Alcohol And Breastfeeding: The Effects On Your Baby
As a parent and mother of our child, we want to make sure that we always do well and keep our baby healthy. If you are breastfeeding, you are sure that you know that you are giving them everything they need to grow and become strong. Breastmilk is the best for our baby at this age. Although some things affect breast milk and we better avoid or limit them. Such as, drinking alcohol during breastfeeding.
How does alcohol use affect your breast milk and the health of your baby?
Depending on your breastfeeding routine, alcohol consumption as with all aspects of your diet while breastfeeding needs to be carefully considered. Generally, it is not recommended that mothers drink alcohol while they are pregnant or during breastfeeding.
Drinking during pregnancy is a common problem for most mothers. However, you must first think carefully about the health of your baby, especially since he has nothing to say. Consider these tips to ensure that you are healthy and that your baby is healthy. For more information about you and your baby, talk to your doctor for a second opinion.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy
During pregnancy and breastfeeding your baby’s development and nutrition is directly affected by all that you consume. That includes absolutely everything and if you drink then alcohol impacts too. Alcohol has been shown to have adverse effects on unborn babies even in small amounts, and there is a direct transfer of alcohol to breastmilk in breastfeeding mothers. Peaks in exchange from blood stream-breastmilk are from 30mins to 1hour post drink so it can take from 3-4hrs to clear alcohol from your system and be safe to feed again when you are breastfeeding.
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During breastfeeding, breastmilk is the most critical source of fats and immune-building products your baby can get. Keeping your diet and health at an optimum level is vital to ensure you have a great milk supply for your baby so they can thrive. Alcohol can interfere with your breastfeeding and whether to consume alcohol while you are breastfeeding or wait until you have finished is an important decision to make.
What are the effects of alcohol during breastfeeding
In case you decide to breastfeed your baby, what steps should you take to ensure your baby receives the best nourishment? While many mothers are aware that avoiding alcohol whilst pregnant is advisable, it seems that the guidelines for post pregnancy are somewhat unclear.
After consulting with the experts and according to CDC (one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services), we have compiled some essential facts about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding.
The effect of alcohol
- The level of alcohol in a mother’s bloodstream is very similar to the levels in the breast milk.
- Levels peak between 30 and 60 minutes of drinking alcohol, or 90 minutes if you drank with a meal.
- It takes two to three hours before a unit of alcohol (a small glass of wine or half a liter of ordinary beer) leaves the mother’s milk of a nursing mother.
The effect on your baby
- Breast milk containing alcohol is likely to disrupt your babies sleep patterns and cause the baby to become agitated.
- More copious amounts of alcohol may cause a sedative effect.
- Research shows that babies may take around 20% less milk if alcohol is present in breast milk. This is because alcohol inhibits the mother’s ‘let-down’ which releases milk to the nipple.
- Consequently, babies are likely to need feeding more often and may even go on ‘nursing-strike’ due to the altered taste of the milk.
How long does it take to wait for breastfeeding after drinking?
Although the message about alcohol use during pregnancy is clear enough – it can be very harmful to babies – the message about alcohol use during breastfeeding is that moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least 2 hours before nursing.
Drinking while breastfeeding may not be illegal, but experts say that a lot of alcohol can be harmful to the breastfed baby. Are small quantities safe? And if so, how much is it?
Typically, it is best to be patient at least 2-3 hours after drinking one drink, 4-5 hours after two drinks and 7-8 hours after three drinks, before you start feeding or pumping to save milk.
