Breastfeeding and Beer: Does it increase milk supply?

Can you drink beer while breastfeeding? Is beer good for breastfeeding? These are just some of the many questions that are asked everyday on this subject. Many people are talked into believing that drinking beer while breastfeeding actually increases your milk supply. This previous statement is true, but it is not because of the alcohol in beer. The yeast in the beer is what is believed to increase lactation. Having a beer when breastfeeding won't help as much as other remedies will.

On the other hand, studies show that alcohol actually decreases your milk supply. On occasion, a small drink is supposedly fine according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, but no more than that is recommended.

Can you have one beer while breastfeeding? If you want to have a small drink while breastfeeding, such as a glass of wine or beer, it is recommended that you wait up to 2 hours or longer after the drink is consumed to breastfeed again. The alcohol will then be fully out of your system, so you don’t have to worry about your little ones health. Some state that dark beer for breastfeeding helps increase lactation. The yeast in beer may increase your milk supply,  but there are many other healthier alternatives to increase lactation.

A few ways to increase lactation:

  • The more you breastfeed the more milk you produce. This is true because  the more milk that is removed from the breast, the more milk is produced. Your body knows that it has to produce more milk when it is being removed more often.

  • Avoiding bottle feeding or the use of pacifiers. You want your baby to get used to your breast only. Just in case, you don’t want your baby to like a pacifier better and then that will interfere with your breastfeeding.

  •  Make sure you maintain a well balanced diet, drink water regularly, and sleep when your baby is sleeping.

  • Visit a local lactation consultant if your milk supply is not increasing. These consultants are trained to teach mothers the best ways and tips on feeding their baby. If you need help with finding a lactation consultant close to you, you can visit: http://www.ilca.org/home, for help.

Just know that you don’t have to go to beer in order to try to increase your milk supply! There are always healthier and more effective alternatives instead of drinking beer for breastfeeding.