"Milkscreen": at-home test for alcohol in your breast milk

[aguinn]

FYI: the following story found at http://www1.whdh.com/features/articl...thcast/BO31293

"Breast milk booze"

If you're breast-feeding you need to watch your alcohol intake. Now, two moms from Texas have developed a test to make sure your breast milk is alcohol free. The test is called Milkscreen, and the company says in two minutes you'll be able to know if your breast milk has any alcohol in it.

Studies show breast-feeding is good for baby and for mom.

"All the national organizations recommend six months of exclusive breast-feeding, so nothing other then mom's milk and then up to a year or more of breast-feeding in combination with other foods," Obstetrician Dr. Alison Stuebe said.

So what about drinking alcohol when you're breast-feeding? The American Academy of Pediatrics says moms can have a drink once in a while. But if you have that glass of wine or beer, you'll want to wait a few hours before you breast-feed again.

"We know after a glass of wine, if you wait three hours for any weight woman, alcohol should be gone from your milk," Dr. Stuebe said.

Or you can take a test. It's called Milkscreen -- an at home test to detect alcohol in breast milk. You saturate a special pad with breast milk, then wait two minutes. If the color changes, that means there is alcohol present.

"The bottom line is breast-feeding is good for mothers," Dr. Stuebe said. "It's good for kids, and we need to help moms fit it into her life, and if this test is another way to do it, then it's a good thing."

The Milkscreen test runs about $20 and is sold online and in some stores.

See http://www.milkscreen.com/ for more info.


amy
momma to DS#1 "Big Brother" (BB) and, finally, DS#2 "Little Brother" (LB)

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"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~ Neil Postman

[mommd]

Umm.. Seriously? Really, I can't believe this is for real?

[tarynsmum]

yep, it's for real (I've seen it before).

Not that I'll comment on it, but it is real.

[jgriffin]

I haven't seen the test myself, but I've read about it believe it's for real. And here's my $.02 on drinking and breast-feeding (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, though!)

Your blood and breastmilk have the same amount of alcohol. So if you've had a drink and are just legal to drive (say, a 0.08% blood alcohol level), that means your ebm has 0.08% alcohol (.16 proof). Now, whether you think any alcohol in your baby's milk is ok is a personal decision; I thought that having a glass of wine, then nursing (and not waiting), was just fine.

Drinking while pregnant, OTOH, is totally different. Here the baby's blood alcohol level is the same as yours, so she's as drunk as you are. :(