Alcohol and breastfeeding

Can you drink alcohol while breastfeeding? You might have received conflicting advice about whether it is safe to have an occasional drink, how long alcohol stays in your milk, and whether you need to express and throw milk away afterwards.

Alcohol does pass into milk, and the amount in your milk rises and falls with the amount in your bloodstream. How much your baby is exposed to depends mainly on how much you drink and how long it is before you breastfeed again.

Occasional drinking while breastfeeding has not been shown to harm babies. (1, 2) If you choose to drink alcohol, there are simple ways to minimise the amount your baby receives and to keep breastfeeding safely.

This article explains how alcohol passes into milk, whether you need to “pump and dump”, how alcohol can affect breastfeeding and milk supply, and what to consider if you drink more than planned.

Summary

• Alcohol passes into your milk, and the level in your milk rises and falls with the level in your bloodstream.
• Occasional drinking while breastfeeding has not been shown to harm babies.
• You do not need to “pump and dump” after drinking alcohol. Expressing milk does not make alcohol leave your body or your milk more quickly.
• If you want to minimise your baby’s exposure to alcohol, timing matters most: breastfeed before drinking, then allow time for the alcohol level in your blood and milk to fall before the next feed.
• Alcohol can temporarily slow milk release and may affect how much milk your baby takes at a feed.
• Drinking larger amounts, or drinking regularly, can affect breastfeeding and your ability to care for your baby safely.
• Do not bed-share or fall asleep with your baby after drinking alcohol.
• If you are worried about your alcohol use, a healthcare professional can help you find support.

On this page

Can I drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

Many breastfeeding mothers choose to drink alcohol occasionally. The amount of alcohol your baby is exposed to depends mainly on how much you drink and how much alcohol is in your bloodstream when your baby breastfeeds.

Occasional drinking while breastfeeding has not been shown to harm babies. If you would prefer to minimise your baby’s exposure, you can breastfeed before drinking and allow time for the alcohol level in your bloodstream to fall before the next feed.

You do not need to stop breastfeeding because you have had an alcoholic drink, and you do not need to express and discard your milk simply because you have been drinking.

How much alcohol reaches your milk, and how quickly it leaves, depends on several factors. We look at these below.

Very young babies process alcohol more slowly than older babies and adults because their liver is still developing. This is one reason to be particularly cautious about alcohol exposure in the early months.

How much alcohol passes into your milk?

Alcohol passes freely from your bloodstream into your milk, so the level of alcohol in your milk rises and falls with the level in your blood.

Alcohol usually reaches its highest level in your milk about 30–60 minutes after drinking, or a little later if you have been eating at the same time.

As the alcohol level in your blood falls, the level in your milk falls too. Alcohol does not stay trapped in your milk.

How much alcohol your baby is exposed to depends mainly on how much you drink and the level of alcohol in your blood when your baby breastfeeds.

How long does alcohol stay in your milk?

Alcohol leaves your milk as it leaves your bloodstream. How long this takes depends mainly on how much alcohol you have drunk. The more you drink, the longer it will take for the alcohol level in your blood and milk to return to zero. 

Eating while you drink can slow the absorption of alcohol, so the level in your blood and milk may rise more slowly and peak later. 

On average, it takes around two to three hours for the alcohol from one standard drink to leave your milk. The more you drink, the longer this takes. For example, after four drinks it may take around nine hours for the alcohol level in your milk to return to zero. These are only estimates: alcohol is metabolised at different rates by different people, and stronger or larger drinks contain more alcohol.

Do I need to pump and dump?

No. You do not need to express and throw away your milk after drinking alcohol.

Alcohol is not stored or “trapped” in your milk. As the level of alcohol in your bloodstream falls, the level in your milk falls too. Expressing milk does not make this happen any faster. Drinking water, coffee, eating, sleeping or having a shower will not speed up the rate at which your body removes alcohol either. 

You may still want to express if your breasts become uncomfortably full while you are waiting to breastfeed. If there is still alcohol in your bloodstream at that time, expressing is for your comfort and to maintain milk production — it does not clear alcohol from your milk more quickly.

If you know you will be drinking and would prefer not to breastfeed until the alcohol level in your milk has fallen, you can express milk in advance for your baby to have while you wait.

Can alcohol affect milk supply or breastfeeding?

It used to be said that beer can increase milk supply. (3) Some components of beer, such as barley, may affect prolactin levels, but alcohol itself does not improve milk production and can inhibit milk release.

For a few hours after drinking, your baby may take less milk than usual, even if they breastfeed frequently. (4) Alcohol can temporarily affect the release of milk from the breast by reducing oxytocin, the hormone involved in the milk-ejection reflex. 

For occasional drinking, this temporary effect is unlikely to make a meaningful difference to your overall milk supply or your baby’s growth. Regular or heavier drinking may have a greater effect if milk is removed less effectively or less often over time.

What if I drink more than planned?

If you have had more alcohol than you intended, the most important thing is to make sure your baby is cared for safely while you wait for the alcohol level in your blood and milk to fall.

If possible, ask a sober adult to help care for your baby. You may need to use milk expressed earlier, or another suitable milk (expressed, or formula), until the alcohol level in your blood and milk has fallen.

If your breasts become uncomfortable while you are waiting, you can express for comfort. This will not make alcohol leave your milk any faster. 

Drinking larger amounts can also affect how alert and responsive you are to your baby’s needs, quite apart from the alcohol in your milk. 

Alcohol and safe sleep

If you have been drinking alcohol, it is not safe to bed-share with your baby, or to fall asleep with your baby on a chair or sofa. Alcohol can make you sleep more deeply and reduce your awareness of your baby, increasing the risk of accidental suffocation or other harm.

If there is any chance you may fall asleep while feeding or cuddling your baby, plan ahead so that a sober adult can help and your baby has a safe place to sleep.

If you’re worried about your drinking

If you are drinking alcohol regularly, finding it difficult to cut down, or sometimes drinking more than you intend, it is worth talking to a healthcare professional.

Regular or heavy drinking can affect breastfeeding in several ways. It may reduce milk release, affect how often or effectively your baby feeds, and make it harder to respond safely to your baby’s needs. Heavy or frequent alcohol exposure has been associated with concerns about babies’ sleep, growth, and development, although the evidence on long-term effects is mixed. (5, 6)

You do not need to stop breastfeeding before asking for help. A healthcare professional can help you think about your alcohol use alongside your baby’s feeding and safety, and support you to make a plan that works for both of you.

A final word

For most breastfeeding mothers, an occasional drink can fit alongside breastfeeding without causing harm to their baby.

Understanding how alcohol moves into and out of your milk can help you make choices that feel right for you. You may choose to breastfeed before drinking, wait for the alcohol level in your blood to fall, or simply have an occasional drink without changing how you feed.

If you drink more than planned, focus on your baby’s immediate safety and get help from a sober adult if you need it. And if alcohol is becoming difficult to manage, support is available without giving up breastfeeding.

If this article has helped you, please consider supporting LLLGB with a donation. Every gift, however small, helps keep breastfeeding information and support flowing

Further Reading

Safer Sleep and the Breastfed Baby

La Leche League International
Alcohol and breastfeeding

Other resources

References

1. Wilson, Judy et al. “Alcohol consumption by breastfeeding mothers: Frequency, correlates and infant outcomes.” Drug and alcohol reviewvol. 36,5 (2017): 667-676. doi:10.1111/dar.12473 

2. Haastrup, Maija Bruun et al. “Alcohol and breastfeeding.” Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology vol. 114,2 (2014): 168-73. doi:10.1111/bcpt.12149

Full text available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.12149 (accessed 1 September 2026)

3. Mennella, J A. “Alcohol Use During Lactation: the folklore versus the science”. Current Issues in Clinical Lactation, 2002.

4. Mennella, J A. “Regulation of milk intake after exposure to alcohol in mothers’ milk.” Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research vol. 25,4 (2001): 590-3.

Full text available at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2802835/ (accessed 1 September 2026)

5. Gibson, Louisa, and Melanie Porter. “Drinking or Smoking While Breastfeeding and Later Cognition in Children.” Pediatrics vol. 142,2 (2018): e20174266. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-4266 

Full text available at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2802835/ (accessed 1 September 2026)

6. Harris, Miriam et al. “Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #21: Breastfeeding in the Setting of Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder (Revised 2023).” Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine vol. 18,10 (2023): 715-733. doi:10.1089/bfm.2023.29256.abm 

Available at  https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/ABM%20Clinical%20Protocol%2021%20SUD_English.pdf (accessed 1 September 2026)

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