2006-12-05 05:13:07 · 16 answers · asked by Loves2Snuggle 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
As usual, the people who give totally inaccurate advice on this topic are coming out of the woodwork and pulling their answers right out of mid-air.
Here is the TRUTH about alcohol and breastfeeding:
YES.....a breastfeeding mother can responsibly have a drink without it harming her child.
The American Academy of Pediatrics actually classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.” In other words, IT'S OK TO HAVE A DRINK according to the professionals!
You DO NOT need to wait the ridiculous 24 hours to nurse that has been recommended by others here. (Only if you go on a serious bender and have about 12 drinks! Then you'd also better call AA when you sober up.) Per Thomas Hale, THE expert on breastfeeding and medications, it is simply recommended that nursing moms avoid nursing for about 2 hours after each drink.
You DO NOT need to pump and dump when drinking! Pumping & dumping DOES NOT speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk. The alcohol leaves your milk in the same way it leaves your bloodstream. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. DO NOT pump and dump unless you are becoming engorged and need to pump for your own comfort.
A good general rule of thumb is that if you are sober enough to drive, then you are sober enough to nurse. Or "if your head is clear, your milk is too."
2006-12-05 05:22:38 · answer #1 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You can absolutely enjoy a drink while breast feeding. My pediatrician and OB recommended waiting 2 hours before breast feeding after enjoying a glass of wine. If anything it helped me to feel human and relax. You do not have to pump and dump, just be responsible. The people who tell you that you absolutely cannot usually have no basis of reference, and are certainly not taking into account that although we are mothers first, we are also adults. Having a child is an amazing blessing, but is also very stressful. Take a few moments to yourself, relax, enjoy a occasional glass of wine. If you take care of yourself, recharge and relax you will be a far better other to your child than if you try to follow the advice of every uninformed idiot out there.
2006-12-06 15:53:49 · answer #2 · answered by norwegianblue 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to nurse your baby right before you drink. Try to have only 1 or 2 drinks within a short period of time. Then pump the next to times, and dispose of that breast milk. You'll be fine. Just don't make it a habit. Your baby needs the continued rhythm of breastfeeding in order to feel completely nurtured. Also, hangovers are insane to deal with when you have to care for a baby at the same time. You won't have the energy.
2006-12-05 13:24:15 · answer #3 · answered by Lil Lulu 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My daughter's pediatrician told me that I could have one drink per day without affecting my baby. This means 1 glass of wine or 1 can of beer. Anything more, then for every drink you need to allow one hour for it to break down in your body. Therefore, say you went out and had 4 drinks, you would have to wait at least for hours for it to get out of your system. Any milk pumped during that 4 hours would have to be thrown out. I'm only a social drinker and haven't had more than 2 drinks at one time since my daughter was born, so I don't know how well this works. I just don't have any desire to get a buzz anymore since she was born.
2006-12-05 14:35:17 · answer #4 · answered by Melissa B 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My answer is no. I tried the pump then discard the milk after drinking for 24 hours. It worked. Except I didn't pump before hand and my son said... "nope this bottle is easier." So we ended up on formula. Not what I wanted. I would say just wait until you are done nursing. You had to not drink while pregnant what is one more year??? Good luck
2006-12-05 13:19:16 · answer #5 · answered by Mrs. Always Right 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They say you can have one drink, and pump, and discard that milk and everything should be fine. Its only in your system for about 2 hours, and you can pump and dump that milk, but you'll need a back up meal for baby. So pump and store before hand.
Its handy for the holidays.
they strongly advise against drinking any amount at all while breast feeding. But one glass of wine, or a single beer at a special occasion is not going to effect anything in the long run. Women have done it for years and no baby has ever been effected from something like that.
Sometimes at christmas dinner you just like having a glass of wine, you just dont want to share it with baby is all :)
2006-12-05 13:17:11 · answer #6 · answered by amosunknown 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would think a glass of wine (NOT while you're nursing!) would be fine...I'm no doctor though. Just remember that if it's not out of YOUR system yet...It could be in your breast milk which would pass on to baby.
2006-12-05 13:17:44 · answer #7 · answered by buckeyegrrl 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No it is never ok to drink. There are theorys on how long the alcohol is in your system but they are just that theorys. Would you fill a bottle with alcohol and give it to your child? Then I would abstain from drinking until the child is weaned.
2006-12-05 13:22:07 · answer #8 · answered by pup e luv 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have been told that as long as you pump some bottles before, you are ok to have a couple of drinks and not breast feed for atleast 24 hours.
2006-12-05 13:16:39 · answer #9 · answered by emtoten83 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Mama2mingbu has the best answer. The links she recommends are great.
2006-12-05 14:07:42 · answer #10 · answered by Red 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋