Breastfeeding mom...what Are the Rules on Alcohol????

Yup, I agree with the others. Just keep it to 1-2 for now, and time it for after a feeding (I always had mine right after putting the baby to sleep for the first time for the night) so it the alcohol level has time to drop. You should be able to eat sushi without problems.

It is a personal decision but from what I read it is okay in moderation. I have had one glass of wine a few times while I am still breastfeeding. If I want a glass of wine I usually have it right after I have fed him or until he is down for the night. He is five months today. Hope this help:)

A., I am a labor and delivery nurse and I just took a 2 day class on breast feeding for health care professionals. We covered this in the class and I made sure to memorize it for furture refernce. (I am pregnant myself). You can drink 2 oz of liquer, 8 oz of wine, or 2 beers with out having to pump and dump. Anything more than that should be dumped. If you drink with in the above amount,wait until you can no longer feel the effects of the alcohol before breastfeeding. It emptys out of breast milk after a while just like it does you. Hope this helps!

Magnolia is a cute name!

Nix the alcohol.

Go for the sushi.

Hi A.
i'm sure a lot of ppl will disagree with me. However, i had a preemie baby...8 weeks early. Their digestive system is behind as well as a few others..but in my opinion...(also my dr.s') the best thing you can do for your baby is to not drink. Their will be plenty of time after you ween your baby off the breast....its' hard...trust me I KNOW! BUT...this time is for your baby and she needs you more than you need a drink! that till will come sooner than you think...they grow SO fast...
S.

While I was breastfeeding, I never drank alcohol. Once my dh gave me a sip of something but I didn't like it and that was it. That was the most I ever drank. In my personal opinion, I think it would be best to drink (if you are going to drink) after you have fed your baby so that, like other moms have said, by the time your baby feeds again it will no longer be in your system. And I agree with others when they say if it is done in moderation, than there shouldn't be a problem. Good Luck! :)

A.,

Regarding the alcohol, here is an article from www.mothering.com.
http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/...
This is a fabulous magazeine you may want to order. Website is great too.

Here is another article from LA Leche League International.
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html

These websites may be great to keep on your "favorites" list when you have questions.

I thought the sushi prohibition was about having an infection when you are pregnant. Fever and bacterial infections are not good for the fetus. The LLI website doesn't turn anything up with a search of "sushi" so perhaps this is an indication it is not a concern for breastfeeding.

Congratulations!

Hey A.,

I know you're probably getting a ton of responses, but I'll answer as simply as I know...
(1) You only have to pump and dump your first feeding after the wine. At least that's what I did.
(2) My husband brought me sushi to the hospital after my 2nd son was born...that was my FIRST MEAL. As far as I was concerned, 9 months w/o sushi had been long enough! I DID clear it with my doctor, who said "go for it!"

Good luck to you!

Someone I know asked her pediatrician about drinking. The pediatrician told her it was fine to have 1 or 2 servings every once in a while, just to wait 2 hours per serving for it to clear your system including your milk.
I haven't tried this yet, but I do take a sip or two of whatever my husband is having.
So enjoy and don't worry.
J.

I know it has already been stated but just wanted to stress the fact that alcohol leaves your milk just like it leaves your blood so you don't always have to pump and dump. It takes a beer or a glass of wine about 1-2 hours to leave your milk. So enjoy some wine every once in awhile, you deserve it.

I am breastfeeding my 4 month old. I did stay away from alcohol when she was 1-2 months old just to be sure when she was a newborn and because she was feeding every couple of hours. In the past month or so I have relaxed a little. I will have an occasional glass of wine with dinner before her last feed of the day, but never more than one drink if I am going to feed her within a few hours. However, since she is sleeping through the night, I will sometimes have more than one drink after I put her down for the night. We also have some formula on "standby" just in case anything were to happen and she needs to be fed at night. My husband can take care of it. (This has never happened, but I feel that it is important to be prepared.) A nurse told me that it takes about 90 minutes to metabolize 4 oz of wine, so that is a good guideline. (Also keep in mind a typical glass is usually closer to 6 oz). If you do feel the need to go out and really drink so that you might have a hangover, then yes, I would definietly pump and dump. Although, I doubt that is your plan :)

I'm with the group that says drink in moderation. I had an occasional glass of wine while breastfeeding both my kids and they are both healthy and smart. Matter of fact, when I came home with my first, some friends dropped by with a six-pack of my favorite beer and let me taste test each one that was opened (since I had been VERY good and not had any alcohol during pregnancy).

Remember that the medical establishment really can't put a guideline out there for alcohol use during pregnancy or breastfeeding because they can't do testing on those groups of people; so they have to say "none" for safety.

I'd stick to a glass or two of wine on an infrequent basis. And, as one grandmother pointed out to me, if just a little gets in the breastmilk, what you get is a sleepy baby, which is also sometimes a nice thing. As noted in another post, plenty of our moms were recommended a glass of wine, and we turned out just fine.

Also, I was told to drink just before feeding the baby, not just after. The alcohol doesn't go immediately into the milk and that gives a longer time for it to get out of the bloodstream before the next feeding. Plus, as noted, it helps relax you for the letdown.

Sushi, raw eggs, rare meat, raw oysters, etc. are dangerous because of the chance of salmonella poisoning. If you eat it and get sick, it's a pain. If you eat it while pregnant and get sick, they are worried about the fetus (don't remember the particulars). If you get sick while breastfeeding, worst case scenario is that you have to pump and dump while sick to avoid transmitting the salmonella.

All of that being said, remember that plenty of Japanese women eat sushi while pregnant and breastfeeding. My midwife even said it was fine to eat when pregnant as long as I went to a reputable restaurant where I had gotten quality sushi before. Same thing goes for the other stuff.

A.,
I too was concerned about having a drink. I read every article that I could find. The majority of the responses here are what I have been reading. When my daughter was 3 months old, I had my first beer, man it was great, but the only reason I "pumped and dumped" was because my breasts were so full, it was a little painful to fall asleep. The alcohol does not stay in the breast milk, it metabolizes just the same as in your blood stream. I follow the rule, that for every drink I have, I make sure there is a 2 hour gap in feeding. Which makes having those drinks lat night after she has gone to bed easier. I have a huge stockpile of breastmilk in the freezer in case I were to ever have more than I should, my husband could feed her in the morning. I sure hope that this was helpful. Good luck to you and your little one!

I was shocked to see your question. My how time changes! In my days of breastfeeding, mothers were told to have a glass of wine before nursing to help relax and facilitate the let down response.

I think the alcohol question is fully answered so on with sushi. Eat it, enjoy it, there's no risk to your breastfed baby. If you're nervous about getting yourself sick, go with cooked seafood like saltwater eel, crab, and shrimp. Going with tuna, salmon and mackerel with give you some omega 3.

I was going to say what Bethany did - it metabolizes in milk as fast as it does in your blood. If you don't feel buzzed, your milk is fine. I fairly regularly have a glass of wine with dinner.

Don't worry about it! Your alcohol leaves your milk the same way that it leaves your blood. The rule goes, if the mother feels sober, then it's fine. There is NO need to pump and dump. It won't affect anything. I have drinks pretty regularly, (only after dd is in bed for the night) and so by morning, there is nothing left in my system. I would wait until she's sleeping through the night and then only have a couple and so you won't have to worry about it. Until then, make sure that you eat before you drink, and if she's awake, wait about 2 hours before you feed her, or feed her while you're drinking. It won't get to your milk that fast, that way, you won't have to skip any feedings if she's on a 2-4 hour eating schedule. Hope this helps! Don't feel guilty about drinking. Only 2% of what you drink even gets into your milk, and in 2 hours it's gone anyway.

I have been pregnant and/or nursing for almost 11 years now (!!!!) and I have had occasionaly glasses of wine and beer in this time. I have always heard if you can drive a car, you can nurse a baby. I stick to beer and wine and no more than two glasses ever (and I've olny done two glasses twice in this time, I try to stop at one). It's turned me into quite the lightweight ;)
You can have sushi as long as it's fresh.

Hi A.,

When we were in the hospital with DS #1, our pediatrician actually told me to go home and have a beer. In moderation, I think alcohol is fine. I have a 3 week old now, and had a glass of wine last weekend. Do you have stored frozen milk for a bottle feeding if you're feeling a little tipsy? That's what I'd do. And just pump & dump that feeding to keep your body used to feeding as frequently as your baby does. And I think sushi is fine, it's more of a concern when you're pregnant. :)

It is a common misconception that alchohol stays in your milk. Breastmilk is made form your bloddstrea so if you can feel the alcholol(ie tipsy or drunk) than so will your baby at that time. If you wait an hour and are feeling clearer, so will your baby. There is absolutely no reason to pump and dump, just wait until you're not feeling it.
Let me know if you need more info on this.

A.,
Don't worry. I also have a daughter that blessed us with her presence 5 weeks early and I breastfed exclusively for one year. I had a glass of wine from time to time(or more often) and I never pumped and tossed. My daughter never had any problems with it. I don't think it is a good idea to drink hard alcohol, but a glass of wine or a beer never hurt my daughter. I am now 7 months pregnant and will do the same thing again. I am not a doctor, but my doctors never had a problem with it.

My goodness, you don't have to "pump and dump"! Wonder where you heard that? Alcohol leaves your breastmilk at the same rate it leaves your bloodstream, about one drink/1-2 hours. To minimize the amount of alcohol your baby gets, have a drink right after nursing the baby, preferably during her longest stretch between feedings (like at bedtime). By the time she is ready to nurse again, most of the alcohol will have cleared your system. One or two drinks should be fine. Of course, you want to be a little more cautious with a newborn or a preemie. Also, did you know that most of the milk that your baby gets during a feeding is "made" right then during the feeding - only a small amount is "stored" in the breasts. So even if you pump, if there is still alcohol in your blood, your baby will still be getting it. There is no way to "empty" your breasts, because they are always producing milk.

The general rule is that if you are too drunk to bf your baby, then you are also too drunk to safely care for the baby. Something to think about.

I breastfed both my kids and would have an occasional glass of wine....didn't ever dump...the kids were both fine! The doctor even said one glass would not hurt...I think some opinions are subjective....it goes back to the rule, "Moderation in everything"

Hey there.. My son was in the NICU on Thanksgiving when he was born. I wanted a glass of wine and so I asked the nurses and Dr's in the NICU.. (they know babies and what can hurt them) They told me to breast feed and then I could have a glass of wine. They also said it wasn't necessary to pump and dump. 1 hour after I drink the glass of wine it would be out of my system. even if there was still a little in my system it wouldn't hurt my son. They said that I could pump and dump once after i drank the wine if it would make me feel better, but it was only going to make me feel better because it couldn't hurt Jaxson. NOW... that was with 1 or 2 glasses not a bottle. Just be smart and have your glass of wine. Being a new mom is tough... sometimes you deserve to relax and enjoy something you love. (besides the new bundle of joy)

Good luck..