A mother has recorded the steps she takes after a night out to ensure that her breast milk is safe for her baby to consume.
Angel Ocean documents her journey in motherhood on TikTok, helping new moms feel comfortable about what they have in store.
So if you ever fancy a drink but are unsure whether it will harm your child through breastfeeding, Angel has the answers.
Angel Tests Breast Milk After Drinking Alcohol
Explaining that she was out celebrating the night before and had a few drinks, Angel expresses the importance of testing her breast milk for alcohol.
Angel uses alcohol strips from Amazon that are specifically designed to test the milk before giving it to an infant.
After pumping, the TikToker notes that even if the milk has alcohol in it, it would be used for a bath.
A commentator noted that adding breast milk to a baby's bath is beneficial for their skin.
Angel dips to strip into a small amount of milk and then sets it aside for two minutes for the test to complete.
If the strip changes colour at all, then it means there is alcohol present in the breast milk and therefore cannot be fed to a baby.
After the two-minute timer was up, the strip hadn't changed colour, and Angel was all good to feed it to her baby.
How Long Should You Breastfeed
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, with continued breastfeeding alongside solid food until the baby is at least one year old.
However, the exact number of mothers who breastfeed beyond the first year remains unclear.
According to the CDC's 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card, 82 percent of mothers start breastfeeding, but only about one-third continue to breastfeed at 12 months.
Although many pediatricians suggest breastfeeding for at least a year, there are plenty of reasons why mothers may continue beyond that.
Some mothers simply feel that it’s beneficial for both themselves and their child, while others are influenced by cultural norms or personal beliefs.
Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its numerous health benefits.
According to the CDC, breastfed infants have a reduced risk of developing asthma, obesity, type 2 diabetes, ear and respiratory infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
It also offers significant health benefits for mothers, lowering the risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, including ovarian and breast cancer.