booze n breast feeding?

Question

i'm currently 20..and 28 weeks pregnant (yay!!). SO happy about having a baby, and hoping i'll be ok 2 breast feed.
i've heard that drinking while breast feedin is v bad, my baby's due in may, and my 21st bday is in sept when she'll b roughly 4 months old. i really wana go out on me bday and that will be my last truely boozy night for an amazingly long time...tlkin yrs here, if eva agn. i was wondering how long expressed breast milk will keep if frozen so i can carry on giving it 2 her evn when im hung over and ideally for a few days after that (so keeping for abt 4 - 5 days, or would it be better if i switched to formula for those few days?
im aware that most of u will say im a mother now, booze is an old part of my life, but im a firm beleiver that just bcuz i hav a baby, and all that, i will not miss my last 'special bday' (i.e, 16th, 18th, 21st). but i want to do best by my child. please help? and if u just have a go...really dnt care, just hunting 4 those ppl that understand!

thx kim...was it dat clear i felt guilty? lol. feel guilty if i buy myself summat when i go shopping now!! evn if its just nailvarnish, or something cheap like that!! terrerible

aw, get u all being so nice! really dnt expect it. umm, just 2 set some minds at ease, 1..i cant drive, so no danger of drink driving (last time i was drunk i tried snogging a car...highly amusing, but dats as close as i've got 2 drink driving) and 2, the grandma 2 b has said she will have the baby on my birthday night, so she'll be safe, and spoilt rotten and having a good time while i am too. i couldn't go out unless i knew and trusted who she was going to be with.

shocking!! ONE out of 14 of u has been horrible...apparently just cuz im going to be a mum sum1 thinks i suldn't celebrate my 21st! best she wuldn't have thought dat if she'd been a mother at 21....tut..lol. thx 2 the rest tho. u made me feel really possitive abt it

n never fear ppl...like i say, JUST FOR ONE NIGHT...9th september...yesw it will b a binge drinking night...no i will not hav my daughter at my place when i come home stumbling around (chances r me n her dad might wake her anywayz...well...according 2 him) and no i will defo NOT b makin a habbit of it!

Answer 1

Don't switch to formula if you want to keep breastfeeding, you will dry up in a day believe me.
Hey listen I had a martini a week after giving birth and I was breastfeeding, i just made sure I didn't do it for a few hours after drinking, I gave her an oz. of formula instead.
Don't feel guilty, go out and have fun, you'll only be 21 once. You actually may not still be breastfeeding at 4 months, you never know.
I totally understand and don't listent o anyone that will tell " you're a parent now, your responsibility is your child, your partying days are over, stop being selfish, waaa, waaa waa..." You still are human and need a release every now and then. As long as it doesn't get out of control.

Answer 2

What you should do is start expressing milk from when the baby is about 3 months old. Breast milk if frozen straight away can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer (make sure you write the date you expressed it on the container). That way you should have a good supply by the time you plan to go out for your birthday. What i do is defrost enough milk on the day I'm going out, and then give him the expressed milk until the the next evening when the alcohol should be out of my system. But be warned when your out your boobs will get full, so as soon as you get home you'll have to express and then throw this milk away. Then each time you give the baby the expressed milk in the bottle, express again and throw it away. That way you'll keep your milk supply up and not get sore. Have a good time.

Answer 3

I have read that breast milk can be frozen for up to a month. So you will be fine to express it and then use that for a day or so after your big night out.
I don't think that 4 or 5 days is necessary. The alcohol should be out of your system within about a day. It takes one hour to process one unit of alcohol so you would have to be drinking enough to kill yourself if it was still going to be in your system 4 days later!!!
It's really great that you are planning on breastfeeding, that you are thinking about these things in advance and that you are planning to enjoy yourself on your birthday - don't feel bad!
I am in a similar situation - 30 weeks pregnant and my 30th is in September so I'm sure I will be doing the same sort of thing.

Answer 4

Milk can stay frozen for a month or so. Get a nice pump and start saving up for your birthday about 1 month before, the pump will come with instructions on keeping breast milk. It is nice to always have frozen milk on hand in case you need to leave your baby with someone. Just feed the baby the frozen milk for a couple days after your partying and drink lots of water to flush your system.
To thaw frozen breast milk - simmer it in water on the stove until it is lukewarm. Use the plastic sealable holders that fit right into a bottle, usually in the baby section will breast pads and bottles.

Answer 5

Always check with your Dr. or nurse to be sure of the right information. A week before you are going out, you should be pumping milk and freezing it in proper nursing containers that you can get at the store. That way, you can nurse your baby with that milk for at least 48hrs after drinking. You need to continue to pump for those 48hrs after so your milk doesn't dry up or slow down. Just throw that milk away because it is no good. Drink lots and lots of water to flush your system away. Be wise when you go out too. No drinking and driving because you don't want to leave your little one with no Mum either. It is OK to have a drink or two but don't get bombed, you still need to keep your wits with you. Have fun and I hope you decide it is best to celebrate in another way.

Answer 6

Breast milk can be refrigerated up to 8 days and frozen up to six months. There's nothing wrong w/ enjoying your life while enjoying motherhood. At least you have enough sense to know to still think of your baby while going out and partying. Some mothers don't! I was still pg when I turned 21, so, I understand the importance of the milestone more than most. lol Congrats and early Happy B-day!!

Answer 7

breast milk can be frozen for up to 3months but once defrosted must be used within 24hours, you would need to express an awful lot of milk to keep the babe fed for a few days while u recover from your hangover,(thats if you can breast feed ok and the babe can except from you ok-not everyone can) perhaps you should start to express extra milk many days before you celebrate your birthday and freeze this as you can only express so much extra in a day along with the babe feeding off you.
Enjoy your 21st - we dont become slippers and curlers ppl just becuase we have given birth we still need a life too !!!

Answer 8

Breast milk keeps for a good while in the freezer. Start pumping,

You will be fine. Have a happy Birthday. The baby my not take the bottle from you. Get your significant other to feed the baby that day. My children would not take a bottle from me. I could not even be in the room when they were being bottle fed.

Good Luck

Answer 9

congratulations on your pregnancy! breast milk can be kept safely in the fridge for 48 hours or frozen for 3 months. I've been using the advent via storage cups. They are sterile containers that fit on to your breast pump and can then be labelled and put in the freezer. when you want to use the milk the bottle teat can be screwed on to the cup. Remember to try your baby with a bottle beforehand as it sometimes takes breastfeed babies a few goes to get the hang of a bottle. good luck x x .

Answer 10

you can drink while you breastfeed, you just have to do it correctly. the best time to have an occasional glass of wine or drink is right after you have fed the baby. that way the alcohol has time to 'run it's course' before the next feeding. you can pump off the milk you produce right after you drink, if you want to extra careful, but alcohol does not store in breast milk. if you are planning on really getting drunk that night, i would suggest pumping at least a days worth. that way you will not have to resort to formula.