Rapid Alcohol Test Strip in Breast Milk

Why tests are so important?

When you drink, about 2% of the alcohol you drink enters your bloodstream. From there it passes into breast milk in the same proportion. The alcohol then remains in both your bloodstream and breast milk until it is fully metabolized and completely out of your system. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that nursing mothers may have an occasional alcoholic beverage, the equivalent of one 12-ounce beer, one 4-ounce glass of wine, or one ounce of hard liquor, but that the mother must wait at least two hours per drink before breastfeeding. This is because an alcoholic drink in a standard serving usually takes two to three hours to be eliminated from the bloodstream and breast milk. That’s an average.

But here’s the thing. Are you “average”? Hell no! “Average” doesn’t make sense when it comes to someone as special as you! No two women metabolize alcohol at the same rate. There are many factors that affect alcohol metabolisms, such as body weight, the type and amount of alcohol she drinks, and how much and when she last ate.

How to use Milkscreen Breastmilk Test Strips

You will need an accurate stopwatch and a Milkscreen test strip. Do not open the foil bag until you are ready to test your breast milk.

  • Open the bag and remove the test strip. Do not touch the test pad at the end of the strip.
  • Look at the test pad to make sure it is a light cream colour.
  • Soak the test pad with breast milk. You can express milk directly onto the test pad or immerse the test pad in a pumped sample collected in a clean, dry container. Remove the strip after 3 seconds and discard the breast milk sample.
  • Squeeze excess breast milk from the test pad.
  • Wait exactly 2 minutes.
  • Read the results 2 minutes after saturation. Any colour or stain on the test pad indicates that alcohol is present.
  • Reading the test pad before or after the 2-minute mark may cause an inaccurate reading.

Milkscreen is a consumer product and is not intended for use in the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of intoxication or alcohol poisoning or other health-related conditions in nursing women or infants.

What Is A Milkscreen?

Milkscreen is a simple test to detect the presence of alcohol in breast milk. It is not invasive and takes only two minutes.

Can I Do The Test With Refrigerator Or Frozen Breast Milk?

Yes, but the milk must be at room temperature before testing. Once the milk is at room temperature, gently shake the bottle containing the breast milk and pour a small amount into a container. Use the milk from the container to perform the test.

How Long Does Alcohol Last In Mama’s Supply?

A typical drink—for example, a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce serving of hard liquor—takes an average of two to three hours to metabolize out of your system. But each person is different and it may last more or less time for you.

Do Milkscreen Test Strips Have An Expiration Date?

Yes. The expiration date is embossed on the back of each foil pouch containing a test strip. You will also find it on the outside of the package, on a label under “LOTE”. The expiration date will be displayed by year and month (for example, 2016-08).

Why Was Milkscreen created?

Maternal self-confidence is essential to maintain breastfeeding. At the same time, many women want to enjoy the occasional drink after their baby is born and while they are still breastfeeding. (Hey, you’ve earned that glass of wine!) If you have an alcoholic drink every once in a while, you also want the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your breast milk is still alcohol-free. If alcohol is still present at feeding time, you can give your baby an alternate source of breast milk (from a previously expressed supply) or formula. Milkscreen allows you to make smart decisions to care for your baby in the best possible way.

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