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You can time your drink so that your baby won't be nursing for a few hours afterward by having it right after a feeding, for example, or during one of your baby's longer stretches of sleep.
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Your blood alcohol level (and the level of alcohol in your milk) is generally highest 30 to 90 minutes after you have a drink, although that time – and the length of time it takes the alcohol to leave your body – varies from person to person. Wait at least two hours after you finish a drink before nursing your baby to give your body a chance to clear the alcohol. How can I safely have an occasional drink if I'm breastfeeding? If you're worried that you're drinking too much, talk to your doctor. Some experts recommend breastfeeding moms avoid drinking alcohol until their baby is 3 months old. While no one knows the true effect that alcohol has on breastfed infants, it's probably wise to abstain – at least in the very beginning. The results of this study have not been duplicated, however. In a landmark study of 400 breastfed babies, gross motor development at 1 year of age lagged in infants whose mothers drank at least one drink daily during the babies' first three months of life. During the four hours after a breastfeeding mother consumes an alcoholic beverage such as 4 ounces of wine, one mixed drink, or one can of beer – babies who nurse consume about 20 percent less milk.Īnd while breastfed babies may become drowsy and fall asleep more quickly after their mother drinks alcohol, they also sleep for a shorter amount of time.Īlcohol in breast milk may also hinder babies' development. Studies show that alcohol can affect babies' eating and sleeping. Infants younger than 3 months process alcohol at about half the rate of adults. That means she can't process the alcohol as well as you can. While the amount that's transferred if you drink a glass of wine is relatively small, your baby is tiny and has an immature liver. The same amount of alcohol that makes it into your bloodstream makes it into your breast milk. Will it harm my breastfeeding baby if I drink wine, beer, or hard alcohol?