Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Gave Up Drinking After Breast Milk Scare: Why Breastfeeding And Alcohol Don’t Mix
Nicole Polizzi, better known as “Snooki” from MTV’s Jersey Shore, says she stopped drinking after an alcohol-fueled night ended with her breast milk smelling of liquor. In her upcoming memoir entitled Baby Bumps: From Party Girl to Proud Mama, and All the Messy Milestones Along the Way, Polizzi admits she realized after the alcohol debacle that her days of partying would have to be left behind if she wanted to be a good mother to her son, Lorenzo. “I could smell the sake bombs in the bottle,” she writes in true Snooki fashion, according to the NY Daily News. “My milk was so full of alcohol, I could have used it to start a bonfire in the yard. I could have cleaned the toilet with it.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is never okay to breastfeed after drinking alcohol, and that’s because there is no level of alcohol in breast milk that is considered safe for baby’s consumption. “When you drink alcohol, it passes into your breast milk at concentrations similar to those found in your bloodstream. Although a breast-fed baby is exposed to just a fraction of the alcohol his or her mother drinks, a newborn eliminates alcohol from his or her body at only half the rate of an adult,” wrote Mayo Clinic lactation consultant Elizabeth LaFleur. Babies who are exposed to even a limited amount of alcohol via breast milk are at an increased risk for impaired motor development and changes in sleep patterns.
Breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to avoid feeding their babies until the alcohol has completely left their system. Also, for mothers who intend to indulge, LaFleur recommends having a drink just after a feeding so that the alcohol can begin to leave their systems during the interval between feeding sessions. “If you choose to drink, plan carefully to avoid exposing your baby to alcohol,” wrote LaFleur.
As for Polizzi, it seems she learned her lesson, but it is unclear whether she has quit for good. She has a renewed commitment to her family and making healthier decisions with both her own health and the health of her son in mind. She and her longtime beau, Jionni LaValle, are set to marry sometime next year.
Baby Bumps: From Party Girl to Proud Mama, and All the Messy Milestones Along the Way will be available for purchase on Dec. 31.