Jessie James Decker sparks backlash for sharing photo of her breastfeeding while drinking
The mum-of-three captioned the photo 'Cheers b*tches'
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Singer Jesse James Decker has sparked a debate online about the safety of drinking while breastfeeding.
In a recent Instagram post, the mother-of-three posed as she breastfed her son Forrest while holding a glass of champagne.
The photo, captioned “Cheers b*tches,” has since received close to 300,000 likes - and divided Decker’s followers.
Despite no confirmation that Decker actually drank from the glass, the new mum has received thousands of comments from people criticising her for endangering her baby.
“Not offended by the breast I’m offended by the alcohol. The CDC is strongly against drinking anything alcohol when you’re breastfeeding and even more so while you’re feeding. Bad idea and the reason many children are so messed up these days. #badmom,” one person wrote.
Another asked: “Why post a picture of you drinking wine and breastfeeding? So stupid to do this to your baby. Ever heard of pump and dump? Is this setting a good example for all the young nursing mums?”
Others defended Decker, and said it is perfectly fine to have one drink while breastfeeding - and that it is a waste of breast milk to "pump and dump."
“You can drink in moderation. If moms did their research, you can actually have a drink a day and one beer with yeast in it actually helps with your milk production. So all you negative people just hush and mind your business,” one woman commented.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): “Generally, moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother (up to one standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant.”
A standard drink is considered 12oz of beer, 1.5oz of liquor, or 5oz of wine.
The most dangerous time to breastfeed is 30 to 60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed, when the alcohol levels are at their highest, according to the CDC - but alcohol is still present in breast milk for two to three hours after it is consumed.
While one drink is typically considered safe, excessive drinking while breastfeeding a baby can be damaging to an infant’s early development, growth, and sleep patterns.
The third-time mum has previously been open about life with three young children.
In an earlier post following Forrest's birth, Decker wrote: “The third has been by far the hardest recovery, but I’m feeling stronger every day.”
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