When it comes to breastmilk bunkum, Wendy Lever, IBCLC, has probably heard it all, so this Unii Babies episode is essential listening.

Having a glass of wine while you’re breastfeeding is fine (generally), but what about the pump-and-dump theory? If you're a mum who's chosen to breastfeed your child, you've likely heard about this practice of pumping your milk after you've consumed alcohol and discarding it so that your baby doesn't ingest it. Unii Babies host Dr. Saranya Ravindran got Baby Feeding Expert Wendy Lever’s view. “Another one of my favourite myths. If we think again right, your milk is made directly from your bloodstream. So let's just say you've gone really out in town. You've had two bottles of wine, and you know you are in no fit state to be looking after your baby. You pump out this milk. Can you throw it away? Let's just say you will refill with milk that's got just as much alcohol in it because you are just as drunk as you were 15 minutes ago.”

So how do you get rid of the booze? “Think back to your biology lessons from school,” says Wendy. “It's about diffusion. So if my rate of alcohol in my blood goes down because my liver has metabolised it, the alcohol will move, diffuse out of my milk, and back into my blood to be broken down. And that's how it will be gotten rid of. You cannot read your body of alcohol in the milk by pumping it out.” So there you have it, mums. What you have to do is sober up.

You can learn all about adapting your drinking and dietary habits for breastfeeding on Unii’s Baby Feeding Journey with Wendy Lever, available exclusively at unii.com.

Whether breast or bottle-feeding works for you personally, we know you and your baby will benefit from completing Wendy’s Baby Feeding Journey with Unii.com. Sign up for a trial to learn about weaning, how to know when breastfeeding is going well, and choosing the right bottle. And join Wendy and Unii Babies host Dr. Saranya Ravindran for more exclusive baby feeding advice in this fascinating Unii Babies podcast episode.

Unii Babies is created and owned by London-based family wellbeing educational platform Unii.com, which offers hundreds of episodes of expert-led video courses and a library of medically reviewed articles devoted to improving both baby and child health and your parenting journey. We can also have your parenting questions expertly answered. Contact us with what you want to know, and you may see one of our experts discuss it on our podcast or Unii.com: Because Family Matters.

The Unii Babies podcast is for reference and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific medical advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking or deciding not to take any action.

Unii's Baby Feeding Expert: "The Pump and Dump Theory? Another Breastfeeding Myth!"

Unii's Baby Feeding Expert: "The Pump and Dump Theory? Another Breastfeeding Myth!"