A Clear-Eyed Look at Alcohol and Breastfeeding During the Festive Season

The festive season rolls in with twinkly lights, questionable jumpers, and… the annual chorus of “But can I have a drink if I’m breastfeeding?”
It’s a fair question — and one far too often answered with guilt, fear, or outdated folklore. So let’s take a breath, set down the parental guilt backpack, and sort the facts from the fuss.

This is your honest, balanced guide to alcohol and breastfeeding. No judgement. No moralising. No pressure. Just information you can actually use. And puns that will make us both morto.

What Actually Happens When You Drink?

Alcohol enters your milk at the same rate it enters your blood.
It doesn’t pool, store, or “hide out” in your breasts. As your blood alcohol level rises, so does the level in your milk. As it falls, so does the level in your milk.

The proportion is tiny: typically just a fraction of the amount you consumed.

And crucially — alcohol leaves your milk as it leaves your bloodstream.
Expressing doesn’t speed up clearance (that old chestnut is officially roasted (on an open fire...)).

The Case For: Why Many Experts Say Moderate Drinking Is Compatible With Breastfeeding

A large number of reputable breastfeeding experts (including Dr Jack Newman, La Leche League International, and the Breastfeeding Network) agree that occasional, moderate drinking is compatible with breastfeeding.

Here’s why:

• The milk alcohol level is low. Even after a standard drink, the amount that reaches milk is so small that it’s considered unlikely to harm a healthy, full-term baby.

• Timing helps if you want it to. Feeding before drinking, then waiting 1.5–3 hours per drink for alcohol levels to drop, means many babies receive essentially alcohol-free milk.

• Breastfeeding still offers enormous protective benefits. A glass of wine does not cancel the immunology of human milk — your body doesn’t suddenly forget its job.

• Parents deserve autonomy. Being a parent shouldn’t mean being condemned to dry-toast purity forever. Experts emphasise supporting breastfeeding and maternal wellbeing.

The Case For Caution: Why Some Organisations Advise Limiting Alcohol Closely

Some guidance leans more cautious. Not accusatory — just careful. Here’s their reasoning:

• Babies metabolise alcohol more slowly. Even very small amounts require more time for an infant’s liver to process, especially young, small or preterm infants.

• Sleep disruption. Higher levels of alcohol in milk (after heavier drinking) may affect infant sleep patterns.

• Impaired parental responsiveness. A big one: alcohol affects you. Coordination, judgement, night feeding awareness — these matter for safety. Bedsharing cannot be considered 'safe' if alcohol is consumed.

• Heavier drinking changes the equation. Binge drinking is not considered safe for breastfeeding, mostly because of parental impairment and the higher alcohol level in milk during the peak period.

• Premature or medically vulnerable babies may need a stricter approach, because their systems are simply more fragile.

You’ll notice none of this says “never ever drink”.
It says: know your situation, your baby’s needs, and your limits (and listen to your intuition!).

A Reality Check: The “Pumping and Dumping” Myth

Let’s chant it out for the ones still talking down the back:
Pumping and dumping does not remove alcohol from your milk. (Can I put this to a tune?? Christmas No 1 anyone???)

The only reason to pump during drinking is if:

• you need to protect supply during a long gap, or

• you’re uncomfortable and want relief.

Your milk clears when your blood clears. End of.

Practical Ways to Navigate the Festive Season

You can be cautious and relaxed. Responsible and human. Here are options people use:

• Feed before drinking so your baby gets milk with negligible alcohol levels.

• Have a standard drink, and allow 2–3 hours for it to clear before the next feed.

• If baby feeds unpredictably, know that the alcohol level in milk is still low, even at the “peak”.

• Plan for safe overnight care if you’re drinking more than moderately — not because of milk, but because you deserve support when your reflexes are slowed.

• If you prefer to avoid alcohol entirely, that is equally valid, empowering, and supported.

Your choice is still your choice.

The Feminist Bit: Bodily Autonomy Belongs to You

Too many people who breastfeed feel policed — by family, by online groups, by random strangers who absolutely did not receive an invitation to comment.

You are not a vessel.
You are a person.
And you get to balance your wellbeing, your joy, your traditions, and your feeding relationship in the way that works for your family.

Information empowers. Judgement shackles.
You deserve the first, never the second.

So… Can You Have a Drink?

Here’s the unvarnished truth:

Yes, you can have a drink while breastfeeding, and the evidence supports that.
You can also choose not to, and the evidence supports that too.

There is no gold star for abstaining, and no scarlet letter for enjoying a mulled wine.

All that matters is that you feel informed, confident, and supported in whatever you decide.

Your baby needs you — not perfection.

Sources

• Dr Jack Newman – The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers

• La Leche League International – Alcohol and Breastfeeding guidelines

• The Breastfeeding Network (UK) – “Alcohol and Breastfeeding” fact sheet

• World Health Organization – General breastfeeding safety guidance

• American Academy of Pediatrics – Policy on breastfeeding and maternal substances

• Hale, T. – Medications & Mothers’ Milk

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – Postnatal care recommendations