Checking for alcohol in breastmilk!

[FluffyDucks]

Check this out!

Just doing a search on maternity clothes and came across this - http://www.milkscreen.com.au/.

Its like a pregnancy test so its a strip, you put breast milk on it and it will show positive for alcohol in your breast milk or negative.

The byline is:

"Milkscreen is a simple 2 minute test to detect alcohol in breast milk, allowing mums to safely breastfeed their baby and to resume their pre-baby lifestyle guilt-free. It encourages women to breastfeed longer, with them confident in the knowledge they are not harming their baby even when they relax with a glass of wine with friends!"

Technology eh? What else can they test for???

And would you use it?

[josie and the pussycats]

I really like the idea but might get expensive. 3 strips for $15.
Might be good when im learning how long it takes alcohol to pass through my system IYKWIM. Ie when its safe again.

[FluffyDucks]

Might be good when im learning how long it takes alcohol to pass through my system IYKWIM. Ie when its safe again.

Ah..didnt think of that! I used to just express beforehand if I knew I was going to have a drink but that makes sense. Least you know I glass of whatever takes XX time so at least you are more aware and not expressing needlessly.

[MimiGrace]

i wouldn't use it. :no:

tam-i-am explained to me how much alcohol can POSSIBLY ever be in your breastmilk (its a max of 0.5% i think - the level at which you would die?).

so if you have a drink or two, and your alcohol blood level goes to say, 0.05% - so the legal limit to drive. that means that your breastmilk contains about 0.05% alcohol (because your breastmilk cannot contain more alcohol than is present in your bloodstream).
which is just a little more alcohol than you find it fruit juice. (most fruit juice has a natural alcohol percentage of roughly 0.035%)


only issue with drinking is mums capability to look after the baby if she's completely sloshed :yes:

hope that helps at all?

[headoverfeet]

Yeah Mimi beat me too it :D I breastfeed and will have a glass of wine or 2 (hardly ever though) I really hate the don't do this don't do that attitude that surrounds pregnancy and birth.

[narribri]

Wow, thanks for those stats Mimi! I was just operating under the assumption that you don't drink while breastfeeding (although I admit I haven't thought about it much yet, it's still quite a way off). Those figures definitely put it into perspective, and even though I never have more than 1 glass of anything at a time I may not have to give it up altogether :)

In response to the OP - I would probably use the strips, but just as a controlled experiment for my own peace of mind, to see how much the alcohol was affecting the breastmilk.

[InfiniteDreams]

I think all you have to remember is that it is the same principle as alcohol in your blood stream.

wait 2 hours for every standard drink and then there will be no alcohol in your bloodstream and no alcohol in your breastmilk.

pumping after you have drunk does nothing as well

[SalTheGal]

I have always gone by the adage if I am right to drive I am right to BF....

But yeah- it could be a good idea when you are learning your limits, and how concentrated alcohol gets in your system.

[Ffrenchknickers]

A breathalyser would do the job as well as the alcohol leaves your blood at the same rate.

[Bellini]

I have always gone by the adage if I am right to drive I am right to BF....

But yeah- it could be a good idea when you are learning your limits, and how concentrated alcohol gets in your system.


That's what I was told too, from the breastfeeding class I attended. So if I was right to drive, I breastfed too. Not that I drank a lot anyway.