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A mother may choose to express or pump milk after consuming alcohol to ease her physical discomfort or adhere to her milk expression schedule. As the mother’s alcohol blood level falls over time, the level of alcohol in her breast milk will also decrease. Expressing or pumping milk after drinking alcohol, and then discarding it (“pumping and dumping”), does NOT reduce the amount of alcohol present in the mother’s milk more quickly. The alcohol level in breast milk is essentially the same as the alcohol level in a mother’s bloodstream. Can expressing/pumping breast milk after consuming alcohol reduce the alcohol in the mother’s milk? If a caregiver drinks excessively, he or she should arrange for a sober adult to care for the infant during this time. Drinking alcohol could impair a caregiver’s judgement and his or her ability to safely care for an infant. Excessive alcohol consumption while breastfeeding could also affect the infant’s sleep patterns and early development.Ĭaring for an infant while intoxicated is not safe. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption could lead to shortened breastfeeding duration due to decreased milk production. However, higher levels of alcohol consumption can interfere with the milk ejection reflex (letdown) while maternal alcohol levels are high. Moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least 2 hours before nursing. What effect does alcohol have on a breastfeeding infant? However, blood alcohol levels and the length of time alcohol can be detected in breast milk after drinking will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of alcohol consumed, how fast the alcohol is consumed, whether it is consumed with food, how much a mother weighs, and how fast alcohol is broken down in a mother’s body. For example, alcohol from 1 drink can be detected in breast milk for about 2-3 hours, alcohol from 2 drinks can be detected for about 4-5 hours, and alcohol from 3 drinks can be detected for about 6-8 hours, and so on.

However, the length of time alcohol can be detected in breast milk will increase the more alcohol a mother consumes. Alcohol levels are usually highest in breast milk 30-60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed, and can be generally detected in breast milk for about 2-3 hours per drink after it is consumed. Alcohol consumption above moderate levels may also impair a mother’s judgment and ability to safely care for her child.ĭrinking alcoholic beverages is not an indication to stop breastfeeding however, consuming more than one drink per day is not recommended. However, exposure to alcohol above moderate levels through breast milk could be damaging to an infant’s development, growth, and sleep patterns. Generally, moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing. Not drinking alcohol is the safest option for breastfeeding mothers. Is it safe for mothers to breastfeed their infant if they have consumed alcohol?

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