time magazine breast feeding funny 2012
Many studies have shown different results on alcohol and breastfeeding. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) excessive drinking of alcohol is discouraged during breastfeeding. Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the milk while it also rapidly clears from the milk.
According to my opinion when a mother is expecting her child and plans to breastfeed, she often thinks that she has to avoid all those spicy, salty, sugary and fatty food that could cause problem to her child. While thinking of all these, the main item that comes in her mind is ALCOHOL. Do she has to leave alcohol? YES or NO?
Well the answer is ‘Not Entirely’. Current research says that a breast feeding mother should not drink more than 1 to 2 units of alcohol per week. Exceeding this could be harmful to the nursing baby. A breast feeding mother should also avoid breastfeeding her child before 2-3 hours of drinking alcohol.
Here are some of the effects that drinking has on breast feeding:
- Daily consumption of alcohol increases the risk for slow weight gain in the infant.
- Small amount of alcohol in breast milk may change the infant's sleep-wake pattern – It is also seen that infants whose mothers were light drinkers slept less.
- More than 2 drinks may inhibit let down.
- Pumping does not get rid of the alcohol in breast milk quicker.
It is especially important that women should stay away from drinking alcohol during the baby's first 6 weeks of life. Try not to get the child using formula milk in those days. Doing so could protect the child against any type of infection and gets benefited from the mother’s milk.
