You have gone nine months without an alcoholic beverage and now you have a beautiful new baby. You love this new little person more than anything but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t also love a glass of wine. Maybe (a few weeks down the track) you are having a dinner party with friends and the wine comes out. What are the do’s and do not’s with breastfeeding and drinking alcohol. Is it safe?
Firstly: Yes it’s safe to enjoy a glass of alcohol whether its beer, wine or whatever it is you enjoy. There is actually an old wives tale that suggests drinking stout increases milk supply. This is not a proven fact.
How is it safe? Alcohol does get into the breastmilk as found by researchers however it generally stays in there for 30-60 minutes after having the first drink. Alcohol affects people very differently raging from your size, your metabolism, how quickly you drink, whether you have eaten and how many drinks you consume.
According to the Australian Breastfeeding Association the general rule with drinking alcohol and breastfeeding is to apply the rule of 2 hours for the average woman to metabolise 1 standard drink 4 hours for 2 drinks and 6 hours for 3 drinks etc. It is recommended in your baby’s first month of life to reduce alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks a couple of times a week, not daily. Having 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day can be harmful not only to the baby but your own health. This is also not supported by the Healthy Mummy philosophy of healthy eating.
Many women falsely believe expressing and throwing away the milk will remove the alcohol from the breastmilk but because the alcohol is still in the bloodstream this is not affective.
What is the best way to enjoy a drink and breastfeed?
PLAN AHEAD!!!! Express for a few days before a known get together that you know you will be consuming alcohol. If you have a supply of breastmilk available for your baby then you can be reassured that it will not have any alcohol in it.
Should you use formula? If your baby is a straight breastfed baby then no. If you plan ahead then the baby will have alcohol free milk. However it is ok for a baby to have breastmilk with alcohol in it (preferably not copious amounts from a big bender). If your baby is mix fed already with formula skipping a feed and using formula is appropriate.
Other options to help you enjoy a drink and feel part of the crowd are to have less wine in your glass and top it up with ice and soda water. It also helps your calorie count and increases your water intake. One of the biggest factors with drinking alcohol is it is a dehydrator. To keep up your breastmilk supply you will need to increase your water intake 1:1. This means 1 glass of water per alcoholic beverage.
Time is the only factor that will decrease the alcohol amount in your breastmilk.
If you end up having a big night of drinking make sure you have a sober person to help you look after your baby and never co-sleep under the affects of alcohol.
If you’re a breastfeeding mother who is keen to lose baby weight, we’ve got you covered. At Lose Baby Weight we believe that breastfeeding and weight loss can go hand in hand, which is why we have created the 28 Day Breastfeeding Friendly Diet & Exercise Plan and have ensured that our weight loss plans are safe for breastfeeding mums.
If you’d love to recipe our FREE MILK BOOSTING recipe ebook, then just pop your details in below and it will be in your inbox within minutes. 
Our Healthy Mummy Smoothies are also safe for breastfeeding mums, 96% sugar free, fructose free and actually contain natural galactogogues. You can see the full ingredient list here .
