PREGNANCY
Written by
Happiest Baby Staff
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
Perhaps your doula or midwife has suggested drinking a glass of wine during early labor to relax your uterus. But if that sounds a little odd to you, your instinct is probably right.
You'd probably need a lot more than one glass of wine to seriously relax you during labor (but not that we recommend that!) When it comes to drinking alcohol while pregnant, less is really better. Alcohol will travel right to your baby through the placenta, and their little brains can’t handle it like ours can!
The AAP says that you should consume no alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking during pregnancy can increase your baby’s chance of being born with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD can affect children’s physical, mental, behavioral, or cognitive development. So, before you consider drinking some wine to relax your baby for labor, think about where it will end up.
If you choose to breastfeed your baby, you’ll want to watch your alcohol consumption. One option is to pump after you drink and throw the milk out. But consuming alcohol while breastfeeding is not as much of an issue as when you were pregnant. A little alcohol can get into the breastmilk, which your baby would then gulp down, but the alcohol gets very diluted in your bloodstream and diluted in the milk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics policy on breastfeeding says that while you should limit your drinking, an occasional drink is acceptable. They recommend waiting at least 2 hours after drinking to nurse.
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
