Can You Drink Alcohol When Breastfeeding?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against NHS: food and drinks to avoid when breastfeeding · Last updated 28 October 2026
It's safer not to drink alcohol while breastfeeding. An occasional drink is unlikely to harm your baby: the NHS says 1 or 2 units, once or twice a week, should be fine.
What the guidance says
Alcohol passes into your milk. The NHS says it's safer not to drink, but 1 or 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week should be fine, and gives examples such as a small glass of wine (125ml), half a pint of beer or a single (25ml) spirit measure. If you can, leave 2 to 3 hours between drinking and breastfeeding, once breastfeeding is well established, or express milk before you drink so the baby can have a bottle. Never share a bed or sleep on the sofa with your baby after drinking.
You can also check the calorie content of alcohol alongside its safety information.
Why you see two different 'safe' amounts
Search results mix two UK figures that sound contradictory: '1 or 2 units, once or twice a week' and 'up to 14 units a week'. Both appear on NHS pages. They come from different pages and are framed differently, which is why rival articles quote one or the other without saying so.
| Source (page date) | What it says about amount | Wait before feeding | Pump and dump? |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS: Food and drinks to avoid (modified 28 Jan 2026) | 'It's safer not to drink any alcohol while breastfeeding'; '1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week, should be fine.' | 'If possible, allow 2 to 3 hours in between drinking and breastfeeding', once breastfeeding is well established | Not covered |
| NHS: Alcohol and breastfeeding (reviewed 1 May 2026) | The RCM recommends avoiding alcohol completely, but an occasional drink is unlikely to harm your baby. If you regularly drink up to 14 units a week, spread it over 3 or more days. Binge drinking is more than 6 units in one session | 'at least 2 hours' after a drink; for a social drink, 2 to 3 hours for every drink | 'You do not need to express to clear your milk of alcohol.' |
| NCT (reviewed 1 May 2026) | 'no more than 14 units spread across the week while breastfeeding' | 'a gap of at least 2 hours between drinking and breastfeeding' | 'There is no benefit to pumping and dumping' |
| Breastfeeding Network (amended Feb 2026) | Binge drinking is more than 6 units in one period | 'you could avoid breastfeeding for 2-3 hours after drinking' | 'It is not necessary to express breastmilk to clear it of alcohol.' |
| Nutrition Society page (reviewed Nov 2016) | RCOG advice: no more than one or two units, once or twice a week | 2 to 3 hours per drink | Not covered |
Our reading: the 1 to 2 units figure is the cautious 'occasional drink' message; the 14-units figure is the general weekly drinking guideline spread over days, not a target for a breastfeeding parent. Every source above still says not drinking is the safest option. We have not merged the two numbers into one because no source does.
How long to wait: the NHS rule worked through
Alcohol reaches your milk through your blood, so milk levels follow blood levels up and down. The Breastfeeding Network says peak levels in milk appear 30 to 90 minutes after a drink, and NCT says alcohol goes into milk at around the same level as in the blood. The NHS rule of thumb is 2 to 3 hours for every drink. Applying it (our arithmetic, not an NHS table):
| Drinks in the evening | Wait before the next feed (NHS rule of 2 to 3 hours each) | Practical option |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (for example a 125ml glass of wine) | 2 to 3 hours | Feed just before the drink, then you are not due for a while |
| 2 | 4 to 6 hours | Express beforehand so someone else can give a bottle |
| 3 | 6 to 9 hours | Plan a bottle for the night feed, or do not drink |
The NHS text we read says 'every drink' and does not define a drink in units, so for large glasses or strong drinks allow longer. The NHS adds that if you skip a feed your breasts should not be left uncomfortably full; the Breastfeeding Network suggests expressing for comfort and to keep up supply. Neither says expressing speeds up clearing alcohol.
Pumping and dumping: three sources say it does nothing
The NHS, the Breastfeeding Network and NCT all say you do not need to express to clear alcohol, because milk levels fall as your blood level falls. Expressing is useful for comfort, to keep your supply going, and to store milk made before you drink. A Philips article (29 April 2025) offers per-weight waiting times such as 'a woman who weighs 60kg must wait about 2 hours' without a source, and its two footnotes are the RCOG pregnancy leaflet and the NHS 2-to-3-hour rule, so we have not used its numbers.
After drinking, where the baby sleeps matters more than the milk
- The NHS: 'Never share a bed or sofa with your baby if you have drunk any alcohol.' The other NHS page repeats it and links it to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- The Breastfeeding Network says sleep location is a bigger risk than the alcohol in your milk, unless you have drunk a very large amount.
- NCT: it is safest to have a sober adult available to care for the baby. It also says alcohol reduces milk letdown, so it can disrupt breastfeeding rather than help it.
Counting units
A Northern Ireland public health leaflet (printed August 2025, written for pregnancy but using the standard UK unit) gives these values. The NHS breastfeeding page says 14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer.
| Drink | Strength | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Small glass of wine, 175ml | 12% | 2.1 |
| Pint of normal lager or beer | 4% | 2.3 |
| Pub spirit measure, 35ml | 40% | 1.4 |
| Bottle of alcopop, 275ml | 5% | 1.4 |
Note that the 125ml glass the NHS uses as an example is smaller than the common 175ml pub glass, so a 'small glass' in a pub can be more than one unit.
Sources checked
Everything in the sections above was checked against these pages on 28 October 2026.
- NHS: Food and drinks to avoid when breastfeeding (published 21 July 2023, modified 28 January 2026) — safer not to drink; 1 or 2 units once or twice a week; 2 to 3 hours gap once breastfeeding is established; express beforehand; bed or sofa
- NHS: Alcohol and breastfeeding (page last reviewed 1 May 2026) — RCM: avoiding is best, occasional drink unlikely to harm; 14 units spread over 3+ days; binge more than 6 units; at least 2 hours, 2 to 3 hours per drink; no need to express to clear alcohol; never share bed or sofa
- Breastfeeding Network: Alcohol and breastfeeding (last full review March 2021, amended February 2026) — milk peak 30 to 90 minutes; no need to express; sleep location a bigger risk than milk alcohol
- NCT: Drinking alcohol while pregnant or breastfeeding (last reviewed 1 May 2026) — no more than 14 units a week; gap of at least 2 hours; no benefit to pumping and dumping; reduces letdown
- British Nutrition Foundation / Nutrition Society: Foods or drinks to avoid while breastfeeding (last reviewed November 2016) — older page: RCOG one or two units once or twice a week; 2 to 3 hours per drink
- Philips: Alcohol and breastfeeding, what is allowed (29 April 2025) — rival: unsourced weight-based waiting times; not used
- Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) / HSE leaflet: Alcohol and pregnancy (printed 08/25) — unit values for common drinks
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Alcohol: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| In pregnancy | Avoid |
Common questions
Is it safe to drink alcohol while breastfeeding?
The NHS says it is safer not to drink any. It also says an occasional drink is unlikely to harm your baby, and gives '1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week' as fine. Keep drinks occasional and plan feeds around them.
How long should I wait to breastfeed after a drink?
The NHS says to wait at least 2 hours, and for a social drink 2 to 3 hours for every drink you have. The Breastfeeding Network says milk alcohol peaks 30 to 90 minutes after a drink and falls as your blood level falls.
Do I need to pump and dump after drinking?
No. The NHS, the Breastfeeding Network and NCT all say expressing does not clear alcohol from your milk faster. You can express beforehand so your baby has a bottle while your level is high, or for comfort afterwards.
How much alcohol can I drink in a week while breastfeeding?
Two NHS figures exist: 1 or 2 units once or twice a week on the foods-to-avoid page, and about 14 units a week spread over 3 or more days on the alcohol page (NCT also says no more than 14 units across the week). All say not drinking is safest, and binge drinking (more than 6 units in a session) is the thing to avoid.
Can I drink alcohol with a newborn?
The NHS suggests the 2-to-3-hour gap once breastfeeding is well established, and the pages we read do not give a separate newborn rule. If you are unsure, ask your midwife or health visitor.
Is it safe to share a bed with my baby after drinking?
No. The NHS says never to share a bed or sofa with your baby if you have drunk any alcohol, and links it to the risk of SIDS.
Does alcohol help with milk supply?
No. NCT says alcohol reduces milk letdown and so disrupts breastfeeding.
Was alcohol different during pregnancy?
Yes. In pregnancy the advice is to avoid alcohol completely; see <a href='/can-you-eat-alcohol-when-pregnant/'>alcohol when pregnant</a>.
Related answers
Primary source: NHS: food and drinks to avoid when breastfeeding.
General information only, not medical advice: see the medical disclaimer. Feeling unwell after eating something? Contact NHS 111 or your GP.