Leading up to the festive season I've noticed this question get asked more and more "IS IT SAFE TO BREASTFEED AND DRINK"

Well there is no straight answer to this but the general consensus from health professionals is that you can but common sense is needed. As with

a lot of things having some knowledge about the logistics can help you decide if it is something you can or even want to do.

Alcohol in Breastmilk

Alcohol is present in your breastmilk at the same rate as your blood supply. What does this mean? Well if your blood alcohol level is  .05% then there is .05% of alcohol in your breastmilk. What this means is that if you have one standard drink then you should wait at least 2-3hrs before you feed again. 2 standard drinks you wait 4-6hrs and so on.

Expressing

Quite often mothers are told to pump and dump. Not only is this time consuming but it is unnecessary and can often leave mothers thinking that they are fine to drink when they aren't. If you consume a drink and then pump the alcohol will still be present in your bloodstream which means that as soon as you finish pumping and you produce more milk that milk will contain alcohol.

Depending on the amount of drinks and therefore the amount of feeds skipped (if any) then yes you need to express the missed feeds to maintain supply or at the very least to relieve the pressure.

If you are also missing feeds then you will need to pump beforehand to have EBM on hand for your baby to have.

Age of the Baby

The age of the baby will also be an important factor. Young babies especially under 6mths have a hard time detoxifying alcohol so even a small amount would have a nasty effect. As the child gets older it is not so much of a danger.

Child Safety

While a small amount of alcohol in your breastmilk once in a blue moon is unlikely to cause any long term effects it is important not to become complacent. If it's a one off event then it's not such a big deal but if it is happening on a daily basis then this would be cause for alarm (daily alcohol consumption can effect both mother and babies health). It is best not to consume more then 1-2 drinks a week while breastfeeding.

It is also a good idea to ensure you also have a sober responsible person caring for your baby while you are drinking.

I hope you can use this information to enjoy your festive season or perhaps drink in the new year with a glass of bubbly.