Drinking Alcohol While Breastfeeding
One thing that many new mothers are surprised to find out is that drinking alcohol while breastfeeding is actually okay. This of course comes with the stipulation that you do it in moderation for the sake of your baby.
It is absolutely necessary that you understand your baby does not have a fully mature liver, and can have problems processing alcohol. This is important to note because the alcohol does in fact go through the mother’s bloodstream and into the breast milk, which of course can make your baby drowsy and effect the way he or she eats and sleeps. Also, a baby will receive less milk from the mother as well whenever alcohol is present in her system.
This is why it is strongly recommended that all nursing mothers do not drink on a daily basis, as this can severely prohibit the development of the baby.
Drinking While Breastfeeding
Again, it is still safe to have an occasional drink while you’re breastfeeding, but it is not a daily habit that you want to form. There are a few precautions you should take whenever you do decide to have a drink, however. The most important is timing how far apart your alcohol consumption is from the point that you will be nursing. To be on the safe side, you will want to wait at least three hours after having any alcohol, before you breast-feed your baby.
Also, to help lower the alcohol content in your bloodstream, it is a good idea to have a drink of water and a bite to eat along with your wine, beer, etc.
If your baby is sleeping through the night, then the perfect time to have your drink would be shortly after putting him or her to bed for the evening.
If you do decide to have more than one drink, say two glasses of wine when you are out celebrating the birth of your baby with your friends, you will need to wait at least five or six hours for the alcohol to leave your bloodstream.
Also please be aware that if you do consume more than one drink, it does increase your chances of becoming intoxicated which will severely hamper your ability to properly care for your baby.
How Much Alcohol Is Safe To Consume?
It is generally recommended by most experts that you limit your alcohol consumption to one or two drinks on a weekly basis.
Drinking Alcohol To Increase Breast Milk Production
If you are trying to increase your breast milk by drinking beer or other alcohol, please be aware that this is simply an old wives tale and is not true.
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