Checking for alcohol in breastmilk!

**FluffyDucks** · 14-04-2010 14:04

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** · 14-04-2010 14:11

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** · 14-04-2010 14:14

Originally Posted by josie and the pussycats

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** · 14-04-2010 14:15

i wouldn't use it.

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

hope that helps at all?

**headoverfeet** · 14-04-2010 14:19

Yeah Mimi beat me too it

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** · 14-04-2010 16:47

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** · 14-04-2010 16:56

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** · 14-04-2010 17:03

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** · 14-04-2010 17:40

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

**Bellini** · 14-04-2010 17:54

Originally Posted by 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.

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.