Is it okay for nursing mothers to drink alcohol?

It seems like a lot of nursing mothers I know are enjoying more than an occasional glass of wine these days. This really surprised me because when I nursed only about two years ago, I barely drank a sip of alcohol during those months. I wanted to know if I was too cautious in my avoiding alcohol while nursing, and to see if drinking is at all harmful to the baby.

What is fascinating about my research is that the organization known to be the biggest proponent of breastfeeding, La Leche League, appeared to be the most supportive of nursing mothers being able to drink some alcohol, as to not put too many limitations on them and encourage them to nurse as long as possible. However, other key sources advise against nursing mothers consuming alcohol.

March of Dimes recommends that women do not drink alcohol while nursing since small amounts of alcohol accumulate in breast milk and are passed to the baby. The organization points to a study that found that breastfed babies of women who had one or more drinks per day were a little slower in acquiring motor skills (like crawling and walking) than babies who were not exposed to any alcohol.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that alcohol passes through a mother’s milk to the baby, so it is best for women to avoid habitual use while breastfeeding. AAP warns of possible side effects if too much alcohol is consumed, including: drowsiness, deep sleep, weakness, and abnormal weight gain in the infant, and the possibility of decreased milk-ejection reflex in the mother. AAP also explains that one alcoholic drink—the equivalent of a twelve-ounce beer, four-ounce glass of wine, or one ounce of hard liquor—will probably not harm a child, but there are concerns about long-term, repeated exposures of infants to alcohol via the mother’s breastmilk, so moderation is advised.

Kidshealth.org explains that it takes about 2 to 3 hours after consuming one drink for the alcohol to be metabolized and no longer be a concern for nursing. They advice mothers to not give a baby breast milk for at least 2 to 3 hours for every drink of alcohol consumed.

With all the possible physical and behavioral health issues that a child could have, why increase the risk by drinking alcohol while nursing? It just does not seem necessary to this mom. And there are no guarantees that all of the alcohol will be removed from a mother’s body by the time of the next feeding. I think it is better to be safe than sorry in this case and forego the drinks until the child has been weaned. What do you think?