Can Nursing Moms Drink Alcohol

This is one of those really big topics that everyone has their own opinion about. Can nursing moms drink alcohol? The million dollar question.

Let’s dig into the research of what scientists have taken the time to research for us. Instead of listening to everyone, lets get our own hypothesis.

Let’s Start at the Beginning, What is Alcohol?

Alcohol, also known as ethanol or ethyl alcohol, is the ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor(spirits) that cause that drunk feeling you get. It is considered a psychoactive drug that affects the way we think and behave.

All those choices you’ve made when you’ve had a few drinks (good and bad), were most likely because of alcohol and it’s effects on you. I can attest that you are not the only one who has made multiple choices (not saying good or bad here) due to excessive alcohol consumption, pre pregnancy of course. I’m sure we’ve all been there a time or two, or at least I have.

Okay, But What Makes it Give Us That Feeling?

Alcohol is the chemical process that is formed when yeast ferments the sugars in different foods. An example of this would be that wine is made from the sugars of grapes, beer made from the sugar in malted barley, cider from the sugars in apples, and so on. Read here for a more in depth list.

Have you ever seen those videos of elephants or monkeys drunk after eating fruit that’s been over ripened on the ground? The same chemical process is applied here too. The sugars in the fruit ferments on the ground, then the animals eat this fruit and become intoxicated. It is a really funny sight to see, and some animals eat the fermented fruit on purpose knowing they will get a good buzz going.

The fermented drinks (beer, wine) can contain anywhere from 2% to 20% alcohol.

Distilled drinks (liquor) can contain anywhere from 40% to over 50% alcohol.

The higher the alcohol content in a drink will determine how much it’ll take to become inebriated. The higher the content, the less amount it’ll take.

Can Anything Else Make the Effects of Alcohol Stronger?

Absolutely, there are many factors to consider when drinking.

1. The amount you’ve eaten in a day.

You should never drink on an empty stomach as it’s extremely dangerous. It could result in you becoming sick when drinking. The more you eat, the more there will be in your stomach to absorb the alcohol, before it gets absorbed into your bloodstream.

2. The type of mixes you use in your drink.

Mixing alcohol with carbonated or sugarless drinks will make the effects come on a lot faster than if you mixed with something like juice. Studies have shown it becomes absorbed into your bloodstream much quicker.

3. The type of alcohol you consume

Obviously if you drink something with a higher alcohol content, you will feel the effects much faster, and stronger than one with less alcohol content as we touched on earlier. But drinking something like bubbly wine or spritzers will also make the effects come on much faster because of the carbonation.

4. How high your stress levels are.

Really? Stress can make a difference in your experience? Absolutely, high stress levels can actually slow the effects of intoxication.

5. Your weight

A 300 lb person will need much more alcohol than someone who weighs 100 lbs. The higher your body mass, the higher the water content in your body which can dilute the alcohol being absorbed into your bloodstream.

Where Did Alcohol Come From?

Discovery of late stone age jugs suggests that fermented drinks existed as early as 10,000-5000 BC in the Neolithic period.

The earliest record has been confirmed that the earliest alcoholic beverage in the world was a mixed fermented drink of rice, honey and hawthorn fruit juice or grape.

It was used for many things such as pleasure, nutrition, medicine, rituals, and other such uses.

How Much Alcohol Passes Through Breast Milk?

When a mother drinks alcohol it passes through the breast milk. The baby then drinks the breast milk and in a sense, gets the alcohol. But how much does baby actually get? It will all depend on how much the mom drinks and how much she weighs.

For example, it would take a 120 lb woman about 5 hours to get 2 drinks (2 beer or wine, etc) out of her system. Or a 180 lb woman about 4 hours to get the same amount out of her system. Also, how much you eat, or the alcohol content of those drinks would play a huge factor in determining the outcome.

Alcohol is at it’s highest levels in breast milk about one hour after consumption, and stays in the system for 2-3 hours after, per drink. It’s recommended that if you are going to breastfeed after having a drink, you should wait the allotted 2 hours per drink so your body has as much time as possible to rid itself of the alcohol.

What are the effects of alcohol while breastfeeding?

1. Impaired sleep

Research has shown that drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can impair your babies sleep. If you’re baby is at all like mine, then you cherish any sleep you can get. Read about how to cope with no sleep here.

2. Milk Production

Drinking alcohol may impair your bodies ability to produce breast milk by disrupting the hormones linked to milk production. Therefore, baby won’t be able to get as much milk as they need during a nursing session and will have to nurse much more frequently.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the old wives’ tale about beer helping to boost milk production. This is from the yeast that is in beer (brewers yeast), it is believed to help boost milk production, though no actual studies have been done to prove this theory. So don’t go out and drink a bunch of beer thinking it’ll help in any way.

So What’s Your Takeaway?

There are many people out there who believe you should not have a single drink while breastfeeding and some who say it’s okay to indulge a time or two, but who is actually right? It is entirely up to you, it’s your body, and your baby. You know what is best for both you and baby, and don’t let naysayers tell you otherwise. If you want to have that drink, that’s entirely up to you.

And of course, always talk with your pediatrician about any concerns or questions you may have regarding any information you hear or read on the internet.

If you have any questions about any of the content here feel free to reach out in the comments below.