As Christmas draws closer and festive celebrations are well underway, with Christmas markets popping up and end-of-year events filling the calendar. We at Pippeta want to ensure you as our community have all the most appropriate information required to maintain a healthy breastfeeding and pumping journey whilst still being able to participate in all the festivities and most importantly have some fun!
The festive period is commonly associated with social gatherings, having fun with loved ones and most importantly; gifts, food and drinks. With this in mind, we began to wonder how many times during this period Google receives the question:
The short answer to this is “Yes” in moderation. Casual use of alcohol such as one glass of wine or beer in one day is said to be unlikely to cause either short- or long-term damage to your baby. However, here are all the facts we feel every mum needs to know!...
Alcohol and Breastmilk: The Facts
The fact is alcohol does transfer into your breastmilk just as it transfers into your blood stream. The guideline we suggest to follow is taken from research which says that peak levels of alcohol appear in your breast milk after just 30-90 minutes.
Blood alcohol levels and the length of time alcohol can be detected in breast milk after drinking will depend on several factors, such as:
- The amount of units of alcohol you have.
- How fast you drink your alcoholic drink (Don’t guzzle girlies!)
- Whether the alcohol is consumed at the same time as food.
- Your weight.
Despite these facts, this does not mean that social drinking of small amounts means that you cannot continue to breastfeed and this should never be a reason to ‘give up’! Follow on for Pippeta’s top tips and suggestions to help you make better informed choices this season.
Pippeta’s Tips for Maintaining Balance during the Christmas period
- Wait around 2-3 hours after each alcoholic beverage is consumed until you feed your baby.
- Plan your drinks carefully in respect to the above, around your usual feeding schedule.
- If you have more than one occasion where you wish to have a cheeky drink in one week be sure to spread out your units over that week.
- Have your ‘treat drink’ whilst eating food.
- If your baby is already comfortable feeding from a teat, consider freezing breast milk in advance to use for bottle feeding.
- If you decide to express or pump within the recommended 2 hrs (per drink) to avoid engorgement, you can discard the expressed milk appropriately. However research suggests this is not necessary and pumping and dumping does not reduce the amount of alcohol in your breastmilk any quicker.
Understanding the Risks: Alcohol, Breastfeeding, and Safety
We think it’s fair to say we all know our judgements and behaviours can be seriously affected after having a few drinks especially when you have been off the sauce for so long due to pregnancy. Therefore, it’s important to remind yourself of the risks:
Binge drinking/drinking in excess- Research suggests that drinking Alcohol in excess (more than 5-6 units of alcohol in one period) can lead to a decrease in your milk production, with 5 drinks or more decreasing milk letdown and disrupting nursing, until alcohol levels decrease. This can naturally result in an affect on babies growth due to unhealthy weight gain.In even worse case scenarios, linked to heavier drinking, babies can suffer from developmental issues and become unarousable and drowsy due to large amounts of alcohol levels transferring into your breastmilk.
Defrosting Breast Milk- If you decide to use defrosted breast milk, use it immediately. Remember to discard any unused breast milk after a feed; it can be easy to forget during busier times.
Caring for your baby- It’s important to ensure if you have had more than the suggested amount of alcohol whilst caring for your baby, that you place responsibility on your partner or another adult to ensure no accidents or misjudgements occur. Similarly, if another caregiver wishes to make contact with your child after they have had a few Christmas tipples, be sure to watch over them with extra care.
Sleeping- It’s vital that you take great care not to sleep with your baby or fall asleep on a sofa or chair particularly after consuming alcohol. The NHS have warned that this has strong associations with sudden infant death syndrome otherwise known as (SIDS).
Special circumstance- If your baby has any health concerns or is a little under the weather then it's best not to consume alcohol until you speak to a medical professional or an IBCLC.
Pippeta’s Award Winning Christmas Breastfeeding Essentials:
To make your breastfeeding journey even easier, here are a few must-have products from our range that mums LOVE! Any of Pippeta’s Handsfree Wearable Breast Pumps are a great purchase for any breastfeeding mamas. Our award winning pumps are designed to make feeding easier with products that are simple to use, simple to buy and simple to get support.
for. If you need to pump faster and get that freezer stock up in advance of the coming weeks be sure to check out our 2 packs.
Similarly, the Pippeta Milk Storage Bags can aid you in building up that milk supply prior to your special events; they are BPA free, pre-sterilised, leak-proof, sealable bags suitable for storing in the fridge or freezer. The bags can hold up to 200ml of breast milk so are great for transporting those feeds if you are visiting family. These can be purchased in boxes of 30 or you can buy 4 boxes and get 1 free (150 bags).
Pippeta’s Milk Storage Bottles with teats and lids make storing your breast milk and food easy and stylish. Designed in the UK and made from High Borosilicate Glass, they are BPA-free and lightweight. They are freezer and dishwasher safe so great for busy mums on the go amongst the Christmas rush.
Final notes
The fact is yes alcohol does transfer into breastmilk around 30-90 mins after you consume it but if you drink in moderation and follow our top tips you can still have one or two drinks and safely continue breastfeeding your baby 2-3 hours after each drink you consume. We know people always have opinions on how you ‘do you’ and care for your baby but our final top tip is to not worry what other people think. Do your breastfeeding journey the way that works best for you and if that means enjoying yourself and taking a well earned break with your fave cocktail this season then simply ignore the judgements. Just remember that regularly drinking above the recommended limits can be harmful for both you and your baby so be careful and stay safe!
Merry Christmas
The Pippeta Team
Further Reading:
Breastfeeding and drinking alcohol:
Alcohol and breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding special circumstances:
Resources:
Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006-. Alcohol. [Updated 2024 Nov 15]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501469/
Disclaimer:
Information presented to you in this blog is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider or a professional lactation consultant/IBCLC for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation.