During pregnancy and lactation, mothers are advised to adhere to proper nutrition and drinking regimen. And what about alcohol? Can it pass into breast milk and harm the baby? We'll figure out.
Milk with alcohol
A nursing mother should know that ingested alcohol enters milk after 15 minutes. The concentration of alcohol in it is approximately 10 percent of that drunk by a woman.
This applies to all types of alcoholic beverages, including beer. Some believe that drinking beer while breastfeeding is not only not harmful, but even beneficial, since it allegedly helps to increase the amount of milk. Dangerous delusion!
Therefore, the correct answer to the question Can I drink alcohol for a breastfeeding mother??”: for the benefit of the health of the child, a nursing mother should not drink alcohol.
However, it is believed that alcohol in small quantities does not cause much harm to the baby. There are opinions that it is better to exclude alcohol completely before 6 months, but after 6 months, a nursing mother can safely drink a glass of weak wine at a festive feast.
Milk becomes pure again after purification of the blood from the decomposition products of ethanol. The speed of cleansing the body of alcohol depends on the strength of the alcoholic beverage and on the weight of the woman. It is important to know that while alcohol is in the blood, it will also enter the thoracic ducts. Pumping in this case will not help clean the milk of harmful substances.
Table: the rate of elimination of alcohol from the body
The effect of alcohol on a child
- The use of alcohol by the mother during breastfeeding causes a certain dependence in the child. The same applies to smoking. Nicotine changes the taste of milk.
- Together with milk, the baby consumes the harmful components of alcohol. And they harm the digestive and cardiovascular system of the baby.
- Alcohol abuse during breastfeeding leads to increased excitability and damage to the nervous system in infants. Or, on the contrary, to drowsiness and general weakness.
- Delayed mental development, motor development - all these are the consequences of alcohol addiction during feeding.
- Alcohol makes it difficult for milk to flow out of the breast, which harms lactation in general.
How to drink alcohol for a nursing mother?
Best of all - no way But if you still need it, then:
- Try to refrain from excessive alcohol consumption,
- Have a snack. On an empty stomach, alcohol is absorbed faster by the body.
- Feed the baby right before the feast.
- Express milk in advance and feed it to the baby during the feast (we advise you to separately study the topic of expressing and storing breast milk),
- Maintain the period between drinking alcoholic beverages and feeding, according to the table.
- Prefer soft drinks. They can also be poured into a beautiful glass and lifted in honor of the holiday.
To drink or not to drink is up to you. But, first of all, it is worth thinking about the health of a growing person. An extra glass of wine or a glass of vodka can cost your health. And what could be more important? 😉
Alcohol metabolism
There is ample evidence that drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects the development of the baby. Alcohol, being a teratogen, causes congenital anomalies. Unlike the risk of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, the risk of drinking alcohol while breastfeeding is not well understood.
However, more and more mothers want to skip a glass of wine or drink "literally a little beer" shortly after giving birth.
Alcohol passes into breast milk fairly quickly. On average, the maximum concentration is reached 30-60 minutes after consumption and then the level of alcohol in the blood decreases rapidly if the next dose is not received. Alcohol does not accumulate in breast milk: its level fluctuates with the mother's blood alcohol level.
The child receives only a fraction of the dose of alcohol that the mother consumed. It is believed that the dose of alcohol received by the child does not exceed 16% of the volume of alcohol drunk by the mother. It all depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. 16% from a glass of wine is not the same as 16% from half a liter of tequila. Alcohol is metabolized very quickly in the human body. For the average adult, blood alcohol levels drop by 15-20 milligrams every hour.
Breastfeeding mothers may occasionally drink alcoholic beverages, but they should be aware that they need to wait a certain amount of time before the next feeding. If the baby is still small, the intervals between feedings are less than 2 hours, then it is worth expressing milk before drinking alcohol. However, pumping is not always necessary. For example, a baby is already a year old, he rarely breastfeeds during the daytime, the period between feedings is on average about 3-4 hours. Mom drank a glass of wine at dinner. In this case, you can not express: it will be enough to refrain from breastfeeding for 2.5-3 hours. Alcohol passes into breast milk as its concentration in the blood increases. The decrease in the level of alcohol in breast milk also occurs in proportion to the decrease in the level of alcohol in the blood.
How does alcohol affect breast milk production?
Recent studies have shown that alcohol blocks the production of oxytocin by the pituitary gland. Milk is poorly separated, the child cannot get it. As a result, there may be a blockage of the milk duct, ineffective sucking and lack of saturation in the baby, restless behavior of the child under the breast. Some mothers may experience a decrease in milk production of more than 20%, while in others, alcohol completely suppresses the production of oxytocin.
How long after drinking alcohol can I breastfeed?
In most cases, they use averaged data on the withdrawal of alcohol from the body:
To drink or not to drink?
Only the mother can make this decision. Most breastfeeding mothers still consume alcoholic beverages in moderation. The American Academy of Pediatrics even considers that alcohol is conditionally compatible with breastfeeding. However, the long-term effects of alcohol on an infant are unknown.
What should a breastfeeding mother remember?
- Alcohol passes freely into breast milk
- One serving of alcohol means approximately 300 ml of low-alcohol beer, 150 ml of non-fortified wine or no more than 50 ml of liquor with a strength of 40%
- It takes about 2 hours for a woman weighing about 80 kg to completely break down one serving of alcohol.
- The level of alcohol in breast milk decreases as the level of alcohol in the blood falls.
- Alcohol is present in expressed milk and does not disappear anywhere. Better pour it out
- The maximum level of alcohol in breast milk is reached one hour after drinking.
- The blood alcohol level gradually drops. No additional measures, such as drinking water, coffee, tea, pumping, exercise, do not affect this process.
- Medications containing ethanol also increase blood alcohol levels
- If you plan to drink alcohol, then only pre-expressing breast milk will protect your baby from adverse effects.
Myths about alcohol and breastfeeding
Myth: Alcohol and drugs taken after the first trimester do not affect the fetus.
Fact: Most organ development is complete by 14 weeks of gestation. Brain development occurs throughout pregnancy and also after birth. Therefore, various substances can affect the baby's brain at any time during pregnancy.
Myth: Drinking beer leads to an increase in milk production in a breastfeeding woman.
Fact: Alcohol passes into breast milk. Studies have shown that the baby receives less milk if the mother drinks alcohol. Therefore, in fact, drinking beer leads to a decrease in milk production.
Myth: One sip of alcohol during pregnancy is enough to harm the baby.
Fact: No one knows what is the safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. However, it is unlikely that a single drink before you know you are pregnant will harm your baby. Avoid drinking alcohol when you know you are pregnant.
Myth: Breastfed babies sleep better after their mothers drink alcohol.
Facts: indeed, the period of falling asleep is reduced, but then there is a lack of deep sleep, during which the rest of the whole organism occurs. Alcohol affects the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness of the child, leading to a shorter sleep duration.
It is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy, although some expectant mothers periodically “pamper” themselves with a glass of champagne or a glass of beer. Even small amounts cannot be called harmless, but alcohol is no less dangerous during breastfeeding. What is the effect of alcohol on the body of a newborn baby?
The effect of alcohol on children
The fact that alcohol during breastfeeding is evil is understandable. But how big is it? Let's look at the main negative aspects:
- Problems with the nervous system- the baby will quickly fall asleep after he tastes his mother's milk with wine, beer or something stronger, but his sleep will be restless. If a nursing mother regularly drinks alcohol, her baby may experience delays in psychodevelopment.
- Drinking alcohol during breastfeeding affects the baby's heart- the frequency of contractions increases, weakness may appear.
- The digestive tract is also affected- hence colic, inflammation of the membranes of the intestines, esophagus, stomach, malabsorption of nutrients.
- Reduced milk production- Claims that beer improves "milkness" are a common fiction. At the same time, the taste of food deteriorates due to the alcohol content, and the baby may refuse the mother's breast.
- The constant use of alcoholic beverages in any dose by the mother causes addiction in the infant and, in severe cases, addiction.
As you can see, the consequences of regular alcohol consumption while breastfeeding are very serious, and every mother should be aware of them. In the case when the mother drinks alcohol rarely and in small quantities - there is no need to stop, although the negative impact of even small doses on a child cannot be ruled out.
Another reason why you should refrain from alcohol is that alcohol dulls the vigilance of the mother. A drunk woman can take the child with her to bed so that she can feed him at night without waking up. Sometimes tragedies happen - children choke, suffocate, get other injuries.
The most common myths about alcohol and breastfeeding
Myth 1 is the most common. Alcohol, and especially beer, promotes increased milk production.
The truth is the opposite - rather, on the contrary, milk enters the chest ducts with difficulty, inhibition of the natural processes of lactation is possible.
Myth 2 - a baby eats better if mom drank a little.
It just seems so - on average, a baby is malnourished by about a quarter of the norm, and if this happens all the time, you won’t have to wait long for a shortage in weight.
Myth 3 - the baby falls asleep quickly and sleeps soundly until the morning after a glass of mom's wine at dinner.
This is really possible if the nursing mother does not abuse, that is, she drinks only a couple of glasses of wine on major holidays about once every six months. In other cases, the normal sleep of the child is disturbed, it becomes more superficial.
Every woman who is breastfeeding will benefit from knowing that:
- Alcohol freely enters the milk, the concentration of ethyl reaches a maximum one hour after consumption (plus or minus). With relatively infrequent applications (for example, if the baby has already grown up), you can plan the time for drinking alcohol with minimal harm to the child's health;
- The neutralization of alcohol occurs in the liver, the speed of the processes depends on the amount and strength of the drink, the woman's body weight;
- Before you drink - better decant;
- Alcohol can be replaced with a quality soft drink;
- If the nursing mother did not calculate and “took on the breast” too much, it is better not to feed the baby until her condition returns to normal. In such cases, use formula milk or pre-expressed milk for feeding.
Detail:
- About wine (red, white, non-alcoholic) -
Stormy celebrations of the birth of a baby, numerous weddings of friends and relatives, anniversaries and anniversaries - all this is fraught with a hidden danger for a nursing mother. And it is in the use of alcohol.
Can a breastfeeding woman afford a small glass of wine, or is it better to refuse to drink alcohol during this period?
The answer of doctors is unequivocal - to refuse! Why? Judge for yourself:
Alcohol passes freely into breast milk, while its concentration in human milk reaches its maximum level approximately 30–60 minutes after consumption on an empty stomach or 60–90 minutes if consumed with food. According to studies, up to 10% of the alcohol consumed by a woman is present unchanged in her milk, and if the mother continues to breastfeed her child while intoxicated, the same alcohol enters the baby's body without hindrance!
Before you decide to drink a glass of wine, remember the following indisputable facts: firstly, alcohol appears in breast milk very quickly; secondly, the baby's body is not able to withstand the toxic effects of alcohol.
That is why a nursing mother should consider alcohol as a poisonous substance that can damage the tissues and organs of the baby. Most often, the brain suffers from its negative impact.
Unfortunately, some erroneous stereotypes associated with the intake of alcohol by a nursing woman are firmly rooted in the popular mind.
Thus, it is generally accepted that beer promotes lactation. This opinion is absolutely wrong! Numerous medical studies prove that alcohol suppresses lactation, and the higher the dose, the stronger the effect. Animal studies have shown that alcohol reduces the amount of milk and can make it taste bad. Therefore, do not be surprised if the baby refuses to drink "spoiled" milk containing alcohol impurities.
Does alcohol promote good sleep?
Another common stereotype is the notion that small doses of alcohol help a child sleep well. To understand that this is not so, consider the process of the effect of alcohol-containing drinks on the nervous system.
In a healthy person, a single use of alcohol causes a state of euphoria, which is then replaced by depression of the central nervous system. The period of falling asleep is reduced, however, sleep is characterized by a faster change of stages, there is a lack of deep sleep. As a result, a person who has taken alcohol before going to bed cannot fully rest.
That is why, the opinion that a baby whose mother took alcohol and then breastfed him will sleep better is a delusion: the child will really fall asleep quickly, but the sleep will be restless, the baby will often wake up and cry.
The influence of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract of the baby is also unsafe. As a result of damage to the protective layer by ethanol, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach, intestines (esophagitis, gastritis, enteritis) can develop, which is accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, lack of appetite; the baby may have colic. Alcohol easily damages the villi of the small intestine, resulting in impaired absorption of nutrients, vitamins, trace elements, and water.
Small doses of alcohol cause a decrease in blood pressure, an increase in heart rate, and the development of general weakness.
Drinking alcohol during breastfeeding can adversely affect the development of a child's motor skills, and the effect is stronger, the larger and more regular the dose of alcohol taken.
In addition, it is important to note that expressing milk after a woman has drunk alcohol does not make sense. Alcohol freely passes from the milk back into the mother's bloodstream, and from the bloodstream again penetrates into breast milk. The concentration of alcohol in milk decreases only as it decreases in the blood. Since alcohol is not “fixed” in milk, pumping is useless. In addition, pumping, drinking plenty of water, resting, or drinking coffee do not help to eliminate alcohol from the body more quickly. Everything depends solely on the speed of metabolic processes, additional stimulation of which not only does not make sense, but can also cause additional harm to the baby.
In such a situation, it is better to be guided by a simple and reliable rule: “You cannot breastfeed your child until the mother is completely sober!”. As a rule, it occurs 5-7 hours after drinking alcohol. For this reason, the mother should refrain from drinking alcohol while breastfeeding; do not feed the baby earlier than 5 hours after drinking alcoholic beverages!
Alcohol and adequacy
It should also be noted that the state of intoxication of the mother is dangerous for the child, not only from the point of view of the ingress of alcohol into milk. A drunk mother (like any other drunk person looking after a child) may have inappropriate behavior, cannot give the child appropriate attention, may inadvertently injure or cripple the child due to poor coordination of movements.
If you still could not deprive yourself of the pleasure of having a glass or two, ask reliable and sober relatives and friends to look after the crumbs. And before you decide to drink another glass, ask yourself what is more expensive for you: a few hours of dubious pleasure or the life of a little dear little man? I think the conclusion is clear...
It's my 30th birthday on Saturday. And I want to celebrate this sad date (although the mother-in-law said that the fourth decade is when you are 31 ...) The whole catch is that I breastfeed and I don’t want to harm my son. Therefore, I began to look for information on the Internet - I was interested in how long alcohol would leave the body ... And I came across an interesting article.
Please - do not write to me about immorality, I'm good.
And here is the article:
How can the use of alcohol by a nursing mother affect the health of the child? What are the safe limits for drinking while breastfeeding?
Numerous studies have proven with a high degree of accuracy that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to serious consequences and endanger the health of the unborn child. The risk associated with the use of alcohol during breastfeeding has been less proven and therefore there is currently no single definite point of view on this problem. As always in such situations, the lack of consensus among specialists has created favorable conditions for the emergence of a number of myths, severe restrictions and dangerous liberties. In this article, we will try to provide a critical description of the problem of alcohol consumption during breastfeeding and outline the "safe limits" of alcohol consumption by breastfeeding mothers.
What you need to know about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding
Alcohol freely passes into breast milk. The concentration of alcohol in breast milk reaches its maximum level approximately 30-60 minutes after consumption on an empty stomach, or 60-90 minutes if alcohol is consumed with food.
Alcohol detoxification occurs in the liver. The rate of alcohol neutralization depends mainly on the weight of the person and the strength of the drink. For example, if a woman weighs 54 kg, then her body will need approximately 2-3 hours to completely remove the alcohol contained in 1 serving of wine (150 ml) or beer (330 ml) from the body. If a woman consumes stronger drinks, her body will take longer to excrete the same amount of alcohol. For example, if a woman weighs 54 kg and drank 1 serving of vodka or cognac (45 ml), her body will need up to 13 hours to completely remove all alcohol from the body. In this regard, breastfeeding mothers are advised to avoid or dilute the consumption of hard alcoholic beverages.
How can alcohol affect a child?
The effect of alcohol on a breastfed child is directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed. The use of alcoholic beverages during breastfeeding is considered safe for the baby if the nursing mother drinks alcohol occasionally and limits the amount of alcohol consumed to 1 serving per day or less (1 serving is considered to be about 45 ml of cognac, 150 ml of wine or 330 ml of beer) . In case of excessive alcohol consumption, the following changes in the child's behavior are possible.
With a single drink of alcohol:
- Lethargy, drowsiness
-Deep dream
-Weakness
For chronic alcohol abuse:
-Lack of weight gain
- Delayed psychomotor development
-Also, it is possible to reduce the amount of milk and slow down the sucking reflex in the child.
Most breastfeeding medical organizations do not insist on the need to completely abstain from drinking alcohol while breastfeeding for two reasons:
First, under the above conditions, the amount of alcohol that enters the milk is very low and cannot harm the baby.
Secondly, a complete ban on drinking alcohol while breastfeeding most often leads to too early termination of feeding (rather than giving up alcohol), which, of course, is not recommended. A complete ban on alcohol is just one more of the many unnecessary restrictions imposed on breastfeeding mothers.
Some studies have shown that beer can increase the level of prolactin in the mother's blood and increase the amount of milk produced by the mammary glands. However, it should be noted that the beer itself, and not the ethanol (alcohol) contained in it, can have such an effect, so you should not abuse beer to increase lactation. If desired, you can drink non-alcoholic beer.
What should you pay attention to?
Child's age:
The liver of a newborn child is underdeveloped, so at this age the child is more susceptible to the negative effects of alcohol.
Up to about 3 months, a child's body is able to neutralize alcohol twice as slowly as an adult's body. Children older than 3 months usually digest alcohol well.
Your weight:
The rate of processing and excretion of alcohol from the body depends on the weight of the person.
A person with more weight is able to neutralize alcohol faster than a person who weighs less.
Amount of alcohol:
The effect of alcohol on a child's condition directly depends on the amount of alcohol consumed.
The more alcohol consumed, the longer it will take for it to be eliminated from the mother's body.
Drink strength:
The stronger the drink (the concentration of alcohol contained in it is higher), the longer it will take to remove it from the body.
Drinking alcohol with food:
Drinking alcohol with food reduces its absorption in the intestines.
Should I Express Milk After Drinking Alcohol?
Alcohol freely passes out of the milk back into the mother's bloodstream, so there is no point in expressing milk after drinking alcohol. The concentration of alcohol in milk decreases as its concentration in the blood decreases. Since alcohol is not “fixed” in milk, expressing milk is useless. In addition, pumping, drinking plenty of water, resting, or drinking coffee do not help to eliminate alcohol from the body more quickly.
What if I get drunk?
In such situations, you should be guided by the rule:
You can not breastfeed until you are completely sober. If you do not feel drunk, then the concentration of alcohol in your milk does not pose a danger to the child.
It should be noted that the state of intoxication of the mother is dangerous for the child, not only from the point of view of the ingress of alcohol into milk. A drunk mother (like any other drunk person looking after a child) may have inappropriate behavior, may not give the child adequate attention, may inadvertently injure the child (due to poor coordination of movements), may fall and crush him or fall asleep, leaving the child without supervision. Be careful and never drink alcohol if at this time a person who is in a sober state cannot look after the child.
Assessing the risk of drinking while breastfeeding
Many breastfeeding mothers are sometimes in a situation where they want to drink a little, but they are afraid of harming the baby. If you are concerned about the possible risks of alcohol entering your baby's body through your milk, you may want to consider the following options:
1) You can express and prepare the required amount of milk for your baby in advance to avoid breastfeeding immediately after drinking alcohol.
2) You can schedule the moment of drinking in such a way that you have the opportunity not to feed for 2-3 hours (in the case of drinking 1 serving of wine or beer) - for example, drink at night, after the evening feeding of the child.
3) If your breasts are full, but you are not going to feed yet, then express some milk until you feel relieved to prevent lactostasis and mastitis.
The article is taken from the site www.polismed.ru