When alcohol passes into breast milk. Myths and facts

A modern person almost always finds himself in a situation where he has to drink a little. Young mothers, unfortunately, are no exception. Because of this, many of them are rightly tormented by the question of how long it is possible to feed a child after alcohol? After all, harmful substances are always removed with undesirable consequences.

The path of alcohol in the female body

When answering the question of whether it is possible for a nursing mother to drink, it is worth understanding which path ethanol takes when it enters the female body. The first thing to remember is that all drinks should be divided into strong and weak.

Remember! Strong alcoholic drinks are the most dangerous for the child's body. Their use is strictly prohibited!

Alcohol is a substance that has such a molecular formula that allows it to easily penetrate not only into blood vessels, but also into all biological fluids secreted by the body (this includes saliva, sweat, urine and breast milk as well). Peak concentrations of ethanol reach an average of 0.5-1 hour after ingestion. Sparkling wine, champagne, beer and other carbonated drinks pass into breast milk even faster, in about 10-15 minutes.

How long alcohol is retained in breast milk will depend on several parameters, which include:

• the weight of the woman (the elimination period in obese women is faster, since they need more ethanol to get drunk);
• naturally, the more alcohol is drunk, the longer it is excreted from the female body, including from breast milk;
• how quickly ethanol disappears from the body also depends on the strength of the drink (the stronger the mother decides to drink alcohol, the longer it will be in milk);
• the use of harmful drinks on an empty stomach or against the background of a meal.

Remember! Basically, alcohol comes out of the milk of a nursing mother after 2-3 hours, if we are not talking about a massive booze.

How alcohol can affect a child

Many women wonder what are the possible consequences of feeding while drinking alcohol? Is it dangerous for the baby and, if so, what exactly?

The danger lies in the following:

• alcohol is a neurotoxin, which, by disrupting the behavioral reactions of the baby, the sleep process (the child does not sleep well, is capricious);
• if feeding took place against the background of alcohol intoxication, the baby’s cardiovascular system is hit, as alcohol dilates blood vessels and makes the heart beat very quickly;
• there is a myth that a nursing woman can drink beer, as it increases lactation, but this is not true, since any alcohol inhibits this fragile process;

• if a woman tends to drink alcohol during lactation, it should not be surprising that the child will lag behind in development, since alcohol penetrates the barrier that protects the brain and kills him.

Remember! Alcohol for a child's body is the strongest poison! , digestion processes, slows down the development of the baby!

Popular myths

Today, with breastfeeding becoming popular again, there are many myths surrounding the process. One of the most popular myths is that mothers are allowed to drink beer to improve lactation. Is this true, and is it possible to drink beer if a woman is feeding a child?

In fact, beer, like any other alcohol, has a depressing effect on the processes of milk production. It contains enough fusel oils and other harmful substances so that its harm far outweighs the benefits.

Another popular myth is that if you drink a glass of wine before feeding, your baby will sleep better. This is not entirely true. Of course, the child will fall asleep much faster than he fell asleep under normal conditions, however, studies have shown that his sleep will not be so deep, and the body will not fully rest.

There is also a myth that a small amount of alcohol in the mother's blood improves the suckling reflex in a child, he takes the breast and sucks more actively. This is true, but there is one significant “but” here. The amount of milk obtained on the background of mild intoxication was significantly less than with standard feeding. Consequently, although the child sucked more actively, he still received less food than he should have.

Interesting! If a woman really wants some kind of alcoholic drink, then she is allowed to drink non-alcoholic beer. It tastes slightly different from the real one, but it will not harm the baby’s body, since the amount of alcohol in it is very minimal, and sometimes it is completely absent.

Despite the safety of soft drinks, one should not forget about the possible negative reactions of an individual nature! Sometimes a woman's mind can go haywire from non-alcoholic beer, and she will be unable to monitor the baby.

If a woman drank when you can breastfeed

So after what time can you breastfeed your baby, and how long does it take to remove alcohol from breast milk? To navigate these indicators, today even a special table has been developed that allows, based on the weight of a woman, to calculate how much approximately you can breastfeed. It looks like this:

Remember! The longer a woman refuses breastfeeding after drinking ethanol, the more it will be excreted from the body. If you feed your baby with expressed milk, and the next application is done 4-5 hours after drinking alcohol, then the risk will be minimized.

Of course, it is better for a woman who is breastfeeding to stay away from any alcohol. Alas, this is not always possible, and then you can preserve the health of your child by observing elementary safety rules. If a woman doubts the full removal of harmful substances from the body, then it is better to use expressed milk or a mixture, and not risk the health of the baby.

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With the advent of the baby in the life of a mother, changes occur. Not with his birth, but under the heart. Even then, the expectant mother felt the brunt of the restrictions: nine months of self-control. And now the baby is in her arms. But the restrictions are not over. Constant fuss, lack of sleep, worries, etc. were added to them. Some women endure various restrictions, while others, trying to relieve stress, relax, allowing themselves liberties in the form of alcohol. But what about alcohol while breastfeeding?

Can I drink alcohol while breastfeeding

According to statistics, every eighth mother allows herself to drink some alcohol. At the same time, there are those who believe that there is nothing wrong with this. Others, on the contrary, adhere to a strict taboo on the use of strong drinks. To determine whether alcohol is allowed while breastfeeding, you need to know its effect not only on the mother's body, but also on the baby.

Important! Drinking any alcohol, even in the smallest doses, until the newborn is three months old, is prohibited!

The effect of alcohol on the body of a nursing mother and baby

One of the clear signs of the influence of alcohol on the mother's body during breastfeeding is a delayed reaction. Caring for a baby requires attentiveness, control over your actions. Drinking large amounts of alcohol is dangerous because a woman temporarily loses the necessary reaction. Frequent use is detrimental to the health of the mother.

Effect on lactation

It is important to determine the effect of alcohol on the productivity of the mammary glands during breastfeeding, since natural food is an undeniable value that only a mother gives.

Regular consumption affects the production of prolactin and oxytocin. These hormones are responsible for lactation. In addition, alcohol contributes to dehydration, which significantly affects the production of milk volumes. Alcohol changes the taste of milk, increasing the likelihood of a child refusing natural nutrition.

Impact on the baby

Before deciding to drink alcohol, you need to find out: how alcohol during breastfeeding affects the baby. With regular consumption, the following changes in the behavior and development of the baby are noted:

1. Due to the undeveloped digestive system, there is a decrease in the absorption of useful components of milk. There are failures in the set of body weight.
2. Poor activity, drowsiness. The child seems to be falling asleep, but the sleep is not long, not calm, he wakes up quickly, is naughty.
3. Failure of mental development, because there is a colossal load on the nervous system.
4. Disturbances in motility and movements.
5. Toxic effect on the immature liver, which cannot cope with ethanol, because the necessary enzymes are not present.
6. The baby's heart rate increases and blood pressure changes.
7. Due to the unformed microflora, the likelihood of colic increases.
8. Alcohol contributes to the destruction of the layer that protects the intestinal tract of the baby, nausea may occur, appetite will disappear.
9. In addition to ethanol, other harmful substances penetrate: acetaldehyde and phenol, which can cause poisoning of the body.
10. The foundation is laid for addiction to alcohol (according to research).

The impact on the body of alcohol is most often based on research data. In one of the experiments, it was revealed that among children whose mothers did not drink alcohol, or used occasionally, there were no differences in behavior. On the contrary, among children whose mothers regularly consumed alcohol, a negative impact on the child was recorded in the form of decreased motor skills, reactions, and other developmental delays.

Consequences for the child in the future

The influence is not only temporary, it is considered in the context of a future perspective. Based on research, the effects of alcohol on an infant during breastfeeding were revealed in the form of alcohol consequences and the development of alcoholism.

Since the functioning of the body of rats is close to human, studies on these animals revealed the following facts:

• insufficient level of development of immune cells;
• psychological deviations;
• addictive: the likelihood of dependence on alcohol, drugs in the future increases.

Alcohol during lactation - myths and reality

1. "Beer enhances the work of the mammary gland." This opinion was formed on the basis of some observations: the child eats more often, the number of attachments increases. Accordingly, they consider: the volume of natural food has increased. Although it has been proven that an intoxicating drink can reduce lactation by a quarter.
2. “A small dose will help the baby calm down and fall asleep.” Some benefactors, pitying a tired mother, advise drinking a little wine before the evening feeding so that the child sleeps better at night. But studies have shown the opposite: at first, the baby becomes calmer, falls asleep. But this dream is short, not full, the child wakes up, becomes excited, not rested. A baby who has consumed "healthy" milk sleeps more calmly (in the absence of other irritants), after sleep he is rested.
3. "The taste of milk will not change." Along with some products (garlic, pepper), alcohol changes the taste.
4. "As a result of pumping, harmful components will not get to the baby." It is important to remember: alcohol is not collected in natural food, but in the blood and gradually enters it. Accordingly, decanting will not give a result. Drinking extra fluid won't help either.
5. "A single intoxication will not cause harm." One-time consumption of "drunk" milk may not affect the further development of the baby. But what about the ability of a mother in such a state to care for a child. The consequences may not be predictable.
6. "The minimum dose of alcohol will help relieve tension and depression." But the statement is extremely incorrect. Perhaps the mother will be distracted from the problem for a while, but the psychological parameters will not improve. After returning to reality, depression will only get worse.
7. "It is necessary to drink some red wine to improve blood formation." The harm from this will be more good. And wine can be replaced with pomegranate juice.
8. “If beer is not allowed, then kefir is also not allowed.” Kefir is also obtained by fermentation, but when used correctly, it will only bring benefits. His main merit is the normalization of bowel function.

Drink or abstain

How to be? Can I sometimes drink a glass of wine while breastfeeding? Some experts categorically state: alcohol during feeding is unacceptable. There is no certainty in the answer. Doctors admit: consumption of small doses harms the baby. On the other hand, some experts allow a little wine or a small amount of beer, arguing that there will be no serious impact on the baby. Experts advise limiting consumption to a couple of times a week.

Is it possible to drink wine with GV and which one: white or red

When deciding which wine to drink while breastfeeding, the benefit is taken into account first of all.

Red dry wine has a greater amount of antioxidants that have a positive effect on the body. They are also available in white, but slightly smaller. It is the skin with the pits that is of value, they give the wine useful components. And in the production of white wine, they are extracted. It has a positive effect on the nervous system, inhibits the reproduction of cancer cells, and helps prevent stroke. A woman must be completely confident in the quality of the product.

But no matter how useful it is, you should not forget that it is alcohol. Even in small volumes, it can cause nausea, weakness.

Important! Red wine is allergenic, which will cause negative manifestations in infants.

Is it possible to have champagne while breastfeeding

Is it sometimes okay to pamper yourself and drink a glass of champagne to a woman who is breastfeeding. Answer: no, it is just as dangerous as any other similar alcohol. It is known that ethanol will be in the blood within a quarter of an hour, even before wine. The presence of gas contributes to the formation of colic and gas formation. Can produce intoxication.

Beer with HB

Sometimes a woman wants to get an answer: is it possible to drink beer while breastfeeding, how drinking will affect the baby.

The natural product is made using barley grains and hops, they are not allergenic. Beer contains vitamins of group B. Light drinks and packaged in glass are preferred.

A glass of beer during lactation can be consumed without a detrimental effect on the baby. But with more consumption, more impact. Consequently, the body of mother and child will return to normal for a long time. The likelihood of intoxication of the baby's body increases.

Soft drinks

The very concept of "non-alcoholic" causes some controversy. Beer and wine are produced by fermentation. If there is no alcohol, it is preserved with the help of harmful additives.

Non-alcoholic wine

Technological production of non-alcoholic wine involves freezing or strong heating, as a result of which alcohol evaporates. But to increase the shelf life, hormones and preservatives are added, and this reduces the usefulness by an order of magnitude. Considering that the hormonal background of a woman has not yet returned to normal after childbirth, this is an additional burden. Non-alcoholic wine when breastfeeding is best replaced with natural grape or pomegranate juice.

Can you drink non-alcoholic beer while breastfeeding?

Women often try to figure out whether non-alcoholic beer is possible while breastfeeding. Such beer is acceptable, but it is desirable to choose without the addition of dyes and chemical type preservatives.

Rules for drinking alcohol during lactation

When a woman decides to treat herself to something strong, it is recommended to know and follow the rules for drinking alcohol while breastfeeding:

1. Since the effect of alcohol depends on the volume drunk, the dose plays an important role. The minimum amount of beer, wine, champagne. Use up to 50 g. It is recommended to refuse stronger ones.
2. Do not use at all until the child has crossed the line of three months.
3. Consider your weight.
4. Consumption of related products should not be taken on an empty stomach.
5. If possible, pump before the holiday and make a supply for at least one feeding.
6. It is advisable to skip feeding after drinking alcohol, express milk.

Important! It is impossible to neutralize milk either with sorbents or by consuming a large volume of liquid. Milk becomes safe after the complete breakdown of alcohol and its exit from the blood. Accordingly, this procedure will not help completely, the loading dose may decrease. As long as there is alcohol in the blood, it is also present in the baby's food.

How much can you drink

First you need to know how much alcohol is sometimes allowed. Consumption of different volumes and different types of alcohol does not produce the same effect. For example, half a glass of beer while breastfeeding will have less of an impact than a glass.

How long does it take for alcohol to enter milk?

Alcohol enters the digestion immediately, and after 20 minutes it is already circulating in the bloodstream. The maximum percentage of the content is reached within half an hour of consumption without food. After 1.5 hours if used in combination with food. The same time is needed to penetrate into milk, while the specific gravity of alcohol in milk is equal to its specific gravity in the blood, about 10% of the amount consumed.

Important to remember! Ethanol enters milk faster, but it is excreted, on the contrary, much more slowly.

Time to remove alcohol from milk

The exit time is individual, it is directly determined by the following factors:

1. The period of exit from the child itself depends on age. At the beginning of life (the first month), the digestive and excretory systems are poorly developed. Up to 3 months it is recommended to completely eliminate the consumption of alcohol. The main indicator is known: alcohol is excreted from the body of a child twice as slowly as from an adult.
2. The body weight of the woman. The lower the weight, the longer the alcohol is excreted.
3. The amount drunk.
4. Use with or without food. Fatty foods significantly prevent alcohol from entering the bloodstream.
5. A type of alcohol.

For example, in a mother weighing about 60 kg, while breastfeeding, a drunk mug of beer will be excreted in a couple of hours. How much would it take if the drink was stronger? About 10-12 hours.

On a note! Alcohol does not accumulate in milk. It comes out simultaneously with the exit from the blood.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

Often lactating women turn to the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky. Regarding strong alcohol, his statements are ambiguous. And beer is not included in the prohibited products under several conditions:

1. It should be a natural product containing natural ingredients and vitamins.
2. Do not overdo it with the volume of consumption, as beer contains alcohol (the exception is a soft drink).

You can hear the opinion of the pediatrician in more detail in the video.

Many holidays and just occasions for relaxation affect the periodic use of alcohol by female representatives.

Alcohol during breastfeeding, even in small doses, is contraindicated. Alcohol in breast milk will be toxic not only for the mother, but also for the child himself.

In infants, the process of removing alcohol obtained through breast milk is 4-5 times slower than from the body of an adult. During this period, ethanol can cause hypoxia, has time to harm the formation of the central nervous system, the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Studies have shown that ethanol, contained even in alcohol based berry infusions, such as wine, also affects lactation itself.

Breakdown product of alcohol- acetaldehyde, enters all organs through the circulatory system. This is a highly toxic poison that penetrates the nucleus of cells and deforms them down to the level of DNA.

It is a well-known fact that one of the first to suffer is the liver. In a nursing woman, hormones are produced in an enhanced mode, jumps and drops in their release change the metabolism as a whole, the functional qualities of the liver. A well-functioning mother's body also affects the quality of milk produced.

Drinking rules

• Drinking alcohol can provoke poisoning of the baby's body before it reaches 3 months. Therefore, before you sip even one glass of dry wine, you should remember the age of the baby.
• The pancreas and liver excrete a glass of champagne within one to two hours. The time depends on the amount used. If more than 200 grams were drunk, then the elimination will take a longer period. Accordingly, it is impossible to feed the child before the expiration of this time. If, nevertheless, the mother decides to drink a glass or two, then this rule should be followed.
• When drinking alcohol, body weight must be taken into account. The lower the weight, the longer the time needed for the withdrawal of ethanol.
• Drinks cannot be mixed. The amount drunk should not exceed 250 ml of beer, one glass of white or red wine, or champagne, 30 g of cognac.

How much ethanol goes into milk

The female body absorbs alcohol faster than the male body, and removes it more slowly. Scientists say that alcohol will pass into breast milk at a concentration of 10%.

The percentage is influenced by such indicators as the mother's body weight, the presence of chronic diseases, physical form, the volume of degrees in the drink. Thus, the percentage of alcohol that enters milk can vary upwards.

In case of problems with metabolism, the percentages increase by 2 times, up to 20. After 20-40 minutes, it will be fully in breast milk, and within two, there will be a direct hit when feeding it to a child.

It was found that after feeding during this period, the baby begins to calm down and fall asleep faster. This state cannot be called a full sleep.

Intoxication occurs and, as a result, intoxication of the child's body, he weakens and he needs strength to recover, so emotional and physical activity decreases, up to sleep.

To calculate how long alcohol is excreted from breast milk, you can use the following indicators: 120 grams of light alcohol will disappear from a healthy body in an hour.

However, you need to remember the individual characteristics of a nursing mother, the characteristics of metabolism and metabolism. There is a table of how long alcohol lasts during lactation.

So, a girl after childbirth with an average weight of 60-70 kg has 130 ml. 6% beer will be removed from milk in 40 minutes, the same volume of champagne will be removed within 120 minutes, 12% wine will be removed in 2 hours and 20 minutes, 18% wine in 3 hours, liquor in five, vodka in seven.

After this time, you can feed the baby with milk again, without fear for his poisoning. For a more reliable calculation of the time interval, one or two hours can be added to the above data.

Expression of milk

The concentration of alcohol molecules in breast milk, after alcohol enters the stomach, and through the bloodstream to all organs is 10%. Alcohol is excreted from organic systems simultaneously.

Thus, expressing milk to change its composition does not make sense. Even after the pumping procedure, the concentration of molecules will remain the same, as it will still be kept in the blood.

In this case, if the child is less than two years old and needs to be fed every 2 hours, it may be appropriate to use infant formula between regular feedings while waiting for the ethanol to come out.

Wine

During the period of gestation and feeding after birth, non-alcoholic cocktails are the safest.

The opinion that just one glass of wine drink will not harm is wrong. It can be replaced with pomegranate juice, which will have a beneficial effect on increasing hemoglobin in the blood, respectively, and on activity and improving mood.

If, in festive situations, a young mother does not want to give up its use, you should still wait until 4 months is reached. From this age, wine not completely removed from the mammary glands will not be as harmful as before this period.

Beer

There is a belief among the Russian population that the consumption of small amounts of hops or malt is beneficial to lactation and can help production.

Doctors have proven that beer has no positive effect on this process. The effect of swelling of the breast occurs due to the retention of fluid in the vessels, which causes swelling of the lymph nodes.

A significant reason for the necessary refusal of beer, in addition to intoxication, is that the production of the hormone oxytocin decreases when the baby sucks on the breast and fluid remains in the breast.

Thus, the baby receives a smaller amount of food, and, accordingly, nutrients for full development. Its use is strictly contraindicated.

Champagne

This product, with the lowest content of degrees, is quickly excreted and is considered the safest. Its use is possible if the dose does not exceed 200 grams.

However, it is worth using baby food within 120 minutes after the feast, as alcohol is kept in breast milk for at least this amount of time.

It is important to remember that alcoholic beverages can be more harmful on an empty stomach.

The healthy development of a child, the full formation of all systems of his body depends directly on nutrition, on the quality of breast milk received.

Therefore, in order to ensure that only nutrients and nutrients enter the body of the baby during feeding, it is advisable to completely abandon the intake of alcohol for this period.

Everyone knows that everything that has entered the body of a nursing mother enters the body of the baby along with milk. And yet, many modern women are still confident that small doses of alcohol can be consumed during breastfeeding. Moreover, some Internet communities recommend alcohol to women who are breastfeeding. Women are even advised to drink a glass of beer every day to improve lactation.

The first question a breastfeeding mother should ask herself before drinking is: "Will it be good for my child?". And there is only one answer: "Not". Therefore, if you are able to abstain and not drink alcohol while breastfeeding, do so. Alcohol and its derivatives are poison, it destroys internal organs and causes irreparable harm to the health of both the drinking mother and the child.

Not all women are able to withstand a complete abstinence from alcohol for two to three years (nine months of pregnancy plus a year and a half of feeding - a minimum of two and a half years). Often a woman does not even think about alcohol until she is at the festive table, where she, as it is called, "out of business". Everyone is having fun drinking, but she feels left out and cannot fully participate (as she thinks) in the general fun. In the event that, nevertheless, the desire to support the company and not be a black sheep prevailed over sanity, a woman should take care to minimize the risk associated with drinking alcohol and subsequent breastfeeding.

Harm to the child

• Alcohol affects the nervous system of a child. A child who has tasted breast milk into which alcohol has entered will quickly fall asleep. But his sleep will be restless and he will wake up frequently. If the mother regularly drinks alcohol, the child experiences mental retardation.
• Drinking alcohol can affect the functioning of the child's cardiovascular system: the heart rate increases, general weakness appears, and blood pressure may drop.
• The child suffers more from intestinal colic. Ethyl alcohol leads to inflammation of the membranes of the esophagus, stomach or intestines. The absorption function of the intestine is impaired, due to which vitamins and minerals are poorly absorbed. With frequent use of alcohol, the child gains weight poorly and often lags behind in physical development.
• Frequent use of alcohol causes a child to gradually become addicted, up to the appearance of addiction.

First: in no case do not drink until the baby has reached the age of three months (at least). The younger the child, the less his body is adapted to the processing of alcohol, and newborns do not have such an ability at all. The baby's liver is not able to process even a small amount of alcohol, which means that all the harmful substances in the alcoholic drink will poison the baby's internal organs.

Of course, the human body is influenced not so much by alcohol itself as by its quantity, quality and type of drink. It is clear that if a woman drinks a glass of good red wine or half a liter of cheap vodka, then the harm done to the body of both the mother and the child will be different in severity. The amount of drink consumed is also important - the more you drink, the longer the ethyl alcohol will be excreted from the body, the more it will enter the baby's body through mother's milk.

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Hence the second tip. - if you decide to drink alcohol, then either express before you drink so that you can give the child "pure" milk, or keep a gap in feeding for at least three hours (provided that you have drunk no more than 100 ml of weak alcohol). If you drank vodka or cognac, then 100 ml of this drink will be excreted from the body for at least 5 hours.

It is also important how often a nursing mother drinks alcohol. According to studies by Western doctors, if a woman, while breastfeeding, drank once or twice a month (high-quality weak alcohol in small doses), then this did not cause significant and noticeable damage to the health of the child. However, in Russia, no one can guarantee that the wine bought in a supermarket will be of the same quality as the same wine bought, say, in France.

We should not forget about the harmful impurities contained in alcohol. In addition to ethyl alcohol (which is often made from poor-quality raw materials and is poorly purified), chemical dyes and concentrates are included in alcoholic beverages, especially in liqueurs and wines beloved by women - they are often counterfeited using cheap and unhealthy additives. Consider - do you want them to enter the body of your precious child?

Alcohol negatively affects the lactation of breast milk. And if you already don’t have a lot of milk, then drinking alcohol, breastfeeding can be nullified ...

And the last- since the issue of drinking alcohol while breastfeeding remains open for doctors around the world, it is still best to stop drinking alcohol as long as you are breastfeeding your baby.

Myth: Beer enhances lactation. This is a myth, drinking beer does not affect lactation in any way ().

Alcohol while breastfeeding is a hot topic of discussion. How alcohol affects breast milk, lactation increases or decreases. How quickly alcohol penetrates into milk and after what time it is excreted. What are the consequences for the baby now and in the future. Consider the features of the use of wine, beer, champagne, spirits. Let's make a table of removing alcohol from breast milk.

What is alcohol

Alcoholic or alcoholic drinks are liquids containing ethanol (ethyl, wine alcohol or simply alcohol). Alcohol comes in low and high alcohol content, the so-called. hard liquor. In Russia, strong alcohol begins with a content of 25% ethyl alcohol in the composition.

Alcohol and breast milk

When alcohol enters the body, its absorption begins in the oral cavity and esophagus, continues in the stomach and ends in the small intestine.

Due to the short contact of alcoholic beverages with the oral cavity and esophagus, the percentage of alcohol absorbed through them is negligible. Approximately 20% will be absorbed in the stomach. The main part is absorbed by the small intestine.

Stage 1 of alcohol absorption is the oral cavity and esophagus, Stage 2 is the stomach, Stage 3 is the small intestine.

A good snack only exacerbates the effects of drinking alcohol.

Contrary to popular belief, the effects of alcohol on the body will not decrease. It will only expand in time. Food in the stomach, as it were, increases the queue for the processing of alcohol. It seems to a person that you can drink more, but in fact there is already a dangerous dose of ethanol in the stomach and intestines.

Breast milk is made from blood and lymph. That is, what gets into the blood, gets into the milk. Of course, there is no such thing as how much alcohol is in the blood - so much in breast milk. The concentration of alcohol in milk will be much less.

The greater the weight of the mother, the faster the alcohol is removed from the milk.

Alcohol freely passes into breast milk. With an empty stomach, the time to reach the maximum concentration of alcohol in breast milk and the mother's body will be from 30 to 60 minutes.

Expressing "drunk" breast milk does not make sense. As long as alcohol is in the blood, it will be in the milk. New milk after pumping will again be with ethanol.

The effect of alcohol on lactation

Alcohol affects the release of the hormone oxytocin. This is the hormone that helps milk to come out of the breast. In a mother who drinks alcohol, the flow of breast milk becomes less. Accordingly, it becomes harder for the child to "extract" milk.

It has been proven by studies that after drinking alcohol by a nursing mother, the child begins to breastfeed more often, sucks more intensively, but sucks less. In this case, the mother will not notice that the child sucks out less milk.

After drinking strong drinks, breast milk has a bitter taste. The baby may even refuse to breastfeed. Pumping does not improve the situation.

According to popular belief, beer and wine can increase lactation. This is not true. On the contrary, the production of breast milk after drinking alcohol only decreases.

Impact on the breastfeeding mother

A nursing mother has a high amount of estrogen in the body. Because of this, she does not feel intoxicated in the same way that a non-nursing, non-pregnant woman feels it. That is, a nursing mother can drink alcohol and not notice, not feel intoxicated. And this is very dangerous, because the mother may not feel the high level of alcohol in her blood. You need to be careful about the dosage you are taking.

Impact on the baby

Ethanol can have a sedative (sedative) effect on the baby. The child may experience drowsiness.

After the mother takes alcohol, the baby falls asleep faster. However, then there is a lack of deep sleep. That is, the child has a more superficial, restless sleep. This leads to a decrease in the quality and duration of sleep.

Ethanol itself is not an allergen. But the impurities contained in alcoholic beverages can cause allergic reactions in the baby. It could be skin rashes or breathing problems.

The child may be allergic to impurities in alcohol

Consequences for the child in the future

If alcohol is abused, the infant may receive a developmental delay, and a loss of weight and height is likely.

Alcohol affects the central nervous system. Decreased mental development. A growing baby can acquire mental and behavioral disorders.

Ethanol leads to disruption of the development of internal organs. Violations in the developing reproductive system may appear, up to infertility and problems with potency in the future.

Wine

The basis of wine is ethanol. The fortress ranges from 9 to 22%. Wine from 9 to 16% is natural, and from 16 to 22% - fortified. The color is red, pink and white.

Wine contains resveratrol (up to 5.8 mg/l in red wine). According to some studies, this natural substance reduces the likelihood of diseases of the cardiovascular system, prevents and reduces tumors, and also increases life expectancy. Wine contains rubidium with anti-inflammatory, sedative, and anti-allergic effects.

All of the above applies to the moderate use of red wine. There is an opinion that wine improves lactation. We repeat: this is not the case.

Red

Red wine is made from black grapes. The red tint of the drink is created due to the substances contained in the skin of grapes.

Despite the possible positive effects of red wine on health, it is better to stop drinking it. Even with an improvement in the state of the cardiovascular system of a nursing mother, it is not known how this will affect the development of the baby. The negative effects of drinking red wine while breastfeeding are the same as with other alcohol.

Typical red wine label

Example. Mom, 165 cm tall and weighing 60 kg, drank a glass of red wine with a strength of 12% and a volume of 150 ml. The maximum concentration of ethanol in the blood in ppm will reach 0.29 ‰ in 30–60 minutes. The time of complete elimination from breast milk will be about 2 hours.

White

White wine is made from any color of grapes. The absence of shades of the drink is due to the manufacturing technology. It is made from berries without skin.

The effect of white wine on breastfeeding is not fundamentally different from the effect of other alcoholic beverages.

Example. Mom, 170 cm tall and weighing 70 kg, drank a glass of white wine with a strength of 11% and a volume of 100 ml. The maximum concentration of alcohol will be 0.14 ‰ in 30–60 minutes. The withdrawal time is about 1 hour 15 minutes.

homemade

Homemade wine is called a self-made drink. It is made not only from grapes. It happens from raisins, mountain ash, currants, blueberries, sea buckthorn, oranges, plums, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, apples, strawberries, blueberries, melons, cherries, apricots, etc.

To make the berries are crushed, sugar is added and left for several days to ferment. After filtration operations, the wine is stored in a cool room for about a month.

Do not think that the effect of homemade wine on breastfeeding (lactation) is different from other alcoholic beverages. This is not true. The alcohol in homemade wine has the same destructive effect as the alcohol in store-bought alcohol.

Champagne

Champagne is a type of sparkling wine. Champagne can only be called wine produced in the Champagne region of France. It must meet certain requirements.

In the context of considering the effect of alcohol on breastfeeding, it does not matter to us whether it is champagne or any other sparkling wine.

Champagne contains carbon dioxide, which is formed as a result of fermentation. It accelerates the absorption of alcohol, ethanol enters the blood faster, while part of the alcohol is absorbed through the oral cavity and enters the brain, bypassing the liver. Thus, champagne will pass into breast milk faster than regular wine. But the processing of alcohol by the body will also be faster.

Conclusion on guilt

If you really want to drink wine while breastfeeding, we advise you to stop at dry red wine. It contains the powerful antioxidant resveratrol and beneficial trace elements such as rubidium. Fortified, sweet, semi-sweet, semi-dry wine is more difficult for the body to process compared to dry.

The volume of wine drunk per day should not exceed 100–150 ml and 450 ml per week.

Beer while breastfeeding

Beer is a low alcohol drink. Its strength is usually 3-6%. Beer is very popular due to its taste and aroma. In Europe, beer is made from barley.

The process of making beer includes: drying and cleaning barley, crushing and mixing it with water, primary filtration, boiling for 1-2 hours, clarification, cooling, fermentation, final filtration and pasteurization.

Composition of beer

0.5 liters of beer contains

Benefits of beer

All the advantages described above apply to moderate beer consumption. The data are presented according to some studies and do not represent the official opinion of the medical community.

• Reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
• Beer prevents coronary heart disease better than other alcoholic beverages.
• Prevents the occurrence of certain types of cancer and reduces the likelihood of diabetes.
• There is a lot of vitamin B12, B6, B2 in beer.
• The silicon in beer strengthens the bones.
• Beer kills the bacterium Helicobacter, which causes stomach ulcers.

Cons of beer

Despite the possible benefits of beer, it has the same negative qualities as all other alcoholic beverages.

Beer can harm not only a nursing mother, but also a baby. With the abuse of beer during lactation, ethanol in significant quantities will be transferred to the child. Together with breast milk, he will receive the whole bunch of negative effects from alcohol.

Drinking beer increases the level of prolactin in the blood within 30 minutes after drinking it. The hormone prolactin increases milk production. At the same time, the level of oxytocin due to the action of ethanol falls. And oxytocin helps the milk "exit" from the breast. It can be concluded that the likelihood of blockages increases.

The chances of getting milk stasis in the chest are greater after drinking beer.

Example. Mom, 180 cm tall and weighing 72 kg, drank a bottle of light beer with a strength of 4.5% and a volume of 500 ml. The maximum ethanol in the blood will reach 0.27 ‰ in 30–60 minutes. The excretion time from milk will be about 2 hours.

Mom, 180 cm tall and weighing 72 kg, drank 2 bottles of light beer, with a strength of 4.5% and a volume of 500 ml each. The ethanol concentration will increase to 0.54 ‰ in 30–60 min. The withdrawal time is about 3 hours 15 minutes.

Nonalcoholic beer

Non-alcoholic beer tastes like regular beer. At the same time, the alcohol content in its composition does not exceed 0.5%.

Nonalcoholic beer

It has been observed that if the mother consumes non-alcoholic beer, there is no change in the baby's suckling behavior. This suggests that the behavior of the child is affected not just by the smell of milk, but by its alcohol component.

Non-alcoholic beer has almost no negative effect on lactation and breast milk. Due to the low alcohol content, there is practically no harmful effect. However, do not overuse. When taking "horse" doses of non-alcoholic, ethanol will still enter the body of a nursing mother, and hence the baby in significant quantities.

Conclusion on beer

If the body of a nursing mother asks for a sip of cold beer, do not interfere with it. There will be no significant effects on health and lactation from a glass of light beer. In the case of beer, it is better to opt for beer up to 4.5%, and even better if it is non-alcoholic beer.

Strong alcohol

Strong alcoholic beverages in Russia include alcohol with a strength above 25%. These are vodka, cognac, rum, tequila, whiskey, gin, liquor, etc. They are all united by a high alcohol content.

Also, many of them have additional components that exacerbate the already harmful effects of alcohol on the body.

Example. Mom, 175 cm tall and weighing 68 kg, drank 100 g of vodka. The presence of ethanol will reach 0.65 ‰ in 30–60 min. The withdrawal time is 4 hours.

Time to remove alcohol from the body and breast milk

Your blood alcohol level is not affected by getting enough sleep, or eating fruit, or drinking more water, or being outdoors, or exercising vigorously. It all relieves the symptoms. That is, you may feel better from this, but the level of alcohol in the blood and in milk does not decrease.

Let's figure out how fast alcohol will be excreted from the breast milk of an average mother in Russia. The average height of a woman in Russia in 2018 is 168 cm, and her weight is 69 kg.

Table for the withdrawal of alcohol from milk up to 0 ‰ for a nursing mother weighing 69 kg and 168 cm tall.

In the presented table, you can see the minimum time after which you can breastfeed after drinking alcohol so that there are no consequences for the child.

The result of one study

One mother had the opportunity to give her milk for tests to check the level of alcohol in this milk. And that's what it turned out.

Mom mixed herself a drink of 50 milliliters of vodka and 280 milliliters of sprite. I drank it within half an hour. Half an hour later she expressed milk for analysis, and an hour later she passed the second portion. During this time, she did not drink or eat anything else, so as not to blur the picture of the effect of an alcoholic cocktail on milk.

The next day, my mother drank a glass of beer and two glasses of wine (each about 170 milliliters). And in the same way she watched the milk an hour later and two later, after she drank it.

What was revealed in the laboratory analysis. In milk, an hour after the start of drinking an alcoholic cocktail with vodka, the alcohol content was 0.014%. This is roughly equivalent to 50 milliliters of vodka diluted in 70 liters of water. For comparison: three-day kefir contains 0.6% alcohol, which is 45 times more. Two hours later, no alcohol was found in the milk at all.

After three servings of alcohol, the picture was worse. An hour later, the milk contained 0.04% alcohol. And two hours later, 0.007% alcohol.

Conclusion

Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding is not a good idea. But a nursing mother is also a living person, she also has her own desires and whims. Do not refuse the body if it asks for a sip of beer or wine. Subject to safe time intervals and minimum doses, nothing bad will happen. In any case, remember: if you can not drink - do not drink. This will be better for you and your baby.