One of the most frequent concerns of mothers who breastfeed their children is related to the alcohol consumption during breastfeeding. There are occasions such as parties or celebrations in which you want to have a glass of wine or a beer, but you fear about the effects that the baby can have.
In some cases it is even possible to raise the continuity of breastfeeding, so we will clarify the doubts about whether can you drink alcohol or not if you are breastfeeding.
In pregnancy not a drop, and during breastfeeding?
During pregnancy, the recommendation is zero alcohol, not a drop, as it crosses the placenta and can affect the development of the baby. In the most severe cases it can cause the so-called "fetal alcohol syndrome" responsible for fetal malformations and mental retardation in the baby.
It is not known for sure the amount of alcohol that can assimilate the body of each woman, therefore it is best to avoid it completely during pregnancy.
Now, what happens once the baby is born? Should we follow the same recommendation?
In Babies and more How to extract and preserve breast milkAlcohol and breastfeeding, preferably avoid
The general recommendation is that of Do not drink alcohol, even during breastfeeding. It is a harmful substance that penetrates the bloodstream and passes into the milk taken by the baby, therefore it is preferable to avoid it.
On the other hand, there is no conclusive research linking the moderate consumption of alcohol with a brain deterioration of the baby, therefore the recommendations regarding occasional consumption, that is having a drink from time to time is also not prohibited if some factors are taken into account.
According to the e-lactation website, a reference site on the medications that can be taken during breastfeeding indicates alcohol as a level 2 risk. That is, high risk. It is recommended not to consume or consume occasionally and very moderate.
0.0% beer and non-alcoholic beer (<1%) can be taken during breastfeeding.
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First, we must differentiate what a occasional and moderate consumption of a habitual consumption.
Occasional consumption in small quantities (0.5 grams per kg the mother weighs per day) is not considered harmful to the baby. To give you an idea, the beer has 4 grams of alcohol per 100 cc., The wine has 12 grams per 100 cc and the whiskey has 40 grams per 100 cc. Do calculations.
Yes, it is harmful if you consume more than that amount and chronically, since it seriously damages the baby and can cause an alcoholic coma. An excessive acute consumption can cause coma, convulsions and risk of death in the infant. It also inhibits the secretion of prolactin and oxytocin, hormones responsible for the production and ejection of milk.
Control the moment of consumption
It is also important to take into account the time that has elapsed since you drink until you breastfeed. Alcohol quickly passes into the bloodstream, but also its levels drop rapidly.
It reaches its maximum level between 30 and 60 minutes after drinkingTherefore, if you are going to take a glass, it would be convenient to do it after one shot since it will take about three hours until the next shot, and at that time the alcohol level will be very low or zero.
According to e-lactation:
The time needed to wait for breastfeeding so that the alcohol ingested occasionally has disappeared from milk and blood (Ho 2001) depends on the mother's weight (less weight, more time) and the amount of alcohol consumed (more alcohol , more time). Avoid breastfeeding until after two and a half hours for every 10 -12 g of alcohol consumed: one third (330 ml) of beer 4.5%, a 120 ml glass of 12% wine or a glass of 30-40 ml of liquor 40-50%). Indicative times to wait for women of about 60 kg of weight: a glass of wine: 2.5 hours, two thirds of beer: 5 hours, three glasses of liquor: 7.5 hours, etc. (ABM 2015: see table in the Koren reference in Can Fam Physician. 2002).
The problem arises with newborn babies, in which the shots are very often and several times a day, even at night. That's why it is usually recommended maintain abstinence during the first three months of the baby. In that case, it will be better to wait for the child to grow and the shots are more spaced.
In conclusion, alcohol is harmful and it is preferable to avoid it, but if you drink during breastfeeding, it should be a small amount of alcohol occasionally and always away from the shots.
Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for the baby, which greatly exceed the risks of an occasional drink, so it is in your hands to control you so that you can continue to offer your baby the best.
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In Babies and more | Can you drink alcohol while we are breastfeeding?
