While the effects of mid to heavy-range drinking in pregnancy are well-documented, much less was known until now, about low-level drinking by breastfeeding mums and its potential effects on infant health and development.

Most mothers-to-be abstain from alcohol completely in pregnancy then worry about potentially harming their baby if they drink while breastfeeding. For the first time, researchers can now confidently say that the occasional drink for breastfeeding women does not harm babies.

It's good news for Australian mums; the findings show they're doing brilliantly at not exposing their babies to alcohol in breast milk.

A paper given this week at the APSAD Scientific Alcohol and other Drugs Conference in Melbourne found that mums aren't posing risks to their infants if they are limiting alcohol intake and using strategies to protect their babies such as delaying drinking until the end of a feed, eating while drinking, waiting a few hours after drinking, and expressing.

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Delyse Hutchinson, Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University and Visiting Fellow at National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre says that, "This Australian study shows for the first time that low level drinking during breastfeeding is not linked to negative impacts on infants up to 12 months of age."

Ms Hutchinson told Essential Baby, "The strategies women are using are key to not finding developmental harm. The majority of women are drinking while lactating - approximately two thirds - but they are only drinking the equivalent of a standard glass of wine at a time."

In addition she says, "Women are using delaying strategies to ensure their babies are not exposed to alcohol, so it's not surprising there is no evidence of harm, because the alcohol isn't reaching them."

Data was studied from the Triple B Pregnancy Cohort – a study of alcohol use during pregnancy and development outcomes in infants at 12 months of age. Factors such as maternal demographics and substance use were evaluated during pregnancy and at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum.

They also studied breastfeeding duration, feeding, sleeping and development and found that low level drinking did not adversely affect babies in these key areas of health and development.

The results were consistent with what the current NHMRC guidelines recommend:

* Not drinking alcohol is the safest option

* Women should avoid alcohol in the first month after delivery until breastfeeding is well established

After that:

* Alcohol intake should be limited to no more than two standard drinks a day

* Women should avoid drinking immediately before breastfeeding

* Women who wish to drink alcohol could consider expressing milk in advance

Ms Hutchinson recommends the Feed Safe app produced by the Australian Breastfeeding Association, which is available in New Zealand and helps women plan their alcohol intake while breastfeeding.