As to whether pregnant women can drink alcohol, I believe that almost every mother in any country agrees that drinking should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation.
However, a friend recently asked me whether it is scientific and safe for the lying-in woman to eat the [Yuezi dish] with wine or drink the boiled [Yuezi wine] directly.
As a southerner, I am quite familiar with such customs, such as Guangdong’s [Hakka Niang Wine], Jiangsu and Zhejiang’s [Yuezi Water], and Niang Wine Eggs, Yuezi Rice Wine Crucian Carp Soup and other [Yuezi Cuisine] cooked with [Yuezi Wine].
Next, from a scientific point of view, I will talk about the custom of [Yuezi Wine] and the relevant information about alcohol intake by nursing mothers in Australia.
Is the alcohol content of [Yuezi Liquor] safe?
Yuezi wine is yellow wine or rice wine, which is a kind of grain wine brewed from rice. Its alcohol content is usually less than 20%.
Typical ones include Guangdong’s [Hakka Niang Wine] and Jiangsu and Zhejiang’s [Yuezi Water], which are often used to cook various special dishes of Yuezi.
Most online words say it [has good nutritional value, which is conducive to the recovery of mothers after delivery and the realization of breast feeding]. Moreover, no matter whether alcohol intake will inhibit the secretion of oxytocin in mothers’ bodies and lead to the reduction of milk excretion, we first need to understand whether alcoholic drinks such as [Yuezi Wine] are safe for nursing mothers.
The alcohol content of [Yuezi wine] used to cook all kinds of Yuezi dishes varies greatly. It is said that the alcohol content of [Yuezi wine] used after delivery is appropriate at 4 ~ 6 degrees, but the alcohol content of [Hakka Niang wine] sold online is mostly about 10 degrees. At the same time, there are many Yuezi wine made by family workshops, and the alcohol content is uncertain.
Therefore, the alcohol content of [Yuezi Liquor] is uncertain and unsafe.
Mother Intakes Alcohol, Baby Drinks [Alcoholic Milk]
Generally speaking, alcohol in alcohol or food will reach its peak in blood and milk 30-90 minutes after intake.
The alcohol concentration in breast-feeding mother’s milk and blood is the same, and the specific value is related to the alcohol content and total amount of food and drink intake, as well as the weight and intake speed of the eater.
The alcohol in milk will gradually disappear with the passage of time. Generally speaking, it takes the human body 2-3 hours to clear a tin of 5-degree beer, 150 mL of 11-degree red or white wine, and 45 mL of 40-degree spirits.
It is worth noting that the speed at which the human body removes alcohol from milk will not be accelerated by the increase in the number of milk pumps. Moreover, once a baby ingests alcohol through milk, it takes twice as long as an adult to remove it.
If breast-feeding mothers cannot avoid drinking a small amount of alcohol under occasional special circumstances, they should ensure that they eat or drink it after breast-feeding, or avoid breast-feeding within 3-4 hours after intake of alcohol.
If breast-feeding mothers drink alcohol for a long time, it will cause health hazards to their babies, and it is not recommended to continue breast-feeding.
[Yuezi Wine] Is Boiling Safe?
[Yuezi Wine] Drinking directly or adding ingredients will emphasize cooking or boiling, which makes people think that after boiling, there is no need to worry about alcohol problems, which is different from drinking directly by nursing mothers.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. The following set of data may be of interest to mothers [1-2]:
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In the boiling liquid, add wine and then stop heating, with 85% alcohol remaining.
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Spray alcohol on food and burn briefly, with 75% alcohol residue.
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Adding wine to food and boiling it is the most commonly used cooking method of [Yuezi Wine].
If you continue boiling for 15 minutes, there will be 40% alcohol residue. If you continue boiling for 35 minutes, there will be 35% alcohol residue. If you continue boiling for 1.1 hours, there will be 25% alcohol residue. If you continue boiling for 1.6 hours, there will be 20% alcohol residue. If you continue boiling for 2 hours, there will be 10% alcohol residue. If you continue boiling for 2.6 hours, there will be 5% alcohol residue.
Wine is used for cooking. If the boiling time is less than 1 hour, about 25% ~ 75% of alcohol will still remain in food.
If it cannot be boiled for more than 3 hours, even if [Yuezi Wine] is boiled, it does not mean that the dish does not contain alcohol.
If it is taken continuously and in large quantities, it will also produce various hazards related to drinking by mothers after delivery.
How harmful is alcohol intake by breast-feeding mothers?
Once the milk contains alcohol, no matter how high or low the alcohol content is, it is not safe for the baby. Don’t get away with thinking that a lower degree is fine, because only 0 alcohol content milk is the best food for the baby.
Let’s talk about the calculation of the standard amount of alcohol. In Australia, the total amount of alcohol containing 10 grams is a standard amount. A tin of 3.5-degree beer, 100 mL 13-degree red wine and 30 mL 40-degree spirits are about a standard amount. You can roughly estimate the standard amount of various alcoholic drinks in your life.
Lactating mothers directly drink alcohol or eat foods containing alcohol, which will lead to the following hazards [3-12]:
1. Lead to milk reduction and delayed galactorrhea reflex
During lactation, the baby’s sucking can stimulate the mother to secrete oxytocin, thus promoting the concentrated secretion of milk, which is also known as “milk array”. After intake of alcohol, the alcohol in the mother’s body will inhibit the secretion of oxytocin, resulting in reduced milk discharge and delayed galactorrhea reflex.
2. Lead to sleep disorder of baby
Lactating mothers who drink or eat drinks or foods containing 1-2 standard amounts of alcohol will reduce the baby’s milk intake by about 20-23%, resulting in frequent short sleep disorders or abnormal excitement.
3. Causes the baby’s development to lag behind
Breastfeeding mothers consume a standard amount of alcohol every day, which may lead to delayed growth and motor development of young children.
4. Affect the taste of breast milk,
Alcohol in milk will affect the smell and taste of breast milk.
5. Causes the baby to be excessively calm,
A large amount of alcohol intake by breast-feeding mothers can lead to excessive calmness of the baby, accumulation of excess water in the body and imbalance of hormone levels in the body.
6. Causing Thrombocytopenia in Baby
Alcoholic supplements used by breast-feeding mothers can lead to severe thrombocytopenia and bleeding in infants. The practice of drinking alcoholic supplements after delivery is only common in China. The study is based on clinical statistics of Chinese mothers in Singapore.
I hope this article has certain reference value and can be seen by more mothers in need. We cannot blindly deny the traditional customs. However, when more scientific and reliable basis appears, we should look at it rationally again.