It is well known that there is a certain relationship between the diet of a nursing mother and the condition of the child. Everything she ate or drank enters the child’s body through milk.

Some mothers refuse alcohol for the entire period of lactation, others, trying to relax, occasionally allow themselves one hundred grams of cognac or vodka, a mug of beer, a glass of wine or champagne.

That’s why you should figure out how compatible alcohol and breastfeeding are, how alcohol affects a newborn baby, and whether it’s even possible to drink “safely.”

According to statistics, every seventh mother who gives her child milk drinks alcohol. A woman who allows herself a glass of beer or a glass of cognac in the company of friends believes that she is not harming her baby.

We are not discussing cases of developed dependence on alcohol and what the consequences are for the child’s body from maternal alcoholism. Everything is already very clear.

In general, there are several different views of healthy mothers on the question that worries many - can breastfeeding women drink:

1. Alcohol is a taboo during planning, the period of gestation, after childbirth and the entire period of natural breastfeeding.
2. Drinking alcohol (beer, cocktails, low-alcohol drinks) during breastfeeding is acceptable if you drink occasionally and in minimal dosages.
3. A nursing mother can “enjoy” alcohol if she follows safe drinking techniques.

Which opinion is more reasoned, it’s up to you to decide after reading the article, but for now you should consider the numerous myths and speculations surrounding nursing mothers and alcoholic beverages.

• Myth No. 1. Beer improves lactation. Some “well-wishers”, having offered a nursing mother a glass of beer, convince that it affects the volume of milk. Probably, this opinion was formed due to the fact that after consuming this foamy drink, the child more often asks for the breast, that is, the number of meals increases. Scientists have proven that, despite the increase in the frequency of feedings after beer, the total volume of milk is reduced by 25%. This means you can’t drink beer to improve lactation.
• Myth No. 2. Alcohol helps a child fall asleep. Often, nursing mothers are advised to drink a glass of beer or a glass of weak wine before evening feeding so that the baby can sleep well all night. However, American scientists have refuted this misconception, finding that maternal consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to the opposite effect. At first, the child, having eaten the “drunk” milk, feels light, then little by little he begins to fall asleep. But these dreams are short, shallow, and there are no resting phases during which the baby could regain strength. And the duration of sleep in a child who has drunk “drunk” milk is significantly shorter than in a child who has consumed a healthy product without additives.
• Myth No. 3. Alcohol does not change the taste of milk. A nursing mother who takes this opinion for granted is certainly mistaken. Many foods and drinks, including those containing alcohol, change the taste and composition of breast milk. If a nursing mother enjoys a glass of beer or drinks 100 grams of strong drink before breastfeeding, the baby often refuses milk that has become unusual.
• Myth #4: Expressing reduces the alcohol content of your milk. There is little logic in such actions, since alcohol is not able to accumulate in mother’s milk. This substance, penetrating into the bloodstream, with its help enters the mammary glands, and then, having completed a “circle,” returns to the blood again. That is, it is useless to express the “intoxicating” product, since this will not reduce the alcohol in the milk. In this regard, it is useless to drink large amounts of liquids - tea or water.
• Myth No. 5. Severe intoxication of the mother does not pose a danger to the child. Naturally, with excessive libations, the alcohol in milk exceeds all reasonable limits, which is fraught with big problems for the baby. In addition, “several times a hundred” significantly slows down the reaction time of a nursing mother to various stimuli. The baby turns around, tries to get up in a crib or stroller, grabs onto potentially dangerous objects - all this requires speed and attention from the mother. The consequences of a mother’s insufficiently quick reaction can be disastrous.
• Myth No. 6. Alcohol in minimal doses can relieve stress in nursing mothers after childbirth. An absolutely unfounded statement, since ethyl alcohol can only increase depression, including that occurring after childbirth. In addition, the body of a newborn baby is not able to cope with the toxic effects of alcohol that reaches it through milk. The damage will be caused, first of all, to the immature children's liver.

Domestic doctors are convinced that alcohol is unacceptable during breastfeeding. Nursing mothers are categorically not recommended, and sometimes simply prohibited, from drinking alcohol during breastfeeding. Many medicines containing alcohol are prohibited.

Restrictions also apply to some foods and dishes (for example, you cannot eat seafood, citrus fruits and overly “smelly” vegetables). That is, a woman who has strictly decided to follow all the rules is deprived of certain things for a long time, including alcohol.

Meanwhile, American pediatricians and La Leche League experts (an international organization to support nursing mothers) are not so categorical. In their opinion, breastfeeding women can drink alcohol in small quantities, but they should not get carried away and need to know the time frame for removing alcohol from the body.

Who is right? There is no definite answer, since, despite the arch-importance of the problem, significant experiments and studies have not yet been carried out. On the one hand, scientists recognize that addiction to alcohol harms the child. On the other hand, doctors are not convinced that a glass of beer or a glass of sparkling wine will cause irreversible consequences.

What is certain are the following medical facts that every breastfeeding mother should know.

The more “appetizing forms” a nursing mother has, the sooner alcohol will leave the blood and milk.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Pediatrician Komarovsky often answers questions from nursing mothers regarding the use of beer and other alcoholic beverages. The doctor has a mixed opinion about vodka, but he does not prohibit beer.

Moreover, Komarovsky is convinced that a high-quality product can even bring benefits and not harm, since beer contains:

• natural ingredients (barley malt, brewer's yeast);
• vitamins.

However, you should not get carried away with the foamy drink, since beer contains alcohol, various preservatives and other ingredients that are not harmless to the child.

The pediatrician advises breastfeeding women to choose alternative options. For example, if mom wants to drink beer, you can choose a product that does not contain alcohol. And it’s better to buy it not in a tin can, but in a bottle.

Consequences for the child

A nursing mother who wants to drink one hundred grams or a glass of beer should understand that alcoholic drinks during lactation can cause significant harm to the baby.

If the mother infrequently drinks alcohol, the child may experience undesirable symptoms such as fatigue, drowsiness, and respiratory depression. If the mother is excessively addicted to alcohol, the negative consequences will be much more serious.

1. As a result of excessive alcohol consumption by the mother, the baby becomes lethargic and apathetic. The child seems to fall asleep quickly, but wakes up just as quickly. In addition, alcoholic drinks found in the milk of nursing mothers have a negative effect on the nervous system, as a result of which the baby becomes too excitable and nervous.
2. Regular consumption of alcohol by the mother (one hundred grams of strong drinks, beer) increases the child’s heart rate. Mom probably won’t like it if the baby’s blood pressure drops, lethargy, shortness of breath, or, at best, just a reluctance to play.
3. Beer and one hundred grams of cognac, which a nursing mother consumes during lactation, causes negative consequences associated with the digestive system. That is, due to unformed microflora, a child can expect attacks of colic and a deterioration in the absorption of beneficial components of milk. If the mother drinks constantly, the child will begin to gain weight poorly and will begin to lag behind his peers in psychophysical development.
4. Alcohol in the milk of a nursing mother causes negative consequences throughout the body, including the child’s liver. This organ in a child is immature, so it cannot cope with ethanol, which passes from a glass of beer into milk.
5. The intensity of ethyl alcohol processing in infants is several times lower than in a nursing mother. The breakdown product of ethanol leaves the child's body extremely slowly, so the consequences can be extremely undesirable - even poisoning. Such a threat is quite real, since in addition to ethyl alcohol, alcohol contains other not entirely useful components - phenol and acetaldehyde.
6. An extra hundred grams of alcohol consumed by a nursing mother has a negative impact on lactation. Alcohol inhibits the activity of the nervous system of nursing mothers, due to which the volume of prolactin, the hormone responsible for breast milk, decreases. In addition, ethanol narrows the milk ducts, that is, the feeding process becomes difficult, and the baby’s sucking of the breast becomes painful.
7. By drinking vodka and other strong alcoholic drinks, a nursing mother can accidentally cause addiction in her child. The influence of alcohol on a child’s body is much stronger, that is, we can expect that alcohol will be a kind of drug for the child, without which he will feel worse.

The above consequences for the child will become more noticeable if the nursing mother drinks strong alcoholic drinks. If a parent allows herself to drink one hundred grams almost every day, then the harm will only increase.

Many nursing mothers are interested in whether it is possible to drink vodka, beer, champagne during the lactation period? If possible, then how to neutralize their negative qualities and avoid high alcohol content in breast milk?

Let us repeat once again: domestic doctors are against the use of alcohol by a nursing mother. American pediatricians are more loyal to alcoholic beverages. Thus, Professor Thomas Hale allows the mother to drink beer or wine and give milk as soon as she begins to feel “normal.”

The scientist advises breastfeeding women to follow certain rules for drinking alcohol during the lactation period.

In addition, doctors warn that it is impossible to remove ethanol from breast milk. Neither sorbent substances, nor a large volume of liquid, nor other means can speed up this process. The milk will become useful again as soon as the alcohol breaks down and is eliminated from the mother’s body.

Breastfeeding women need to decide for themselves whether to drink and how much alcohol to sip. However, a mother who is preparing for a feast should prepare in order to protect her child from all sorts of troubles. How to do it?

Alcoholic drinks are not the best “friends” of nursing women. Naturally, no one can prohibit a mother from drinking alcohol, but when she drinks another hundred grams, she should be prepared for possible negative consequences for the child’s health. Thus, wine or beer are completely optional products in the diet of a nursing mother.

Hello, I am Nadezhda Plotnikova. Having successfully completed her studies at SUSU as a specialized psychologist, she devoted several years to working with children with developmental problems and consulting parents on issues of raising children. I use the experience gained, among other things, in creating articles of a psychological nature. Of course, I in no way claim to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my articles will help dear readers deal with any difficulties.

Everything that enters the body of a nursing mother passes along with the milk to her baby. But this does not stop modern women, and they begin to drink strong drinks during lactation. What are the effects of alcohol while breastfeeding? What consequences can alcohol cause?

Female alcoholism is very dangerous, since even the birth of a baby cannot stop a woman from drinking. To the question “Does alcohol pass into breast milk?” the answer is unequivocal - yes. Therefore, the decision to continue breastfeeding rests entirely with the mother.

What happens in the body when alcohol passes into breast milk? During lactation, ethyl alcohol is absorbed and excreted from the body differently than always. How long does it take for alcohol to pass into breast milk? The concentration of ethyl alcohol reaches its peak after 60-90 minutes. If the alcohol was drunk on an empty stomach, then in this case the time is reduced to 30-40 minutes. Alcohol is absorbed quickly, but it is removed from the body, on the contrary, slowly.

The process of removing alcohol from breast milk occurs at the same time as removing it from the blood. Cleansing time depends on several factors:

• body weight;
• age;
• amount drunk;
• strength of booze.

It is not recommended to drink alcohol when feeding your baby. Ethanol has a negative effect on the infant's central nervous system. Possible negative consequences cannot be predicted. Ethanol affects each newborn differently. The child may experience nervousness, irritation, or, conversely, lethargy and weakness.

A baby who has tasted breast milk containing alcohol will quickly fall asleep. Sleep will be restless. Regular drinking will lead to a delay in his mental development.

Can you drink alcohol during lactation? Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. It does not allow the heart to function fully, so after feeding the baby may experience difficulty breathing. In addition to its effect on the cardiovascular system, ethyl alcohol also affects the child’s gastrointestinal tract. If the mother regularly consumes it, it can provoke an attack of colic in the newborn. Ethanol also reduces the rate of absorption of nutrients in the intestine.

Alcohol during lactation

The effect of ethanol on a breastfed baby directly depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. If when feeding a baby under 1 year old, then drinking alcohol is strictly taboo. If the children are older, drinking alcohol is allowed in small quantities.

How long after drinking can you feed your baby? Drinking low-alcohol drinks is allowed three hours before feeding. Strong alcohol (vodka, cognac or whiskey) must be avoided until the end of breastfeeding.

Do I need to express milk? The alcohol concentration in breast milk does not depend on whether it has been expressed or not. When ethanol is removed from the blood, its concentration in milk also drops. There are no effective ways to reduce ethanol levels after drinking. Therefore, if you plan to drink, you can feed the baby before the planned event. You can also pump your breasts in advance. This milk should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.

How and when you can feed your child after drinking alcohol, a woman can calculate on her own using a table that takes into account the woman’s body weight, the strength of the drink and the time of drinking it.

Is it possible to drink beer during lactation? Despite the fact that this is a low-alcohol drink, it is still not recommended for use while breastfeeding. A nursing mother is allowed to drink beer if her child is over one year old. Malt and hops contain B vitamins and other substances beneficial to the body. If you drink it in moderate doses, it will have a beneficial effect on metabolism and also increase stress resistance.

Beer drink stimulates milk production. Drinking a glass of unfiltered intoxicating drink with sour cream at night will make milk rich in calories and satisfying. However, the famous Doctor Komarovsky does not recommend using this method of increasing lactation. You can stimulate lactation using safe folk recipes.

How long does it take for alcohol to dissipate after drinking a glass? Ethanol will dissipate within 1-1.5. When increasing the dose, the time must be doubled. However, the lower the mother's weight, the longer it will take for ethanol to disappear from breast milk. It is best to replace beer with a healthier drink, such as kefir or kvass.

Can I drink wine? Red and white wine in small doses is good for the cardiovascular system. But during lactation, the main risk is associated with the fact that wine contains ethanol, so it is better to replace a glass of wine with something healthy, for example, pomegranate. If desired, you can drink non-alcoholic wine. During the production process, ethyl alcohol is removed from the drink by evaporation.

Nonalcoholic beer

Can a nursing mother drink non-alcoholic beer? If the baby is no more than two months old, then drinking non-alcoholic beer is prohibited. This is due to the fact that the baby’s digestive system is not yet formed. Even a couple of sips can cause colic and sleepless nights.

At the age of 2 to 6 months, colic bothers the baby less. The diet of a nursing woman is gradually replenished with new products. Their choice should be approached with extreme caution, since the baby may be allergic to some foods, and drinking alcohol will only aggravate the situation. To avoid serious complications, it is not recommended for a nursing mother to drink non-alcoholic beer.

Is it possible to drink non-alcoholic beer between 6 and 9 months of age? At this age, mothers begin to introduce the first complementary foods, so after drinking alcohol, the baby may develop a rash or redness.

Children aged 9 months and older are allowed to drink only high-quality “zero” beer. Non-alcoholic beer during breastfeeding stimulates the production of the hormone prolactin and also has a calming effect on the mother and her baby.

In order for mother's milk to be beneficial for the baby, harmful foods, especially alcohol, must be excluded from her diet. Alcohol during breastfeeding has a detrimental effect not only on the health of the mother, but also her baby. A woman must decide for herself whether to drink alcohol or not during lactation.

Alcohol while breastfeeding can harm the baby. Especially when drinking large doses of alcohol. It is harmful to drink even one glass of wine. This can be permitted in extreme cases and subject to all the rules of feeding a baby. Alcohol abuse is unacceptable for young mothers.

Does alcohol pass into breast milk and in what quantity?

After drinking alcohol, ethanol immediately enters the bloodstream. It passes into breast milk in the same way. In the latter, traces of alcohol can be detected within 30 minutes. But regular drinking can stop the breastfeeding process.

The percentage of ethyl alcohol entering the mammary gland ducts is determined individually. It depends on the woman’s weight and the speed of her metabolic processes in the body. Typically milk contains no more than 10% alcohol. In case of metabolic disorders - up to 20%. In any case, ethanol comes from breast milk to the baby.

Effect on mother, milk and baby

A large amount of alcohol can stop breastfeeding for several reasons:

• impact on hormonal levels - suppression of the production of oxytocin, which is responsible for the process of breastfeeding;
• difficulty draining milk from the mammary glands;
• the appearance of the smell and taste of alcohol, unpleasant to the baby;
• A baby’s refusal to eat another meal due to a change in the taste of milk provokes stagnation and lactation disorders.

Pediatrician: a baby who refuses milk due to a change in its taste tries to suckle at the breast, but often cries and is capricious. Sometimes he may even give up trying to eat. This is also possible when a woman smokes.

Negative consequences for a child after drinking alcohol by a nursing mother:

• failure of the digestive process - intestinal colic;
• increased load on the cardiovascular system;
• slowdown in physical and mental development;
• the emergence of alcohol dependence due to maternal alcoholism.

Ethanol causes irreparable harm to the baby. This also applies during pregnancy. Frequent consumption of alcohol with milk negatively affects children's health. Such children get sick more often and develop chronic diseases. Infants under three months of age who are exposed to ethanol during feeding may experience poisoning or severe intoxication.

How long after drinking can you breastfeed?

The more alcohol a woman drinks, the longer the alcohol lasts and leaves the body. Strong drinks take a long time to process even in small quantities. One glass of wine is neutralized in 3-4 hours. After drinking beer in the same volume, you can breastfeed without consequences for the baby after 3 hours. Cognac, vodka, cocktails with a high degree of alcohol are eliminated for at least 10 hours.

It is not recommended to feed the baby during the entire period of presence of alcohol in the mother’s body. At this time, it is better to switch to artificial mixtures. This is considered the best alternative to breastfeeding, especially after drinking alcohol, while the body renews itself.

Alcohol from mother's milk has less effect on children after one year of age. But it is not recommended for mothers to feed them immediately after the feast. In this case, it is better to wait until alcohol is completely eliminated from the body. At this time, the child can get enough of cereals, purees and fruits.

If it is necessary for the mother to take an alcoholic drink, the following rules should be followed:

• drinking only high-quality alcohol;
• give preference to white wines, red ones can cause allergies in the baby;
• refusal of strong drinks - they take a long time to leave the body;
• you should always have a snack;
• expressing milk a few hours after drinking alcohol;
• drinking a minimum amount of drinks;
• self-control - do not allow intoxication;
• Pre-expressing milk before the feast will provide the baby with food without the need to use formula.

Ethanol remains in milk from 30 minutes to several hours. You can determine exactly how long it takes for it to completely erode using a special table. To do this, the mother needs to know her weight, the exact volume of the drink drunk and its degree. While ethanol is being eliminated from the body, you need to drink as much clean water as possible. This will reduce the content of harmful substances in the blood. Otherwise, all alcohol is transferred to the baby with the first feeding.

Expressing milk after alcohol

Expressing milk after drinking alcohol is allowed. This helps reduce the concentration of ethanol and speed up its exit from the body. The best option is to repeat pumping until the substance is completely eliminated. After drinking wine, you need to carry out the procedure for the last time after 3-4 hours, after stronger drinks - after 10-12 hours.

Even expressing once a short period of time after a feast will reduce the alcohol content in the milk. As a result, fewer harmful substances will enter the baby’s body. This rule does not apply if you drink a large amount of alcohol or drink strong drinks.

Common Myths

There are many myths about drinking alcohol during lactation. All of these statements are incorrect. Any amount of ethanol is harmful to both the mother and the child.

The myth about beer and lactation

A glass of beer (including non-alcoholic) helps enhance lactation! Beer has a completely different effect. It reduces the amount of milk, resulting in the baby being latched to the breast more often. For some women, this is a signal that the taste of milk is improving and its volume is increasing. In fact, this is caused by insufficient lactation and incomplete saturation of the child.

The myth about how quickly a baby falls asleep

A glass of wine at night will help your child sleep soundly! The reason for this phenomenon is the intoxication of the baby. Under the influence of alcohol, he feels light and drowsy, after which he quickly falls asleep. At the same time, the quality of sleep leaves much to be desired - the child sees short dreams, with no resting phases between them. In this case, strength is not restored.

Pediatrician: You can improve your child’s sleep with folk remedies. A decoction of valerian or soothing essential oils is best. It is prohibited to use alcohol for these purposes.

The myth about stress relief after childbirth

Ethanol entering the blood of a nursing mother can only briefly improve mood. It can also have the opposite effect—increasing the manifestation of depression. Regular consumption of alcohol to relieve stress after childbirth can lead to alcoholism and cause irreparable harm to the child.

Everyone knows that women should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages during lactation, just as during pregnancy. Although some argue that alcohol does not pass into mother's breast milk, and children can safely drink mother's milk. On the Internet, in various forums, you can find such advice as “improved lactation occurs by drinking a glass of red wine or beer daily.” Let's figure out whether you can drink alcohol while breastfeeding. How does drinking alcoholic beverages affect a woman’s health and the baby’s health? What rules must be followed when drinking alcohol during lactation.

The main harm of any alcoholic drink is the ethyl alcohol it contains. Much research has been conducted on the topic of its effect on the human body. As a result, scientists came to the following conclusions:

• One of the components of human blood is red blood cells - erythrocytes. Under the influence of alcohol, they stick together and form blood clots in the vessels, which leads to a stroke.
• Under the influence of alcohol, neural connections in the human brain are destroyed, which entails memory impairment, decreased intelligence, and degradation.
• alcohol slows down the production of endorphins - pleasure hormones. When alcohol enters the body, endorphins are released in quantities much higher than normal. The body's hormonal system strives to bring this amount to normal and reduces the natural level of endorphin production. As a result, some time after drinking alcohol, you can experience a decline in mood and apathy.
• Ethyl alcohol kills the natural intestinal microflora, which means it leads to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Alcohol inhibits the natural defense systems of the human body, which leads to a decrease in immunity and increases susceptibility to disease.

The effect of alcohol on the mother's body

Alcoholic drinks also have a detrimental effect on the mother's body. Women's bodies are more susceptible to alcohol, and the effects of alcohol on it are more destructive.
In addition to all of the above, alcohol penetrates the blood and is easily absorbed into tissues, having a negative effect on the female reproductive system.

Alcohol is quickly absorbed into the mucous membrane of the entire esophagus. Then it enters the gastrointestinal tract in large volumes. And it easily passes into mother's breast milk. Knowing this, almost all mothers exclude alcohol from their diet during not only pregnancy, but also breastfeeding. After all, if a nursing woman drinks an alcohol-containing drink (even a low-alcohol one), the alcohol content in her milk will be almost the same as in her blood.

The effect of alcohol on a child's body

When drinking alcohol, every mother should remember that it, first of all, harms the health of her child:

• Alcohol in breast milk negatively affects the baby's nervous system. If your child drinks milk that contains alcohol, he or she may become tired. His sleep will be restless, and the baby will constantly twitch. If a woman drinks alcohol regularly, the child will lag behind in development;
• Drinking alcoholic beverages by a nursing mother will harm the baby’s cardiovascular system. This provokes an increase in heart rate, which leads to weakness in the baby’s body and a decrease in blood pressure in the child;
• gastrointestinal problems will appear. Alcohol provokes inflammation of the lining of the esophagus and stomach;
• Systematic alcohol consumption by the mother can lead to retarded physical development in the baby.

Myths about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding

Myth No. 1. Many women claim that you can drink alcohol and still feed your baby breast milk. According to some young ladies, beer helps improve lactation. Scientists have proven that alcoholic drinks, on the contrary, reduce milk production. And the result is that the baby is malnourished and begins to lose weight.

Myth No. 2: Alcohol can be consumed by a nursing mother in small quantities to relieve stress after childbirth. The best cure for stress is breastfeeding. After all, when feeding a child, the mother’s body produces the hormone oxytocin, which affects the psycho-emotional sphere. It reduces feelings of anxiety, causes a favorable attitude towards life, and strengthens the mother’s attachment to the child.

Drinking alcohol-containing drinks during lactation is dangerous for the baby, especially in the first three months of the baby’s life. At this time, all the main organs of the baby are formed. Even if a woman drinks one glass, it can negatively affect the child's health. But if you do drink an alcoholic drink during lactation, you must follow several rules.

If a nursing mother wants to drink a little alcohol, but at the same time minimize harm to the baby, then she can express breast milk before drinking alcohol. And feed the baby with expressed milk from a bottle.

You can feed your baby immediately after drinking alcohol, then the alcohol will not have time to pass into breast milk. And by the next feeding, provided that the mother drank a little, the alcohol will have already been removed from the blood, which means it will not be in the milk.

For example, if a nursing woman weighing 65 kg drinks two glasses of weak beer, then breastfeeding the baby can only be done after the alcohol has been completely removed from the blood. The alcohol withdrawal time is approximately 3 hours.

In general, breastfeeding and alcohol are incompatible things, so you should not drink alcohol during lactation, because nothing is more important than the health of the child.

A nursing mother, caring for the health of her baby, always carefully monitors what she eats, drinks, and what medications she takes. Sometimes she does this intuitively, and sometimes she relies on the recommendations of doctors. However, there are situations in which even an experienced mother does not know what to do.

One of these issues is alcohol during breastfeeding. The lack of clear information, coupled with common misconceptions, leads to nursing mothers making mistakes. We’ll talk about the effect of alcoholic beverages on breast milk and baby’s health in this article.

From this article you will learn:

No matter how harsh it may sound, but a woman and alcohol - incompatible concepts. Numerous scientific studies conducted in different countries of the world have shown that ethyl alcohol, which is part of any strong drink, is a powerful neurotropic poison. In other words, it is a substance that kills nerve cells.

Ethanol is especially dangerous for pregnant women; it easily penetrates the fetus through the placenta, causing defects that are incompatible with life or leading to severe disability. Children born to mothers who abused alcohol while pregnant have a lower level of mental and intellectual development.

These facts should be enough for a woman, no matter what her situation, to definitely say “no” to alcohol.

Breastfeeding and strong drinks

Until now, unfortunately, there have been no large domestic studies on the penetration of alcohol into breast milk and its effect on the baby. The works of foreign scientists are not always freely available and most often are not presented in translation.

Therefore, nursing mothers who strive to find reliable information very often find themselves in difficulty. Adding to the intensity of passions is the widespread method of increasing lactation among the older generation - with the help of “live” beer and the opinion that the baby becomes calm if he is fed with the breast milk of a mother who has allowed herself a couple of glasses of wine.

What effect does alcohol actually have while breastfeeding? Below we will present reliable facts, and each mother will decide for herself what to do.

Alcohol in breast milk: circulation features

It has been scientifically proven that alcohol passes into breast milk, and its concentration in it corresponds to the approximate concentration of ethyl alcohol in the blood. Its maximum content in milk is detected 0.5-1 hour after consumption on an empty stomach and 1-1.5 hours if the strong drink was taken after a meal.

Complete purification of breast milk from traces of alcohol occurs simultaneously with the purification of blood from it, and its speed depends on the woman’s body weight. The more mommy weighs, the faster alcohol will be removed from her blood and breast milk.

For the convenience of calculations, the international scientific community has adopted a system of “drinks”. One drink = 15 ml of pure ethyl alcohol.

The table shows the ratios between the most common alcoholic drinks and 1 drink.

That is, 1 “drink” is equal to 1 glass of vodka, 1 glass of table wine or 1 mug of beer.

Depending on how many servings a woman drinks (number of drinks in 1 hour) and her body weight, you can calculate how long it will take for the blood and breast milk to be completely cleared of the presence of alcohol. The calculation results are presented in the table.

For example, if a woman weighing 59 kg drinks one glass of beer, then her milk will become completely safe for the baby after 2 hours 24 minutes. But if mommy has 83.9 kg, her body will process the same amount of ethyl alcohol in 1 hour and 59 minutes.

Expressing does not affect the rate at which breast milk is cleared of alcohol. The milk that replaces the expressed milk will have the same concentration of ethanol until its level drops in the blood itself.

The effect of alcohol in mother's milk on the baby

As we already said, ethyl alcohol is a strong poison, and its effect is manifested even at low concentrations. If a nursing mother drinks strong drinks every day, for example, drinks a bottle of beer in the evenings, and, without waiting for the “cleansing period,” breastfeeds the baby, then the level of ethanol may be enough to cause a delay in motor development and poor weight gain.

If the mother is very drunk and breastfeeds the baby in this state, this will cause the baby to fall into deep sleep, lethargy, lethargy, decreased reflexes, and constipation.

Alcohol during breastfeeding inhibits milk production, which further leads to underweight and developmental delays. Thus, the statement that beer stimulates lactation not true.

Ethyl alcohol in breast milk leads to the development of a “dependency” effect in the baby; he is more often attached to the breast, but sucks sluggishly and little.

The speed at which alcohol is eliminated from a child’s body directly depends on his age: the younger the baby, the longer it takes. In addition, newborn children do not have a sufficiently developed ethanol detoxification system in the liver, and therefore are at greater risk than babies older than 3 months.

How to reduce the risk?

If, despite everything, a nursing mother still decides to drink an alcoholic drink, then there are several techniques that will help avoid adverse consequences for the baby:

• Always calculate in advance the approximate dose you plan to drink, and under no circumstances exceed it;
• Using the table above, determine how long it will take to “cleanse” breast milk of ethanol, and do not put your baby to the breast until it has expired;
• If you are planning a long party, then express 2-3 servings of “pure” breast milk so that you can feed the baby while the level of ethanol in the blood is still quite high, or select formula in advance.