drinking and breastfeeding??????

Question

Can I have a drink?? How long after should i wait to nurse again?? 170lbs

OK, serious answers here only. those of you saying its not responsible are stupid. I'm not some drunk mother. I like the occasional "1" or "2" drinks here and there. Nothing wrong with that.
Thanks for all your advice. I decided when i do have my first drink I will do the pump and dump.

Answer 1

Every single thing that goes into your body goes into your babies body. Even spicy foods can effect them when breastfeeding. So please, don't. Or pump in advance, as detailed above. You might think about checking out lalecheleague.org- a great resource of up to date accurate info. for you mom!

Answer 2

I would stay away from drinking while breast feeding. The Pump and Dump method sounds risky to me, because you have no way of knowing how long the alcohol stays in your body.

Always choose the healthiest path while breastfeeding. Eat well, drink juices, milk and water, and let the drinking wait until your baby is off the breast. Remember, your baby depends upon you to do what is best and so it is up to you to maintain responsible habits.

I can remember when my own children were babies and I would sit at gatherings while others had drinks and feel slightly left out. I solved the problem by drinking orange juice and, if anyone asked, I said it was a screwdriver.

But do not drink liquor or beer at all until you have consulted with your doctor. They know the safest path to take and will answer all of your questions.

Answer 3

You absolutely DO NOT have to pump and dump if you have 1 drink. Ideally, you would have the drink after you breastfed, and then by the time the next feeding comes around, the alcohol will have metabolized. The baby gets so little of what you take (alcohol, medicine, etc.) that it is really not a big deal. Remember, they allow women with c-sections to take Vicodin and breastfeed, which is much stronger than a glass of wine!

If you do drink so much that you feel drunk, the biggest worry is how you can take care of the baby.

Answer 4

Heather has the medically correct answer that alcohol does dissapate from your breastmilk at the same rate it does from your blood (please GOOGLE Dr Hale if you want more information). There is no need to pump and dump, so to speak, because as your body makes more milk, it will still have alchohol in it until your liver has metabolized all the milk.

If your baby is very young, you would need to be very careful, not just because of the alcohol but because they are still establishing nursing patterns and you don't want to not be able to nurse when they are hungry. Older babies often have a schedule and you can count on three or four hours between nursings. If you have a low alcohol drink right after your baby nurses, by the time they want to nurse again, it'll be gone. Esp at 170...two hours for one beer or margarita ought to be fine.

Answer 5

Go ahead and have a drink. Or a couple, and the trace amounts of alcohol that make it to your milk will have no effect on the baby. If you really tie one on (6 drinks at your weight), wait till you're sober, pump the milk that's there, discard it, and then you can nurse again. Really, unless you drink a lot, all the time, it's not going to hurt the baby at all, at the most, he/she will sleep just a little more soundly than usual, and that's if you breastfeed when you're really drunk.

Answer 6

Alcohol that you drink will enter your breastmilk, but does not stay there. It is metabolized from your breast milk at the same rate that it is metabolized from your blood. That means 1 drink per hour. 1 drink equals 12oz of beer, 5oz of wine, or 1oz or hard liquor. Your best bet is to finish a nursing, have one drink, and you will be fine for your next feeding as long as it is at least two hours or more away.

If you do overindulge, keep a few things in mind. One, always make sure that there is a sober adult around to be in charge of the baby. Two, to keep up your milk supply and keep from getting engorged you may want to pump and dump your milk at the scheduled feeding time and give the baby formula or previously expressed breast milk instead.

If you can feel the alcohol in your system, i.e. if you are buzzed, then you also have alcohol remaining in your breast milk.

Answer 7

You should be able to drink. I would advice that you don't drink anything really strong though, the reason being what ever you ingest comes straight through your milk and the baby will get it. Wine, some beers, and wine coolers are usually OK. 1 or 2 with a meal or after a good meal should not hurt. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Sure, have a drink or two if you feel like it. You've earned it!

Try to drink after baby nurses, so you know that you have a few hours before you need to nurse him again.

Do not pump and dump unless you are drunk and uncomfortable. That idea is so old-fashioned. Your body will clear your milk of alcohol, just like it clears your blood.

Remember that alcohol enters milk in minute amounts. Milk with a tiny amount of alcohol is still far healthier than formula!

Kudos to you, breastfeeding mama!

Answer 9

I drank on new years eve while nursing and I pumped and dumped the whole next day and only gave her formula. Also, I have taken like 2 sips of wine during dinner, and I didn't feed my daughter until 4 hours later. I wouldn't drink a whole beer or a whole glass of wine and nurse her less than four hours later.

Answer 10

if u pump milk out 4 the baby b4 u drink u will do ok after u drink u should pump atleast 2 times
the drinking just makes the milk taste funny

Answer 11

When I breastfed, my lactation consultant made sure to cover this topic.
You need to have a supply on hand of prepumped milk to cover your baby's needs.
The alcohol will hit your milk in about 2-3 hours so you will need to pump often (and throw out) the alcoholic milk. I would say if you have 2 drinks back to back you should be ok in about 5-8 hours. But you may want to check a reputable source (lacation consultant at a local hospital should tell you for free)