Alcohol & Breastfeeding

Can I drink alcohol when I am breastfeeding?

Clare Byam-Cook says

Although some medical experts claim that mothers should avoid alcohol completely, it is generally considered safe to drink small amounts of alcohol (2-4 units a week), as no research has shown that this will harm a baby. We don’t know exactly how long it takes for alcohol to get into the breast milk, nor do we know exactly how long it stays there, which is why no clear guidelines can be given on when and how much it is safe to drink. However, it is best to drink immediately after rather than before a feed (to allow your body time to process the alcohol). If you have a really big drinking session you should ‘pump and dump’ (express your milk and throw it away) and instead give your baby some milk that you have expressed at an earlier date.

Annabel Karmel says

One unit is roughly equivalent to half a pint of beer, a small measure of spirit or a small glass of wine. We don’t know exactly how long it takes for alcohol to get into the breast milk nor do we know exactly how long it stays there.

Some mothers plan ahead and express milk before a special occasion where they may want to drink and then ‘pump and dump’ and instead give their baby the milk they expressed before they drank any alcohol.