Breastfeeding and Alcohol Intake

by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM

What are current recommendations for drinking alcohol while breastfeeding? The Center for Disease Control recently published an educational page on its website regarding alcohol consumption while breastfeeding.

A standard drink of alcohol is considered to be 12 oz of 5% beer, 8 oz of 7% malt liquor, 5 oz of 12% wine, or 1.5 oz of 40% liquor.
Although drinking alcohol is considered normal in American culture, excessive alcohol intake is a major problem. Approximately 1 of every 6 adults in the USA binge drinks, which is defined by drinking 4 or more drinks for a woman, or 5 or more drinks for a man, within 2 hours. The rate of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated to be 2-5 cases per 100 births.

Based on the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations on alcohol consumption during breastfeeding, which statements do you think are accurate? (choose 1 or more):

Up to 1 standard drink a day by a breastfeeding mother is not known to be harmful, especially if the mother waits 2 hours or more to breastfeed after finishing her drink.
High amounts of alcohol can cause inhibit the milk ejection reflex.
Excessive alcohol consumption while breastfeeding can affect early childhood development.
The level of alcohol in breastmilk is less than the amount in the mother’s blood stream.
Breastmilk will continue to have alcohol in it as long as alcohol is in the mother’s bloodstream.
If a mother pumps her milk while drinking alcohol, she does not reduce the amount of alcohol in her breastmilk.

See the Answer

All are true except D

Visit the Website

Milk Mob Comment by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM

When a mother drinks alcohol the amount of alcohol in her breastmilk is the same as in her blood stream. Pumping won’t eliminate alcohol from the breastmilk, it just empties breastmilk saturated with alcohol. As long as mom has alcohol in her blood, the newly formed milk will continue to have the same alcohol content as the blood level. When the alcohol clears from her brain, it clears from the breastmilk. So, I tell my patients that when the brain is tipsy, so are the breasts.

Alcohol consumption while breastfeeding is a very common question that new mothers have, and it is important that breastfeeding supporters share accurate information. This website is a marvelous educational resource for that reason. One issue that is not discussed is the risk of a binge drinking episode on lactation. Over the years I have received calls from patients who went on drinking binges, with plans to pump and dump. They found that they could not pump much while intoxicated because the alcohol had interfered with their milk ejection reflex. After the fog cleared, their milk supplies had dropped considerably. So, when I am asked about alcohol consumption during breastfeeding, I add this cautionary tale to the standard recommendations.