Breastfeeding after 3 units of alcohol

[NAJS17]

I had 3 blue wkds this afternoon. (330ml each, 3.4% and 1 unit each.
i started them at 14:45 and finished by 17:00. When am I safe to breastfeed my baby again?

www.nhs.uk/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/alcohol/

You're fine to breastfeed as long as you can safely hold your baby, but you can't bedshare.

Your big problem is your terrible taste in drinks 😂

I'm really surprised to see this NHs advice - I don't think it was around when I had mine, and it certainly wasn't what either the midwife who did my antenatal classes or my health visitor said (both repeated the 'if you can hold the baby you can feed the baby' another pp has said). I drank normally throughout breastfeeding, rightly or wrongly. I hope the NHS has good evidence behind giving advice that will inevitably reduce breastfeeding rates by making it more restrictive.

You’re fine to breastfeed, even whilst you were drinking them it would’ve been safe. 3 units of alcohol isn’t going to make your milk alcoholic, for there to be significant alcohol in your milk you’d have to be passed out with alcohol poisoning.

Whenever you want. With a drink in your hand if you wanted. Although I see the NHS advice has changed since I stopped BF in 2025 and now says avoid alcohol at all or wait 2hrs.

Either way - don't co-sleep.

The alcohol doesn’t go from your lips to boob
as long as you’re not paralytic you can feed

This has only just changed, May 2026! I only stopped BF in 2025 and it didnt say this then. But I completely agree, I hope they have calculated the risk to numbers of breastfeeding mothers by changing the advice.

I found the LLL guidance gave more clarity and reasoning.

laleche.org.uk/alcohol-and-breastfeeding/

I’m really surprised by this too, it seems very scaremongering and restrictive.

According to leeche league you’d need a blood alcohol content of 300mg/100ml to have significant amounts of alcohol in your milk, and 3 WKD over 2 hours gives you a blood alcohol level of around 0.07286%

“Maternal blood alcohol levels must attain 300 mg/100ml before significant side effects are reported in the infant. (80mg/100ml fails the police breath test).”

https://laleche.org.uk/alcohol-and-breastfeeding/

I used this calculator. And used 4% beer x3 half pints
https://www.drinkdriving.org/bac-calculator.php

Ah that makes sense - I last breastfed in 2022, so hardly a million years ago, but clearly the advice has changed since then! I have to say I feel glad, really - there was already a lot of 'trade-off' for breastfeeding for me - killed my libido, dictates your clothing, really affected my energy levels - so I made it to about a year both times and was pretty glad to stop. Not feeling able to have the odd beer or wine wouldn't have helped. As it was the midwife was so clear (she said your breastmilk is as alcoholic as your blood, so you have to be very drunk to be feeding the baby milk that is as alcoholic as orange juice) that I felt no guilt at all - I think I had my first beer post-DS1 about three days after I had him, and I have quite a cherished photo of me feeding him while drinking it!