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Ask A Lactation Consultant

Q. What are the affects of having a couple of drinks after a breastfeeding session?

This would allow 3-4 hours for the alcohol to leave my system. Does residual alcohol stay in the breast milk? I only plan to drink once a week or once a month, but I would like to have more than one drink.

Mitzi

A.Dear Mitzi,

Alcohol clears the breast milk in about the same amount of time it takes to clear the blood stream. If you are planning to drink heavily (more than 2 drinks), you may want to give it 6-8 hours to clear your system. There are a lot of breast milk and alcohol theories out there. Some health care providers feel it is best to avoid all alcohol while nursing. Some feel that occasional moderate drinking is OK and some feel that if any alcohol is consumed, you should pump and dump for 24 hours. Check with your health care provider.

Stephanie Ryan, RN, BSN, ICCE, IBCLC answers your breastfeeding questions.