Im a first time mom and I want to know if its ok to drink while Im breastfeeding. (one or two) drinks. The reason why I ask is because I read online that it was ok but then I went to another web site and it said that it wasn't.
2007-09-30 11:37:06 · 22 answers · asked by trish 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
Look let me tell you something mommieaqueen I guess asked a simple question due to the fact that I was reading two web sites so before you start typing **** that you shouldn't be I would read that question slowly.
2007-09-30 18:13:31 · update #1
I never did when I was breastfeeding. I read that it does get incorporated into your milk. After I read that, I didn't want to take the chance!
2007-09-30 11:40:02 · answer #1 · answered by Joanne D 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lots of people ask this question. You CAN drink and breastfeed if you follow the guidelines of waiting between 1 and 2hrs for each drink (2 to be on the safe side is recommended, for an avg drink on a full stomach). If you're doing jello shots without eating dinner, there's cause for concern, but someone who has a glass of wine with dinner doesnt need to wait long at all before there is NO RISK to your child. The older the child, the less of an impact it might have, but to be safe you should wait before nursing after having a drink or two. No need to pump and dump, when the alcohol has left your bloodstream it's left your milk as well.
When someone says 'just dont drink while breastfeeding', it sorta upsets me because there is nothing wrong with having a beer/glass of wine occasionally while nursing your child. That limits you when there is no reason to do so, and might be one more reason amongst many (like not being free to nurse in public, family/friends/strangers thinking it's disgusting/unnerving to hear that you breastfeed, etc... all of which happen to many of us). I nursed my daughter until she was 13mths old, so combine that with no drinking at all while pregnant and that's almost 2 yrs. I'm no alcoholic, but I enjoy a good cabernet sauvignon every once in a while!
Feel free to enjoy a drink every now and then, it's all about timing. You know when you nurse your baby, so schedule a drink right after a nursing and no worries. It's great when your baby starts to sleep through the night, for your own sleep and also you can start to let your hair down a bit more. Takes a good 6mths for most, but it's so nice when it comes.
P.S. It always makes me laugh!! There's gotta be someone who thinks you can breastfeed your unborn baby. Love it.
2007-10-01 00:26:38 · answer #2 · answered by MaPetiteHippopotame 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I exclusively pump. When I wasn't a few drinks I just make sure that after I'm done drinking I allow as many hours equal to the number of drinks I had to pass before I pump again. Try to buy a pump if you don't have one and pump a little out after each feeding so you have "Clean" milk when you need to feed the baby. Good luck, don't listen to the people who gave you the smart comments...I'm sure they're no saints themselves. Oh, and breast milk even with a tiny bit of alcohol will not hurt the baby and is still better than formula. God bless.
2007-09-30 22:30:07 · answer #3 · answered by mom-to-my-boy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In general, it's best to avoid alcohol. A little beer can help with milk supply, or a litte red wine for the blood, but then so can a lot of safer, non-alcoholic remedies . No more than 5 drinks a week, at most though. It should never become a daily habit, not even one a day.
2007-09-30 18:48:00 · answer #4 · answered by Marlene W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just a couple of drinks should be fine. I would breastfeed baby before hand and then wait 1-2 hours before nursing again. Alcohol metabolizes out of your breast milk just as it does your blood, so the whole "pump and dump" thing is a myth. The amount of alcohol that actually goes into your milk is very small. I will occasionally have a beer, which can actually aid in milk production because of the yeast.
2007-09-30 18:55:51 · answer #5 · answered by iamhis0 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
In moderation, occasionally, then yes. Just remember whatever can enter your blood stream can go into the baby's milk too. That's why its important to tell the doctor you are breastfeeding if you need medication.
Just watch the little one the day after. If you notice that baby is more irritable, has bad nappies or is some how different, then it might be upsetting them, and best to hold off until no longer feeding.
2007-09-30 18:43:00 · answer #6 · answered by Barb Outhere 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Its not suppose to be hat bad but it is alcohol and it does go into your breast milk, I would say wait 1-2 hours after drinking(thats what my doctor told me), maybe even pump before to have some reserve. DO remember that drinking can decrease your milk flow so don't do it to often.
2007-09-30 20:42:02 · answer #7 · answered by swtdrms81 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Better safe than sorry - I'd stay away from it. I swore off not only alcohol, but caffeine of any kind while pregnant, and then for the nearly 14 months my son was breastfeeding. I'm a coffee fiend, so if I can do it, you can too!
2007-09-30 18:42:51 · answer #8 · answered by SoBox 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Let me put it this way- when you are falling down drunk (bal of .3 or so) your bm would have approx the same amount of alcohol as a non-alcoholic beer. And you wouldn't be taking care of a child by yourself if you were that drunk anyways, right? It's fine to indulge occasionally, and pumping and dumping is ONLY for comfort- not to eliminate alcohol from bm since it is eliminated from the bm at the same rate as it is from your blood.
2007-10-04 01:33:14 · answer #9 · answered by MelG 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My guess would be to wait a few hours after drinking before you breast feed. That way the alcohol is gone.
2007-09-30 18:41:49 · answer #10 · answered by 19G30 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋