Why does a baby need a sober adult?
A sober adult is someone who hasn’t drunk any alcohol or taken any recreational drugs.
A baby needs a sober adult because alcohol affects judgement and reaction times. You need both these skills when caring for your baby.
Alcohol might also make you feel more tired, as it can negatively impact the quality of your sleep. Not drinking alcohol could be a good option for your family, especially during the first few months of your baby’s life.
Plan ahead when drinking alcohol
There may be times when you and/or your partner are drinking alcohol – maybe at home, or with friends or family.
It’s a good idea to plan ahead for these moments and make sure there’s always a trusted sober adult around who can care for your baby.
This is important, as alcohol can make it harder to respond to your baby and may lead to risky decisions that you wouldn’t normally make.
Having a sober adult helps keep your baby safe, especially if something unexpected happens.
Plan for safer sleep when drinking alcohol
Part of planning ahead also means making sure your baby has a safer space to sleep. To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the safest place for your baby is in their own separate, clear, firm, and flat sleep space. Such as a cot or Moses basket.
Remember that the cot or Moses basket should always be in the same room as the adult caring for your baby. Babies should sleep in the same room as their parent or carer, day and night, for at least the first six months.
Co-sleeping
Co-sleeping is dangerous if you’ve had any alcohol.
We know that many parents end up sharing a bed with their baby at some point in time, whether planned or unplanned. But it’s especially dangerous to co-sleep if you or anyone in the bed has had any alcohol. If you’ve been drinking, plan ahead to ensure you can place your baby in their own sleep space.
It is also very dangerous to share a bed with your baby if:
- You or anyone in the bed smokes or the baby was exposed to smoking in pregnancy.
- You or anyone in the bed has taken drugs or medication that makes you feel sleepy.
- If your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or weighed under 2.5kg or 5.5 pounds when they were born.
If you’re away from home, a travel cot or carrycot can help you follow safer sleep advice.
Never fall asleep on a sofa or armchair with a baby
Sofas and armchairs are dangerous places to fall asleep with your baby. This can increase the risk of SIDS by 50 times.
Alcohol and breastfeeding
Breastfeeding has lots of benefits, such as protecting your baby from infection and lowering the risk of SIDS. However, it’s important to be aware that if you drink alcohol, this can pass into your breastmilk.
If you do plan on drinking alcohol, you might want to express some breastmilk beforehand. This means you’ll have milk ready to feed your baby while the alcohol leaves your system.
It’s good to know that expressing milk after drinking doesn’t speed up how quickly the alcohol leaves your breastmilk. The level of alcohol in your milk is the same as the level in your body. Find out more about breastfeeding and alcohol on the NHS website.
Alcohol and caring for yourself
All adults are advised to stick to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, not just those breastfeeding or parents. If you’re not sure how much 14 units is, you can use Alcohol Change’s unit calculator.
If you’re worried about your drinking or thinking about cutting down, your health visitor, family nurse or GP can support you.
Frequently asked questions
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Remember
If you’re planning to drink alcohol, make sure your baby has a sober adult to care for them and a safer sleep space. Alcohol affects your ability to respond to your baby’s needs, and makes bedsharing dangerous. Planning ahead is crucial to keep your baby safer, ensuring that there is a sober adult to care for your baby.
Every baby safe. Every family supported.
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