Cinco de Mayo + Breastfeeding: No Pumping + Dumping Required!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, mamas! We all know that Cinco de Mayo is the perfect day for a margarita or two, but a lot of us breastfeeding mamas think we need to lay off the stuff completely or pump + dump in order to partake in the festivities. Both of those can feel like a MAJOR bummer sometimes, especially the pumping + DUMPING! No one wants to waste an ounce of liquid gold, am I right? Whether it’s Cinco de Mayo, Sunday Funday, your best friend’s wedding, or you just want a glass of wine after a long day, not drinking at ALL or pumping + dumping that hard-earned liquid gold is actually NOT necessary! Today, I am BUSTING the myth that you have to 100% lay off the booze while breastfeeding! Exciting, right?!

The truth is, according to the CDC, breastfeeding mamas can have up to 1 drink per day –moderate alcohol consumption is not known to be harmful to your little babe.

So what exactly does 1 drink mean?

One standard drink, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is as follows:

• 12 ounces of 5% beer
• 8 ounces of 7% malt liquor
• 5 ounces of 12% wine
• 5 ounces of 80 proof liquor

 And what does this mean for you as a breastfeeding mama?

1. Wait 2-3 hours after your 1 drink to feed baby or pump.
   I would either nurse or pump right before having a drink so that I have 2-3 hours before the next feeding or pumping time. Alcohol levels are generally the highest 30 minutes to an hour after consumption, so I would definitely avoid feeding that quickly after having a drink. However, blood alcohol levels and the length of time alcohol can be present in breast milk after drinking depends on how much mama drank, how fast she drank, if mama ate before drinking, how much mama weighs, and how fast the alcohol is metabolized.
   
   
2. Test your breast milk before feeding to ensure safety.
   I purchased breast milk testing strips from Amazon that detect alcohol in breast milk. I would express just enough milk for the test, which only takes 2 minutes to give you results! This would give me peace of mind before feeding Mason after having a drink.
   SHOP THE TESTING STRIPS FROM AMAZON
   
   
3. Save the milk and label it for a rainy day!
   If you happen to have more than 1 drink in a short period of time or if you didn’t quite time it all properly, don’t worry! IT’S ALL GOOD. But don’t let that milk go to waste! Go ahead and pump…but KEEP IT! Don’t dump. Label it as your fun milk and use it for a variety of other things! Breast milk has been known to help sooth diaper rash, healing cuts and scrapes, treating baby acne, helping with cradle cap, soothe eczema, and more! One great way to use breast milk therapeutically is in a milk bath! All you do is add 5-10 ounces of breast milk to your baby’s warm bath water and let baby soak in the bath for 5-15 minutes!

So cheers, mama! I love me a spicy margarita with a tajin rim! I think that’s my drink of choice this Cinco de Mayo! How about you?!

And, if you want to continue with all the CHEERS-ing, join me next TUESDAY for a total FREE virtual event for the Ailana J. Mama Tribe (that’s YOU!):

 
What you can expect from this super fun night:

• An amazing wine tasting of 4 of ONEHOPE’s bestselling wines
• Automatic raffle entry to win a FREE bottle of ONEHOPE wine
• A FUN, much-deserved night with the girls as a belated Mother’s Day celebration!