pump and dump?

Question

my friend was drunk @ 2am and she breast fed at 9am this morning.. we were told that alcohol stays in the blood and when its gone, its out of ure milk...dud she wait enough, she said she didnt feel drunk

Answer 1

Alcohol will be metabolized out of breast milk at the same rate it is metabolized out of blood. That means about 1 drink per hour. A drink is defined as 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1 oz of hard liquor. You reach peak levels about 60-90 minutes after consuming alcohol. At 7 hours after consuming her last drink she should have been fine to breast feed, but its always a good idea to track consumption just to be sure you've given your body enough time to metabolize the alcohol.

Answer 2

If you are sober enough to drive you are sober enough to breastfeed. Or you can figure on 1-2 hours per drink after the first 2 drinks.

Also the only need to pump and dump is for mom's comfort. It won't get rid of the alcohol any faster.

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html
Breastfeeding and Alcohol

By Kelly Bonyata, IBCLC
Guidelines

* Current research says that occasional use of alcohol (1-2 drinks) is not harmful to the nursing baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.”
* Many experts recommend against drinking more than 1-2 drinks per week.
* It is recommended that nursing moms avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking (Hale 2002).
* There is no need to pump & dump milk after drinking alcohol, other than for mom's comfort -- pumping & dumping does not speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk.
* Alcohol does not increase milk production, and has been shown to inhibit let-down and decrease milk production (see below).
* If you're away from your baby, try to pump as often as baby usually nurses (this is to maintain milk supply, not because of the alcohol). At the very least, pump or hand express whenever you feel uncomfortably full - this will help you to avoid plugged ducts and mastitis.

In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

Always keep in mind the baby's age when considering the effect of alcohol. A newborn has a very immature liver, so minute amounts of alcohol would be more of a burden. Up until around 3 months of age, infants detoxify alcohol at around half the rate of an adult. An older baby or toddler can metabolize the alcohol more quickly.

Answer 3

If she was sober enough to drive, she was sober enough to nurse. Breastfeeding mothers CAN drink, for heavens' sakes.

And there is NO POINT to 'pumping and dumping.' If things worked that way, you'd have to pump and dump your blood to sober up...

"There is no need to pump & dump milk after drinking alcohol, other than for mom's comfort -- pumping & dumping does not speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk."

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

"MYTH: A mother should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding. Not true! Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers."

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=79

Answer 4

it can sometimes effect the baby if it gets into the milk but if she waited a while after she felt really.. drunk she fine it would stay in her system but it want be as bad but she needs to watch it she needs to drink alot more water to help get it out of her body because it's not good for the kid

Answer 5

If she stopped drinking by 2 am there shouldnt me anything but a high sugar content and sour taste in her milk by 9am.

Answer 6

A responsible mother should know that drinking shoulf not be a part of her routine when it comes to raising children. There are so many warnings out there for mothers like that. It does stay in the blood for a good while, even when sober, you will still have traces of it in the blood. Genes do carry so most likely that child will wind being a drinker. Good job!

Answer 7

I would have pumped and dumped to be safe. because your body stores food and drinks, so some of that booze was in her milk. They now have these test strips you can by and it test the milk so u can make sure its safe. Tell her to invest.

Answer 8

She most likely would have been just fine to nurse.

Answer 9

Why is your friend drinking while still breastfeeding?? I think she should stop drinking if she is going to continue to breastfeed. Obviously she is not that concerned about the babies health!!

Answer 10

wow...why would she get drunk with a baby at home...but ok i would not breastfeed it doesn't seem like it would be good.