LaMaze classes 15 years ago were still talking about the
relaxation/letting-down benefit of beer. In addition to these relaxation
benefits, there was the benefit of consumption of liquid (important for
production of milk). The preferred liquid to give nursing mothers while
nursing, however, is fruit juice rather than beer. I don't know about the
nutrient content of beer for milk production. The important thing is to
keep hydrated.
LaMaze/La Leche instructors also talked about the problem of alcohol
getting into the milk, as well as other things: you're supposed to avoid
"gassy" foods like beans and broccoli and they had lists of prescription
and OTC drugs that shouldn't be combined with nursing. It was a surprise
to learn of the stuff that gets into the blood stream (and into milk) - it
doesn't all get broken down into component parts in the gut (how would
anybody get intoxicated or benefit from oral ingestion of medications if it
did?)
There is also evidence in the taste and taste aversion literature that
flavors get transmitted in mother's milk. One researcher in the area
(whose name I've forgotten) was nursing at the time and did tastings of her
own milk following consumption of different foods. Guess what eating
chocolate does to the flavor of mother's milk. At the time there was
speculation that this was one mechanism by which rats transmitted
bait-related taste aversions to their young, making the life of
exterminators difficult.
Claudia Stanny
>
>I've been under the assumption that breast milk contains all the nutrients a
>baby needs.... is there something in beer that is of benefit that is not
>found in breast milk?
>
>JL Edwards
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: John W. Kulig <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: TIPS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Date: Monday, June 14, 1999 12:54 PM
>Subject: Re: beer and brest feeding?
>
>
>>Rick Adams wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Tell your student to drop the Coors and grab a good Stout
>instead! :)
>>>
>> I agree. I was always under the impression that Guiness contained alot of
>>iron, as well as a variety of carbohydrates. Think of it as an adult milk
>>shake. Like everything else in life, use it in proper proportion and enjoy
>it!
>>
>>--
>>* John W. Kulig, Department of Psychology ************************
>>* Plymouth State College Plymouth NH 03264 *
>>* [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://oz.plymouth.edu/~kulig *
>>*******************************************************************
>>* "I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest *
>>* parts of the earth" - Psalm 139 *
>>*******************************************************************
>>
>
>
___________________________________________________
Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D. e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Psychology Phone: (850) 474 - 3163
University of West Florida FAX: (850) 857 - 6060
Pensacola, FL 32514 - 5751
Web: http://www.uwf.edu/~psych/stanny.html
