What to do with breast milk after drinking alcohol?

Understanding Alcohol and Breastfeeding: What to Do with Breast Milk After Drinking
When it comes to the intersection of alcohol consumption and breastfeeding, many new parents find themselves navigating a complex landscape of health advice and personal choices. The primary concern is ensuring the safety and well-being of the infant while also allowing for some degree of normalcy in the parent’s social life.
The Basics of Alcohol and Breast Milk
Alcohol does pass into breast milk, but the concentration is generally similar to that in the bloodstream. This means that if a breastfeeding parent consumes alcohol, it will also be present in their milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the safest option for breastfeeding mothers is to avoid alcohol altogether. However, if a parent chooses to drink, moderation is key.
Timing is Everything
After consuming alcohol, the timing of breastfeeding becomes crucial. Experts recommend waiting at least two hours after having one standard drink before nursing. For two drinks, this wait time extends to four to five hours. This guideline helps ensure that the alcohol level in the breast milk has decreased significantly by the time the next feeding occurs.
The Myth of “Pumping and Dumping”
A common misconception is that “pumping and dumping”—the practice of expressing milk and discarding it—will help remove alcohol from the system. However, this is not effective. The body metabolizes alcohol at a consistent rate, and pumping does not expedite this process. Therefore, discarding milk after drinking does not make it any safer for the baby.
Preparing for Social Occasions
For those who wish to enjoy a drink while breastfeeding, preparation can be beneficial. One effective strategy is to express and store milk before consuming alcohol. This way, the parent can feed the baby with previously pumped milk, ensuring that the infant is not exposed to alcohol. This approach allows for social enjoyment without compromising the baby’s health.
Conclusion: Making Informed Choices
Ultimately, the decision to drink alcohol while breastfeeding is a personal one that should be made with careful consideration of the potential impacts on the infant. While moderate drinking may be acceptable, the emphasis should always be on safety and timing. For those who choose to drink, planning ahead and understanding the body’s metabolism of alcohol can help maintain a healthy breastfeeding relationship.

Do you really need to pump and dump?

Pumping and dumping doesn’t change the content of the breast milk or get substances out of your system faster. It does ensure though that your baby doesn’t consume the substances in the milk. It also helps to keep your breasts from becoming engorged and mastitis from developing.

How long does alcohol stay in pumped breast milk?

In other words, it’s safest to enjoy a drink right after a nursing or pumping session because it gives your body enough time to metabolize the alcohol before baby’s next feeding (presumably in two hours). However, it’s important to note that this is generalized guidance that applies to the average breastfeeding mom.

How much alcohol will contaminate breast milk?

In general, less than 2 percent of the alcohol dose consumed by the mother reaches her milk and blood. Alcohol is not stored in breast milk, however, but its level parallels that found in the maternal blood. That means that as long as the mother has substantial blood alcohol levels, the milk also will contain alcohol.

How do you flush alcohol out of breast milk?

Breastfeeding mothers who have consumed alcohol can wait 2 hours (per drink) before breastfeeding. This time will allow alcohol levels in her breast milk to go down. If the mother cannot wait to feed her infant, she can feed milk that was previously expressed when the mother was not drinking.

How long should I wait to breastfeed after drinking?

Not drinking alcohol is the safest option for breastfeeding mothers. However, moderate alcohol consumption, meaning up to one standard drink in a day, is not known to be harmful to the infant. To be safest, the mother can wait at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing.

What happens if you breastfeed too soon after drinking?

The baby might seem drowsy and weak and have unhealthy weight gain. Alcohol also can affect the ability to safely care for a baby. Over time, drinking too much might cause the body to make less breast milk. Delay pumping or breastfeeding your baby two hours for each alcoholic drink you consume.

Can alcohol pass to a baby in breast milk?

Alcohol can pass into your breastmilk and then into your baby when you feed them. An occasional drink is unlikely to harm your baby especially if you wait at least 2 hours after having a drink before feeding.. Regularly drinking above the recommended limits can be harmful for you and your baby.

How long does it take for alcohol to get out of breast milk?

1: For a 40.8-kg (90-lb) woman who consumed three drinks in 1 hour, it would take 8 hours, 30 minutes for there to be no alcohol in her breast milk, but for a 95.3-kg (210-lb) woman drinking the same amount, it would take 5 hours, 33 minutes.

What can I do with breastmilk that has alcohol in it?

If your breasts become full while waiting, you can hand express or pump, discarding the milk expressed, but this will not speed up the elimination of alcohol from your body. If consuming alcohol while breastfeeding is something that concerns you, then you may choose to enjoy non-alcoholic drinks instead.

Do I have to throw out breast milk after baby drinks?

Leftover breast milk can still be used within 2 hours after the baby is finished feeding. After 2 hours, leftover breast milk should be thrown away. To avoid wasting unfed milk, consider storing, thawing, and warming it in smaller amounts. See Breast Milk Storage and Preparation for more information.