Alcohol and breast-feeding. Worth the risk?

Alcohol and breast-feeding. Worth the risk?

Ilyashenko Oleksiy, Shutterstock.com

Doctors have always insisted and will insist on the absolute dangers of alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And those moms who religiously believe that regular consumption of alcohol does not harm their child, I would still be sent on study tours to children's hospitals and correctional schools.

But, fortunately, few such mothers. Most conscientious parents try to avoid anything that might be the slightest risk to the health of children.

I, as an expert on breastfeeding, I'll only talk about breast-feeding mothers. Pregnant women should follow the recommendations of the doctor overseeing the pregnancy. But the young mothers often ask questions, not professionals, but is generally the same as they are, or more experienced mothers. Why is this happening? Because everyone knows the position of conventional medicine, either feeding, or alcohol.

If you read some articles of the doctors, then a glass of wine on occasion almost equal to the mother's alcoholism. This generates a categorical guilt by good mothers, and quite useless to already dependent on alcohol. So here I give information that might help responsible parents.

Is there a "safe" dose?

The women in connection with the peculiarities of metabolism and low body weight, alcohol can be absorbed faster and slower output. In the mammary gland is present about 10 per cent of the amount of alcohol contained in the blood.

This is what happens to a woman who drank beer 0.33. In the first 20 minutes of alcohol has not yet reached the upper intestine and did not begin to absorb. If alcohol is used after a hearty meal, the blood alcohol appears after 30-40 minutes. This means that within 20 minutes after taking one (!) Glass of beer to feed safely. Next alcohol enters the bloodstream, and 10 percent of what is contained in the blood - in the mother's milk.

The concentration of alcohol in breast milk does not depend on whether or not to pump. As soon as the alcohol will be neutralized in the maternal blood concentration in milk immediately fall. This usually occurs after 2-2.5 hours after intake. This means that in the breast milk will not be observed alcohol within 3 hours after taking a glass of beer or 150 ml of wine. Two cups of strong beer made in a row, will be displayed 6 hours. And if the mother thin and weighs less than 55 kg, and even more.

To sum up. To celebratory glass of safe, mom to:

1. Take into account the child's age. Children up to 3 months are most susceptible to alcohol.

2. Take into account your weight. The more a person weighs, the faster the body processes alcohol.

3. Note that liquor is absorbed and excreted more.

4. Feed the baby shortly before drinking or right after.

5. In any case, prepare a little expressed milk if the baby is too small and require feeding more frequently than once every 2-2.5 hours.

6. Forget about the "safe" daily (preferably weekly) dose - 0.3 beer or 150 ml of dry wine or 40 ml of brandy. But never before - all together.

Compatible if the mother's alcoholism and breast-feeding?

Among those suffering from alcohol dependence, too, are good mothers. These women are capable of during pregnancy and breast-feeding completely stop drinking alcohol. For them, a recommendation - not an ounce of alcohol. Even the popular homeopathic drops "from the flu," an alcohol-based can lead to the return of uncontrollable craving for alcohol. Therefore, for these women is important not to just not drink alcohol, but also to refrain from visiting those places where it is traditionally used.

Several times I watched as maternity and breastfeeding help women get rid of alcohol addiction. Of course, the support of close relatives and understanding while helping the most. A warm bath and massage, a delicious dish or a sweet soft drink, emotional conversation with her husband, or call a friend, the pleasure of feeding and hugs with the baby - all these simple pleasures of life can help to overcome the craving for alcohol.

When the full extent of the prohibitions on alcohol, the ratio of serious research benefits and harms of breast-feeding when the mother's alcoholism and transfer the child to artificial feeding was carried out. So the decision to continue breast-feeding lies entirely on the mother and other relatives of the infant. Mothers who suffer from alcoholism, children often have less weight, more slowly, have more problems in adulthood. However, this may contribute to other causes related to alcoholism - infrequent feedings, lack of milk in the mother, child abandonment.

Nevertheless, there are two strict ban for mothers who are prone to uncontrolled consumption of alcohol:

Do not feed into a state of severe intoxication! When the mother of alcohol dizzy, nauseous or its dominant strong sleepiness, the same symptoms may occur in the infant, breast-fed by.

You can not take the child to his bed after drinking large amounts of alcohol or other stun agents (hypnotics, sedatives chemical).

Will a beer milk?

At the end of the article, I will refute the myth about the benefits of beer for lactation. Unfortunately for some, and fortunately for others, the beer does not increase the amount of milk. While many mothers may experience a feeling of fullness of the tide and in the mammary glands after taking the drink. What's really going on?

First of all, beer, paradoxically, at a time delay fluid in the tissues, which leads to varicose veins and swelling. Second, alcohol reduces tissue sensitivity to oxytocin. Oxytocin - a hormone that is produced from nursing mothers in response to the suckling infant breast. This hormone helps the milk to stand out from the breast tissue. Oxytocin without much milk just can not leave the chest. So, it is noticed that the children after drinking beer mothers suck breast more often, and suck the milk - less. Remaining in the breast milk and causes a feeling of fullness. When that baby is actually in full breast milk gets smaller.

Better way to improve lactation - a positive mood mommy and frequent latch baby to breast in the correct position. So those who do not like beer, can relax and not force yourself to drink it. And those who love, admit that you drink it more for my own pleasure.And if you want to give yourself pleasure, do it wisely, not to harm himself or his most beloved child in the world!