Milkscreen Breastmilk Alcohol Detection Strips

I dont drink much while breastfeeding but I do like to have the occational night out with my husband or the girls. It's nice to know that I have these at home and I can test to make sure my milk is good or not. Pumping is not an easy thing to do so I want to be sure before throwing it out. works great.

I used these when I went to all day wine tasting event while nursing twins. I pumped while there and tested my milk. I only had to throw out 6 oz worth at the end of the day. Great invention.

Product worked fast, and seemed accurate based on the 4 bottles that I tested (two I suspected had alcohol, the other not). My husband accidently mixed a clean bottle with a potentially contaminated one, and the strips even picked up the alcohol in the mixed one. Gives a mother peace of mind. Seems a little pricey for what you get (I bet it costs pennies to make these), but I still like them. That's the only reason for 4 stars instead of 5.

I took a breastfeeding class before my son was born and I did learn that you DON'T have to "pump and dump" if you have an occasional alcoholic beverage. Alcohol metabolizes in your system and our class was basically told that, once you longer feel the effects of alcohol, you're fine to nurse your baby. Also, the concentration of alcohol is usually highest in breastmilk anywhere from 30 mins to 1.5 hours after consumption. The time it takes will depend on how much alcohol you've had, your weight, food ingested, etc.

Well, my husband still wasn't as convinced so, even if I didn't feel any effects after having a small glass of wine or a beer, I would wait at least a couple of hours just to be on the safe side.

Imagine my surprise when I was picking up breastfeeding supplies and saw this product! I thought it can't be this easy, right? The first couple of times I used the strips, I had the same results and reaction as a previous reviewer--negative for questionable amount of alcohol and wondering if this product really works. Now, both times I only had one drink, waited a couple of hours (I had bottles of expressed milk on hand) and then tested before bed (so I could nurse my son).

After feeling like I might have wasted my money, I still decided to keep using them (they're already paid for) and was glad I did. The third use showed alcohol in my system. I had two small glasses of wine and tested about an hour after finishing the 2nd glass. I waited a couple more hours and retested which then showed it was safe to breastfeed.

This is great for any breastfeeding mother who would like an occasional drink. It's no substitute for common sense nor would I make it a habit of drinking just because I can test my milk. Alcohol has been known to decrease milk supply so I only have a drink on occasion.