Below are some of the things you need to know about breastfeeding and alcohol consumption.
When you consume alcohol, it takes about 30-60 minutes for it to reach your breastmilk.
The level of alcohol in your breastmilk and blood is the same. If you have 0.07 blood alcohol level then it’s the same with your breastmilk.
It takes at least two hours for your body to metabolise alcohol. Depending on your weight, your breastmilk should be free of alcohol after two hours; so if you’ve consumed two drinks, it may take four hours before your milk is free of alcohol.
No need to pump and then throw away your milk. You’ll get rid of the alcohol in your milk in due time. You just need to wait.
If you intend to drink a lot, it’s good if you express some milk in advance and store it in bottles for your baby. If you have missed feeding your baby and your breast gets engorged while you still have alcohol in your system, then the best thing to do is to express and throw out that milk.
If you can it’s better to abstain on drinking while breastfeeding. If you can’t help it, experts recommend that you at least avoid drinking on your baby’s first month or limit drinking to two standard drinks a day.
It’s better to drink when you already know the feeding routine of your baby so you can schedule your drink knowing that your baby will not feed in a few hours. Newborn babies have irregular feeding patterns and it’s not advisable to drink during your baby’s first month.