Beer And Breastfeeding

Contents:

• Beer Improves Lactation, is that a Myth or Not
• Harmful Effects on the Child
• Rules of Beer Consumption During Period of Lactation

Beer While Breastfeeding

There is a consensus among the doctors that alcohol and chest breastfeeding aren’t compatible. Even small doses of alcohol slow down normal development of the child and promote the appearance of diseases and pathological abnormalities.

Today, there is a prevalent belief, that beer could stimulate an increase in lactation due to presence of some useful elements. However experts find such information discredited. Researches show that beer doesn’t provide direct influence upon amount of milk in any way. And all advantage of this drink fades into the background because of harmful and dangerous substances.

Well, think about whether it is possible to use beer during breastfeeding.

Beer Improves Lactation, is that a Myth or Not

Some researchers regard it as certain that beer may be drunk during breastfeeding, but at compliance with the necessary restrictions. Such opinion has usually appeared due to the fact that brewer’s yeast is a part of beer and this component possesses useful capacities.

Brewer’s yeast contains vitamins B1, B2 and D2 which favorably affect the organism:

• B1 improves a metabolism, helps to regain strength and relieves of depression;
• B2 stabilizes a condition of skin, improves its structure and appearance;
• D2 strengthens teeth and promotes growth of hair.

If you have felt an urgent need to drink some beer, you likely have not enough of these vitamins. There is no need to take alcoholic drinks to resupply your organism. You can obtain necessary nutrients from other products. You just have to eat more bran, a whole grain bread, vegetables and fermented milk foods during your usual meal.

If, in spite of everything, you have decided to drink alcohol, then better choose nonalcoholic beer. The presence of hop and barley in such beer will improve your mood and will stimulate production of hormones. Carbohydrates and minerals will become a source of nutritious elements. At the same time, such drink contains minimum of alcohol.

Today, on web pages it is often possible to meet information that beer has increased amount of milk during breastfeeding. A new mother may, in fact, feel that she has plenty of milk in consumption of this alcoholic drink. However it is self-deception as a choice. Beer doesn’t promote improvement of lactation.

It is proved that this foamy beverage has the power to be deposited in the body tissues. As a result they inflate and stretch. For this very reason it may cause an increase of breast milk to be felt. At the same time, feeding could be rather difficult. The alcohol suspends milk inflow, and the child is forced to make efforts for sucking.

And for increase in lactation, it is better to drink more liquid. Such as natural fruit juice, drinking water, tea and fermented milk products. Remember that a large number of consuming alcoholic drinks will do irreparable harm to the child!

Harmful Effects on the Child

• a delay in motor activity development of the child. Nonalcoholic beer isn’t an exception in this case. Despite such designation this drink contains a small dose of alcohol all the same;
• sleep disorder, slackness and weakness;
• a child’s shortage on weight;
• risk of emergence of a hypoglycemia;
• beer suspends liquid in organism and breaks outflow of breast milk;
• increase in heart rate and lowering of arterial blood pressure;
• emergence of colic, flatulence, inflammation of a gullet, stomach or intestines;
• frequent consumption of beer causes a rapid accustoming of the child that may lead to alcohol dependence in future.

Rules of Beer Consumption During Period of Lactation

The incidental use of not strong alcoholic drinks won’t influence breastfeeding and won’t do much harm to the kid. Therefore, if you want beer so much, then it is possible to drink a little. However at lactation it is necessary to follow next rules strictly:

1. Nonalcoholic beer contains 0,5-1,5 % of alcohol. For comparison, kefir contains about 0,6 % and kvass – about 1,2 %. In this case it is possible to drink no more than 500 ml of drink a day.
2. It may be possible to drink low-alcoholic beer with the content of alcohol to 6% occasionally and no more than 250 ml a day.
3. Before the use such drink check whether your child doesn’t have alcohol intolerance, or allergic reaction to hop, barley or carbonic acid.
4. Any alcoholic drinks including nonalcoholic beer are impossible to drink at least three months after the childbirth.
5. Don’t take canned beer as it contains a large amount of preservatives.
6. Feed your child before you are going to drink alcohol. After drinking, wait for alcohol full excretion out of the organism. Time of such excretion depends on the weight of mother and a type of drink. For example, a woman weighing 55 kg after intaking 250 ml of beer with the low content of alcohol (to 6%) needs two hours on average.
7. Even if after a one drink of beer there appears strong intoxication, then any alcoholic beverages should be excluded urgently. It indicates about shortage of enzymes for digestion of alcohol in the organism.
8. If after beer use you notice deterioration in health of your child, then it also isn’t recommended to drink any more.
9. It is impossible to drink on an empty stomach! It will increase time of alcohol excretion out of your organism.

The drunk alcohol gets into a digestive tract where there are 20 minutes. Then it is fed to intestines where it is absorbed in the duodenum. Alcohol penetrates into blood and then is processed during 10 minutes. The maximum concentration of alcohol in blood keeps its properties during 12 hour and then gradually disappears.

The child would receive the highest dose of alcohol when breastfeeding in 30-60 minutes after his mother has drunk beer. Therefore it is important to wait for alcohol from full excretion out of your organism. As it was already told earlier, for mother weighing 55 kg it requires at least two hours.

The more time interval between alcohol intake and breastfeeding, the better for your child. If you are afraid of negative consequences, then it is possible to descent your milk before the use of alcohol.

Thus, it is occasionally possible to drink nonalcoholic or low-alcoholic beer in small doses. The single use won’t cause a serious danger. If a feeding mother has periodically a need for beer, then try to replace this alcohol beverage with naturally fermented kvass or kefir.

Alcohol and Breastfeeding