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Drinking beer while breastfeeding to increase milk production and aid milk letdown has mixed results, with excess alcohol reducing milk supply. Moderate alcohol consumption is considered safe by medical organizations, but excessive consumption can harm the baby’s development.
Drinking beer while breastfeeding has long been touted as a way to both increase milk production and reduce the time it takes for milk to let down. Studies on these benefits of drinking beer while breastfeeding have had mixed results, with the majority showing there is no real basis for these beliefs. It is known that beer, or any alcohol, can actually reduce a woman’s milk supply when consumed in excess. Most major medical organizations, however, consider moderate alcohol consumption to be compatible with nursing care.
For centuries, beer has been used by nursing mothers, especially in the early stages of a nursing relationship, to increase milk production and flow. The hops in beer, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are thought to increase a woman’s prolactin levels, causing her body to produce more milk and aiding the flow of milk from the breast to the baby or breast pump, also known as milk letdown. . While there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to support this theory, scientific studies have not produced the same results.
Several researchers have found that for prolactin levels to rise significantly enough to cause the body to produce more milk, it would be necessary to consume a large amount of beer. Since beer is a diuretic, the amount needed would actually dry out breast milk, despite the increase in prolactin. Smaller studies, however, have found that drinking beer while breastfeeding can help a mother relax, thus promoting milk letdown. A small glass of beer can generally achieve this effect without limiting milk supply or causing harm to the baby.
Drinking beer while breastfeeding is often looked down upon. However, according to various breastfeeding organizations and many leading medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding mothers are safe to drink beer and other types of alcohol while breastfeeding. The general consensus is that if a woman is sober enough to drive legally, she is sober enough to breastfeed her child. This means that a woman weighing approximately 140 pounds (63 kilograms) can safely drink a 12-ounce (355 mL) beer or 5-ounce (148 mL) glass of wine every two hours with food, and continue to breastfeed her. son without a problem.
If a woman wants to consume more than this recommended amount, most doctors suggest pumping ahead of time and bottle-feeding the baby even though alcohol generally doesn’t stay in breast milk. The breasts themselves also often filter out a great deal of impurities from the milk. However, constant exposure to alcohol in breast milk has been found to slow the baby’s gross motor development and, in babies less than three months of age, make them groggy or gassy.
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