Drinking beer while breastfeeding child: LinkedIn post sparks debate; is it safe?

Olga Vlachynská shared a LinkedIn post, marking a personal milestone. Looking back ten years and ten kilos ago, she humorously noted how life had changed, with family and ego growing significantly over the decade.

She revealed that her body has experienced a lot in the past ten years, including 18 months of pregnancy and 71 months of breastfeeding, which she jokingly referred to as a “successful family workshop”.

The Czech woman is, however, receiving a lot of flak because of the picture she shared with the post. She can be seen having a beer while breastfeeding her child. When the post was shared on Reddit, many users criticised the breastfeeding mother for putting the photo on LinkedIn, a professional network.

Some users criticised her for having alcohol while breastfeeding her child.

“Pity she doesn’t have a cig in her left hand. Big opportunity missed there,” came a sarcastic comment.

However, not everyone finds it wrong to have a beer while breastfeeding.

“They’re both having a drink. What’s wrong with that?” wrote one user while another posted, “I was ready to be upset but this is actually safe if that the first drink she's having…”

“Technically if you're going to drink while nursing the best time is while you're actively nursing since it takes time for the alcohol to get into the milk and it also doesn't last in the blood stream in perpetuity,” commented another.

Can a breastfeeding mother drink alcohol?

It is safest to avoid alcohol while breastfeeding. However, up to one standard drink a day, consumed at least two hours before breastfeeding, is unlikely to harm the baby, as per the Mayo Clinic.

Alcohol passes into breast milk, and regular or excessive consumption can affect the baby’s growth, development and sleep, causing drowsiness, weakness and unhealthy weight gain. It can also reduce milk production and impact a caregiver’s ability to care for the baby safely, the Mayo Clinic added.