Is the "pump and dump" pointless?

The short answer: yes. The pump and dump is more for mom’s peace of mind and pumping and dumping that sweet liquid gold does not speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body. Does that mean that you favorite vino is a no-no while breastfeeding?

Don’t throw in the sober towel quite yet; reasonable intake of alcohol is A-okay. But the term “reasonable” is not relative to each individual. While you may have been the beer-pong champ in college, reasonable intake with a breastfeeding baby takes on a whole new meaning. Because alcohol can both affect the baby and/or your supply when consumed in large amounts, it should be restricted to 1 – 2 drinks.

In “Myths About Breastfeeding” Dr. Hale states, “Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.”

And let’s face it, some days we really need those two glasses of “mommy’s juice”.

For more answers on alcohol while breastfeeding, check out these guidelines by the International La Leche League.

 

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