsiness, and weakness in your baby.Īnd a 2013 review found that infants slept an average of 25% less after ingesting milk that contained alcohol. It's when you start drinking more that it becomes a problem. What alcohol does to breast milk and the babyĭrinking in moderation (meaning one drink per day) is not considered dangerous for a baby, as long as the mother waits at least a couple of hours before pumping or nursing. Since the timing can vary, Grover recommends waiting as long as possible - but at least two just to be safe. Whereas alcohol from one drink can be detected in breast milk for two to three hours, alcohol from three drinks may remain in the breast milk for six to eight hours. "Remember that everyone metabolizes alcohol differently, and that rate can change from day to day," says Kecia Gaither, MD, a double board-certified physician in OB-GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine and Director of Perinatal Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.Īlso, the more alcohol you consume, the longer it stays in your blood and breast milk. So, if you drink one shot of liquor you'll have significantly more alcohol in your blood than if you had a beer and will need to wait longer to metabolize all that alcohol out of your system. It's also important to consider the strength and volume of what you're drinking since the concentration of alcohol in your milk depends on the level of alcohol in your blood, says Grover.įor example, drinking one shot of 80-proof liquor has 40% alcohol by volume, whereas one 5-ounce glass of wine has 12% alcohol, and one can of beer has 5% alcohol. However, Grover notes that there are a few factors that can affect how long it takes for alcohol to metabolize - like your weight, what you're drinking, and whether or not you've recently eaten.įor example, according to a 2022 review, food delays alcohol metabolization, so you may need to wait even longer than two hours if you're eating and drinking at the same time. The ACOG advises waiting two hours after having a drink before pumping or breastfeeding to give your body time to break down the alcohol. How long you should wait after drinking to breastfeed
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