Boobie Breathalyzer

One of the things I was worried about when I committed to breastfeeding was whether I’d be able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail with friends without harming Tazzy. I wanted to freely enjoy a drink and not have to worry about whether the alcohol had left my system before Tazzy’s next feeding. I remember I'd wait exactly two hours after a drink to breastfeed because that is when I heard that my body should have had time to metabolize the alcohol. Then there were other times I'd have to "pump and dump" because I wans't sure if there was still alcohol in my system and so I'd feed Tazzy a bottle of milk I had pumped earlier that day or had stored in the freezer. I went out of my way to make sure my milk was not tainted.

Then I heard about Milkscreen, an at-home test that detects alcohol in breast milk in two minutes -- which I learned about on reality tv show “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami,” when Kourtney used the strips to test her milk. My husband calls it the "boobie breathalyzer." That makes me laugh when I say it out loud.

I’m raising a glass to Julie Jumonville, inventor of Milkscreen! Seriously, what a great idea! Breastfeeding mommies shouldn’t feel guilty or worry about enjoying a glass of wine if they choose. Anyway, I wanted to know a little more about Julie and how she came up with the idea so here is a Q&A.

Have you tired Milksreen? What are your thoughts about about it?

Did you have a "eureka" moment that lead you to developing the milkscreen? What was the inspiration?

I came up with the idea for Milkscreen after my first child was born.  I was to be the matron of honor at my sister-in-laws upcoming wedding and really wanted to participate in all of the festivities but worried about doing anything that might be harmful to my precious new baby.  After the wedding I started talking about my idea with friends, based on their response and my own personal experience I thought there was a significant need for the product.  I was also involved with the Mothers Milk Bank of Austin and wanted to do something that would help extend the life of breastfeeding for women.  I believe Milkscreen does just that because it lets moms lead a more balanced life and helps ease some of the restrictions that can discourage women from continuing to breastfeed.

How do you use milkscreen?

To test your breast milk for alcohol, all mom needs to do is express a few drops of breast milk onto the Milkscreen test strip.  Within two minutes she will see a color change if alcohol is present in her breast milk. 

Why is using milkscreen better than say, just having one glass of wine, waiting a little while, and maybe not worrying about it?

There is so much conflicting advice out there surrounding alcohol and breastfeeding.  Most commonly women are told after consuming alcohol to wait a couple of hours but because everyone’s metabolism is different the amount of time varies from person to person.  Most women think that “pumping and dumping” their breast milk will eliminate the alcohol but this is not true.  Time and metabolism are the only way alcohol leaves our system.  This means that mom’s are pumping and dumping precious milk that is going down the drain for no reason. Milkscreen is only way to know for sure if there is still alcohol in your breast milk so why wouldn’t you test and be certain?

About Julie Jumonville

Julie is a well-regarded entrepreneur who has successfully founded and operated companies from the beginning of her career.  She brings years of experience in new product ideation, development and engineering.   Julie invented the popular Milkscreen home test for alcohol in breast milk, which began national distribution in 2007 through Babies R Us.  Milkscreen has grown to become a must have for breastfeeding moms in the US and beyond.

Julie is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization’s Austin chapter and serves on the Board of Directors for the Austin Mothers Milk Bank.