Despite past claims that alcohol use supported milk production, alcohol interferes with the breastfeeding process and puts children at risk.
Alcohol that is consumed by a mother passes into her bloodstream and her breast milk. The levels of alcohol in the breast milk are similar to the blood alcohol level of the mother. Babies who ingest alcohol through their mothers’ breast milk are at risk of delayed motor development and disrupted sleep patterns (http://en.healthnexus.ca/topics-tools/reproductive-health/alcohol-and-pregnancy-substance-use)
Check out some of the downloadable and website resources below!
Avoid drinking alcohol if you are breastfeeding, especially while your baby is very young. After that, while it’s still safest to avoid alcohol, an occasional small drink can be okay as long as you plan for it carefully. There are resources available to help you plan, such as the Health Nexus and Motherisk websites.
Other online resources include:
My Health Alberta is a Government of Alberta initiative to provide health and wellness information through various articles (including a topic overview on breastfeeding).
For the best possible start in life, the Public Health Agency of Canada supports and promotes breastfeeding as the normal and unequalled way to provide optimal nutritional, immunological and emotional nurturing of infants and toddlers.