Breastfeeding and Alcohol Side Effects

In case you are interested in the breastfeeding and alcohol side effects, you should know that breastfeeding mothers aren’t supposed to avoid having alcohol completely, but they might wonder how much alcohol they can have without harming the baby.

The side effects of alcohol

Breastfeeding-and-Alcohol-Side-EffectsIf the baby is exposed to alcohol for a short period of time, most probably there will be a change in the sleep patterns; in fact the baby will sleep less.

However, according to the studies, if a mother has a drink or more a day, the effects could be more serious and long lasting.

What to expect

The mothers interested in the alcohol side effects and breastfeeding ought to know that alcohol consumption can slow down the weight gain of the babies and the motor developments can be delayed. The newborn babies are at larger risk because their liver isn’t fully developed yet.

Age

When thinking about the breastfeeding and alcohol side effects, you also have to consider the age of the baby. After the first three months the babies get better equipped to handle the breakdown of alcohol if small amounts of alcohol reach them through the breast milk.

Timing

The negative effects of breastfeeding and alcohol are important from times’ point of view. Mothers shouldn’t nurse 60-90 minutes after consuming alcohol. This is because this is the time frame when the breast milks’ alcohol concentration is the highest. The alcohol returns to the bloodstream so women don’t have to remove it.

Other breastfeeding

Usually the negative effects on the mother are more serious than on the baby. It is possible for the milk supply of the mother to decrease. If you have more than two drinks per day, you may experience an inhibition of letdown. This means that the baby won’t be fed as efficiently as before.

Recommendations

In case you are interested in the adverse effects of alcohol and breastfeeding, you should know that it is best to wait couple of hours after drinking alcohol before your start breastfeeding. This way the alcohol will have left the breast milk before it reaches the baby.

All women should know about the breastfeeding and alcohol side effects to realize the danger that their child could be in if they aren’t careful. It is best not to have any alcohol while nursing, just to be sure that nothing will go wrong.

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