Breastfeeding and drinking

[Sid2024]

Lots of conflicting advice about drinking while breastfeeding - some say you shouldn't drink and some say the alcohol level is so low that you'd need to be absolutely paralytic to have any effect on breast milk - but where does everyone get this information from? Are there any studies that show drinking while breastfeeding does not harm the baby? Or that it's effects are negligible?

Just had new years and drank a fair amount, (maybe 1.5 bottles of wine!) we were feeding the baby bottled formula but there was one time during the evening he would not settle with the bottle and I had to feed him myself. Feel quite guilty but I've seen conflicting advise. I've fed him again this morning 5 hours after my last drink but had slowed down consumption alot by the last drink anyway

In terms of robust studies, I'm not sure how many there are. I was told by a midwife though that in order for you to have drank enough for it to impact the baby, you'd be most likely passed out drunk and not able to feed them anyway. I think generally the bigger concern is being sober enough to care for the baby safely. The risk of falling over while holding the baby or falling asleep while breastfeeding and suffocating them is much greater than the impact of the alcohol. This is probably why they don't release studies saying, "It's fine drink as much as you want - it won't harm baby!".

Personally, I'll have a glass or two of prosecco and feed normally. My husband doesn't drink so there's always a completely sober parent should my baby suddenly fall ill and we needed to take him to hospital.

There aren’t really any huge studies done because it wouldn’t be very responsible to tell breastfeeding mothers to get mortal drunk just to see what impact that has on a baby.

But, that said- don’t worry. I breastfed my daughter for 15 months, currently breastfeeding my 8 week old son, throughout the advice from every professional has been basically that if you can hold your baby, you can feed your baby.

The general guidance is for each typical drink e.g. beer or glass of wine to wait 2 hours before feeding but unless you are drinking 1.5 bottles of wine each night then one night really isn’t going to do any harm x

I was told if you are too drunk to safely hold baby then you are too drunk to feed baby. Otherwise crack on

When my prem baby was in nicu, I was pumping milk for him. One day I mentioned i really could do with a glass of wine, he said it was completely fine just done get pissed