Alcohol is listed by the American Academy of Pediatricians as a drug "usually compatible with breastfeeding," but the age of the infant, frequency of drinking and amount consumed all have a significant effect. Having one drink or less a day while nursing is not considered harmful, according to Le Leche League International. Ask your medical practitioner about the advisability of drinking while breastfeeding in your particular case.
Effects
Alcohol easily crosses into breast milk, but less alcohol reaches the baby through breast milk than it does during pregnancy, according to a 2002 article published by researchers from the National Institutes of Health. While eating at the same time as drinking slows absorption somewhat, alcohol still will pass through to the breast milk. Babies under 3 months of age metabolize breast milk more slowly than older infants and might face more significant effects from large doses.
Amounts
The alcohol content in breast milk is highest 30 to 90 minutes after you have a drink, according to BabyCenter. For a woman weighing 120 lbs. who consumes one glass of beer or wine, it can take up two to three hours to clear all alcohol from breast milk. If the same woman drinks three drinks in an hour, it can take up to seven and a half hours for the alcohol to clear breast milk.
Production
Contrary to popular opinion, alcohol offers no benefit in breastfeeding; while beer intake might increase milk production, non-alcoholic beer has the same effect. The barley rather than the alcohol might be what stimulates prolactin production, which might increase milk output, the Le Leche League International explains. At the same time, however, alcohol inhibits the release of oxytocin, which facilitates the let-down reflex. Inhibition of let-down normally doesn't occur until a woman consumes 1.5 to 1.9 g per kilogram of body weight.
Concerns
Babies who nurse within four hours after their mother drinks one alcoholic drink, defined as 4 oz. of wine, one beer or 1 oz. of hard alcohol, consume 23 percent less breast milk, BabyCenter reports. The baby might become sleepy quickly but will not sleep as long. Caring for an infant while intoxicated is dangerous; you should not co-sleep due to the risk of rolling over on the baby. You might not hear the baby's cries or respond to his needs if you're intoxicated. Mothers who drink frequently might have infants with slow motor skills or who grow more slowly than normal. Serious side effects in an infant normally do not appear until maternal blood alcohol levels reach 300 mg/dl. The legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in the United States is 80 mg/dL.
References
- Baby Center: Alcohol and Nursing Moms; 2010
- Le Leche League International: What About Drinking Alcohol and Breastfeeding? June 26, 2009
- Kellymom: Breatsfeeding and Alcohol; Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC; July 1, 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol and Public Health
- "Pediatrics:" Alcohol, Breastfeeding, and Development at 18 Months ; Ruth Little et al; May 2002
