As a breastfeeding mom, there was nothing more frustrating and confusing than the topic of alcohol and breastfeeding.  When I decided I was ready for that first glass of wine after having Weston, I had to pull out my phone and Google “alcohol and breastfeeding”.  Everything I had heard over the years made it seem like having one glass of wine while breastfeeding meant you’d have to pump and dump your and  milk.  I wanted to know exactly what was safe and if it was even worth it to enjoy a nice glass of red.

After a year of breastfeeding, lots of education, and plenty of glasses of wine, I wanted to share the truth behind alcohol and breastfeeding.  Out of all the myths and misconceptions surrounding breastfeeding, how to safely drink alcohol and breastfeed your baby has to be the biggest one I encountered.

Alcohol and Breastfeeding: Everything Breastfeeding Moms Need to Know

Can you Drink while Breastfeeding?

Let me start by sharing my favorite quote surrounding the topic of alcohol and breastfeeding from kellymom.com, “in general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed.”  Yes, you read that right, you can have a glass of wine or a cold beer and still breastfeed your baby without worry.  While many moms still don’t feel comfortable drinking and nursing (which I totally understand), it’s important to know how alcohol affects your breast milk.

Alcohol and Breast Milk: How does one Affect the Other?

Alcohol does not accumulate in your breast milk.  This means that if you have a drink, the milk that is in your breasts isn’t “contaminated” alcohol.  Alcohol actually leaves your milk the same way that it leaves your blood stream.  Over time, any alcohol you have consumed will leave your breast milk.  The amount of alcohol in your breast milk is directly correlated with how many drinks you’ve consumed (just like it is with your blood).  The more drinks you consume, the higher the alcohol content will be in your breast milk.

How Long does Alcohol Stay in your Breast Milk?

The amount of alcohol in your breast milk typically peaks between 30 minutes and one hour of consuming an alcoholic beverage.  If you’ve ever seen a photo of a mom drinking a beer while nursing her child at the same time, this is why.  While those photos might seem a little shocking at first, the truth is, the beer that mom is drinking hasn’t had time to reach her milk supply yet.  And on top of that, even if it had, the amount of alcohol in her breast milk would be so low that it is still considered safe to nurse (remember my favorite quote??)  As far as how long alcohol stays in your breast milk, think of it just like your blood stream. It truly varies from person to person.  A safe bet is that your breast milk will be alcohol free within two to three hours of having a drink.

Do you really need to Pump and Dump?

I don’t know why, but the phrase pump and dump really bothers me.  I think it’s because I believe that this phrase is what causes so much confusion around the topic.  Almost everyone has heard the phrase pump and dump, but not many people actually know the facts behind alcohol and breastfeeding.  I remember drinking a glass of wine at a cookout last summer and having more than one friend say, “so do you need to pump and dump now?”  No.  I did not need to pump my precious momma milk and pour it down the drain after one drink, and neither do you.

The only time I recommend pumping and dumping your milk is if you plan to have more than a few drinks or if you’re consuming alcohol away from your baby.  The only real reason for pumping and dumping is to make sure that you’re pumping for any missed feedings (to keep your supply up) and to make sure that your breasts don’t become engorged.  I think I pumped and dumped twice during the entire year I breastfed.  Both were at a wedding (lots of celebrating and a night away from my baby called for the old saying to be true).

Consuming Alcohol and Breastfeeding: What are the Best Practices?

Let me start this paragraph by reminding you that I’m not a doctor.  I’m just a mom who wants to help other moms make life easier.  During the year that I breastfed, these were the general rules I followed when it came to consuming alcohol and breastfeeding my baby:

• I always nursed right before I had a drink. That way, I knew that I had another two to three hours before Weston would be hungry again.  At that point, chances were high that there was little to no alcohol in my breast milk.
• If I planned on nursing, I never consumed more than one drink in a two hour timeframe.
• If I wanted to relax and enjoy more than one glass of wine, I always had a bottle of expressed milk ready to go.
• If I consumed alcohol and wasn’t with Weston for an extended period of time, I would pump for any missed feedings and dump the milk if I had consumed more than two drinks. If you’re ever in doubt of whether or not you need to pump and dump, these handy little test strips take all the guesswork out of equation.

At the end of the day, it’s okay to have an adult beverage and breastfeed your baby.  It does not make you a bad mom.  It makes you a totally normal mom that just went nine long months without drinking and enjoys a nice glass of red after a long day.  The best thing you can do is educate yourself, relax, and do what you think is right for you and your baby.  Just because you’re a mom who has selflessly decided to nourish your baby, doesn’t mean you can’t be an adult and enjoy a drink every now and then.  For more information about alcohol and breastfeeding, visit https://kellymom.com.

DISCLOSURE: Coffee and Coos is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your doctor for medical advice.

---

Some posts on this site may or may not contain affiliate links.  Coffee and Coos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. To learn more, visit our Privacy and Disclosure page.