So we're about to have a baby (YAY!!). I didn't get to nurse with my other two, but we are with this one. My question is that DH and I want to finally break in his new cocktail making book and try out some new, yummy mixed drinks. We NEVER get drunk and pretty much stick with a one drink policy (sometimes two with weak margaritas). We've only had virgin stuff while preggers of course and totally excited to get to try something new - my q is how does this work with nursing? Do I pump enough to feed him for awhile and if so how long? How long before I can nurse him again? Note we are sticking to our one drink policy, but I don't want anything to get in my new bundle of joy. Thanks!
EDIT: I said A DRINK. Please read the request and don't jump to conclusions people. I have been drunk a single time in my life and have never touched drugs - this isn't a party - it is a try a single drink thing and not even once a week. I am a 4.0 college student. I have spoken to my obgyn and want to nurse for two years. Thank you.
Well I haven't had baby yet, but what I have gathered is that pump and dump is a myth (interesting concept!) and that this is a highly controversial topic much like that of immunizations (or parenting period!). LOL. So I will wait till he's two months old and I have an idea as to what his feeding schedule is like. We never drink until the kids have gone down and only on weekends if at all. One drink policy, and will pump to have some stored while it metabolizes out of my system. I talked with my obgyn and she feels this is a good idea and says to enjoy. Thanks for all the responses, and it really is sad that ppl had to message me in secret b/c of fear of being judged. We really are here to help each other and not to pass judgment. Mom's are here to ask questions, not because they are irresponsible, but curious. Otherwise why would they be on an advice site at all? Thanks to those of you who said no, but without judgment. It is good to hear both sides, but it can be said the right way.
HI C.,
I would just stay away from it. Since we really don't know all the affects of alchol for us as adults, it might be wise to just steer clear! Little ones bodies can't take things like that. Best of luck to you!!! Congrats too
First, I'm sorry so many people have chewed you out for your choices and cravings. My daughter is 20 months and breastfeeds about 5 or 6 times daily. I don't drink, but didn't drink before I got pregnant either. I was determinded to breastfeed my daughter and read a tremendous amount about it. Everything says basically the same thing: It's okay to have a drink here and there while you're breastfeeding. Make sure you feed your baby right before you drink though so your body has a chance to metabolize the alcohol before babe wants more mommy milk. Also, take note of when there's likely to be cluster feeding (days 3-5, two weeks, I think) and plan to not drink then. When they cluster feed, it can be a nearly constant thing (not exagerating!) and your body won't be able to metabolish the alchol between feedings. Literally, I fed my daughter in the house before we were going to visit someone and when we took her to put her in the car, she started crying that she was hungry. I fed her again in the car and then we drove the 5 minutes to visit. She wanted to eat again with 10 minutes of getting there. Good luck and enjoy!
Tonya's info is dead in the black...no one really knows. Lots of people have strong opinions, but the experts all agree...or at least agree that EVERYONE disagrees...ich weiss nicht.
What I would suggest is this:
After your milk comes in, pump some extra every day and freeze it. Try bottle feeding, and make sure your little love will take it.
So stockpile up a bit, have a cocktail night once a week/month/whathave you, bottle feed that night & pump'n'dump.
No worries.
Hey C.,
Oh man, what a can of worms! Congrats on your new baby- breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for the little peanut- so good job. On drinking while breastfeeding- you are never going to find a 'right' answer. You need to just do what feels right to you and don't worry about people judging you. Another poster mentioned studies done on babies breastfeeding with drinking moms and she was right- these studies are done on mothers who drink MODERATE amounts of alcohol EVERY DAY. There are very few studies (if any) that show the effects of the occasional drink. This is what I do- if I feel like i want to have a glass of wine, I'll pump before or make sure I've got some milk in the freezer. Have the glass of wine and then give the baby the pumped milk if s/he is hungry. The rule of thumb I have always heard from my docs (I also spent years working in the medical field) is that if you can feel the effects of the drink so can the baby. If you are sober enough to drive you are sober enough to breastfeed:) Another thing I want to post here is the myth of pump-n-dump. THIS IS A MYTH- DO NOT PUMP AND DUMP. Alcohol is metabolized in your blood and breast milk at the same rate. If you pump, the milk that is replaced in the breast will have the same alcohol content as your blood- so if you are still tipsy your milk will still contain alcohol, no matter how much you pump. Good luck and enjoy that drink- you deserve it!!
I am assuming you will start a debate with this question, so I will give you some unbiased information:
Not even health care providers agree on one single answer: Some health care providers feel it is best to avoid all alcohol while nursing. Some feel that occasional moderate drinking is okay and some feel that if any alcohol is consumed, you should pump and dump for 24 hours.
Some believe alcohol clears the breast milk in about the same amount of time it takes to clear the blood stream. If you are planning to drink heavily (more than 2 drinks), you may want to give it 6-8 hours to clear your system.
There has been some reasearch studies done which have shown developmental delays in babies of drinking mothers, but the majority of tests were done on babies of mothers who drank heavily and daily.
There is also reasearch (this info is from kellymom) that less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk and that 1-2 drinks is not harmful to the baby. However, one study has shown that as little as one drink can inhibit milk production (temporarily).
For what is is worth, I have seen that babies-r-us sells test stips in their breastfeeding section that test for alcohol in breastmilk. That said, my personal choice was not to risk it and did not drink while breastfeeding.
BTW: Congratulations on the baby!
I agree with C. K...however...
Regarding pumpndump... Typicall whatever you eat/drink in the 3-4 hours after you nurse will be "used" to for your next batch of milk. So, if you nurse, then drink, I would recommend pumping at the next "feeding time" and dumping it... Better safe than sorry.
Use your when your milk come in to startyour supply of BM in the freezer. When your breasts start to feel tight and painful (engorged)pump just enough to relieve the pressure. IT WILL NOT prolong your engorgement or make you produce more milk. (If you pump until empty, that will will make you produce more milk than your baby needs...which actually causes other problems.)
So,figure out your system because you may pump just a little to relieve the pressure at first. Keep frozen milk in the freezer. But newly pumped milk in the fridge first AND THEN pour it on top of your frozen milk. A total of 5 oz is plenty for one "serving" at first. (If you pour your warm milk on the frozen it will thaw enough for bacterial..etc.)
GOOD for you for wanting to nurse for 2 years. It may be painful AT FIRST. Their teeny tiny mouths sometimes barely fit over a large nipple. Just keep putting the lanolin on to keep them soft. You will know the day that your baby's mouth grew enough to get the nipple all the way.
Good luck. If you have any problems nursing, please feel free to contact me. I am not a licensed lactation consultant, but I had some many issues and had to use so many lactation consultants that I feel I know quite a bit... or at least get you in the right direction.
BTW: I don't think you are a drunk. <grin>
Hey C. - I've nursed all three of my girls for over a year each, and I've never noticed anything when I've had a drink. (I'm a one drink girl, also.) I'm not sure that one drink can even physically effect me more than any other chemicals/preservatives/man made ingredients in any other foods I might eat, you know? I'm 5' 10" and about 165, so one beer (my DH brews at home) has never been of much concern to me. And let me reassure you, we don't give meds, or sweets, or use chemical cleaners, etc. We're "alternative weirdos"!
If you're really set on not giving anything to baby, then have your drink just after you nurse, and your body will have 2-3 hours at least to metabolize the alcohol before you're due again.
Wow, so many replies and from both sides of the aisle! I have 2 gorgeous, smart little girls, 4 and 2. I abstained from drinking throughout both pregnancies, but did drink while breastfeeding. I would only have one drink (and after almost a year of abstinence, my tolerance was quite low!) and I would consume it immediately after nursing and while eating so the alcohol would be metabolized before their next feeding. I'm preggo with #3 and once again abstaining......have a drink for me and enjoy!
Actually, reading all these posts I've gotta tell you that I am surprised that people aren't freaking out more :) When I went in for my annual exam (late last year, the first annual exam after having my daughter four months earlier), I ended up with our clinic's lactation specialist/midwife. It was coming up on the holidays, so without me even asking, she said that it was best to consume any alcohol a couple hours before nursing and to be judicious on imbibing. Like your post notes, you weren't planning on getting wasted -- just having a single drink. She also suggested "pumping and dumping" if that made me more comfortable. There are such varying points of view on this subject -- I know women who feel that it's OK to drink wine even during pregnancy -- that really, it comes down to your comfort zone. It is totally your own decision and call.
That all said. I totally hear you. I have not had a drink in (I'm guessing here) in about 3.5 YEARS (!!) because between my two kids, I was either pregnant/trying to get pregnant or nursing. For me and my comfort zone, I am not comfortable with drinking right now -- and the main reason for this is because if some weirdness shows up in my kid, I want to be able to say with confidence: Well, I know it's not a result of drinking while I was pregnant/nursing.
But, sister! Come the end of nursing this wee one (our last), I'm going for pizza -- and plan to have a nice glass of Foster's to go with it!
Good luck with your decision.
C. - You know, in Mexico they encourage the mother to drink beer. It's supposed to make the milk come in faster and thicker.....who knows.
I just think that one drink isn't gonna make that much of a difference. I am with Zoe....pump in your fist month (if you are anything like me I would nurse on one side and pump SIX ounces out of the other..every feeding) and stockpile, that way you can bottle/mamamilk feed for the day after the drink.
Personally, I don't drink, too many alcoholics on my side of the family...but one drink every once in a while is not harmful.
Have fun! Cheers, L.
Hi C.,
I can't figure out how to send you a link so I copied an internet article for you from "About.com: Babies and Toddlers." The way I read it, it would be better to wait until your baby is a few months old if you really want to be on the safe side. Here's the article:
Question: How Much Alcohol Can I Have While Breastfeeding? Should I Dump My Milk?
A reader asks:
"I am breastfeeding. I have a now 2-month-old baby and have not had a drink since I found out I was pregnant. I would like to go out and have a couple of drinks and I would pump after and then again the next morning and discard. If I am sitting at home and decide to have a drink is it OK to nurse while I have that first drink or does it get into your breast milk that fast? Also, if you have a weaker drink like a malt drink or a low-proof alcohol drink then is it OK to breastfeed without pumping?"
Answer: I answer some of these questions in an article on alcohol and nursing here, but let me address some of your concerns more specifically.
It takes about half an hour before the alcohol starts to get into your milk, so while you are having a drink at home or just before would probably be safe if you have eaten something recently. Of course, a weaker drink would mean less alcohol in your system, but be aware that as long as the alcohol is in your blood, it is also in your milk. Just make sure you aren't feeling the effects of the drink before you nurse. If you are impaired in any way by the alcohol, it's in your milk and will affect your baby.
You say that you want to go out and have a couple drinks and mention pumping and dumping. You should know that alcohol in your milk doesn't remain there. It works the same as it does in your blood. Once the alcohol is out of your blood, it's also out of your milk. So only pump if you are going to miss a couple of nursings and want to keep up your supply or to relieve any engorgement you might have while you are away from your baby. You can also pump before you drink if you want to have some milk on hand to feed your baby if you feel like you're still going to be intoxicated at the next feeding. Don't think you have to do it because alcohol is going to stay in your milk long after you've been drinking. You don't have to get rid of any milk. It doesn't work that way.
Another thing that you should watch out for, according to La Leche League International, is your baby's age. Because your baby is 2 months old, liver function is more limited than in an older baby, so even a small amount of alcohol could tax your baby's liver. At around 3 months of age, however, your baby would process any alcohol more quickly, more like an adult's liver would. Before that, however, babies process alcohol at about half the rate of adults.
Hey C.!
I know what you mean about wanting a drink after having the baby. There is nothing wrong with it. I am not a big drinker AL ALL, but when I was pregnant I CRAVED a Margaretta -not the virgin kind! I didn't have one, but when my daughter was a few months old I did. It was disappointing, but at least I finally got it!
Just remember that your blood alcohol level is the same as your milk. So, just wait and hour or 2 after you have finished your drink, then you can nurse again. If you are really concerned, talk to your OB about it before hand. oh, and RELAX!
Go for it. You made it very clear you aren't thinking of drinking daily and that when you do have the occasional drink, you only have one. That being said, since we don't have a lot of answers concerning drinking while breastfeeding, it might be prudent to perhaps have half a drink. I did read somewhere that if you can feel the effects, then your baby can so you want to make sure you no longer feel the alcohol in your system before letting your child nurse. As others suggested, a good way to do this might be to pump beforehand so you have some milk ready in the event your baby needs some, drink after nursing, pump and dump after you drink, and grab some of those test strips to make sure that the milk you are giving to your child later on isn't still laced with alcohol. Enjoy!
I used to smoke. My doctor said to wait an hour before I fed my son, or pump and dump once after smoking. I have always heard having one drink while breast feeding is just fine. I would ask your lactation consultant about it. My hospital sent one in after I had my son just in case I had any questions.
You have already received so many responses but I wanted to add my two cents. Have a drink! I have a beer or glass of wine a couple of nights a week. I have two healthy boys. I have a 9 month old that still breast feeds. I have had two doctors (one for my first and then one here) both one or two drinks is not going to harm your child. You need to relax and if enjoying a cocktail now and then helps, go for it.
Well, one can drink without passing any alcohol to the baby. The question is, how? And that is hard to determine. The BF books that i read all had some information in them about the idea.
Some things i've read suggest that you should drink at least an hour before nursing. (This doesn't make too much sense to me, honestly - it takes about an hour to process one glass of alcohol, so i'd think it would be hitting your milk just about that point... but, i'm not a biologist or a chemist.)
It does stand to reason, though, that if you nursed, then had your drink, you'd have the maximum amount of time to let the alcohol clear out before you nursed again. This is what i do now (but i only nurse 2x per day now), but when my baby was young and nursing really frequently, even this didn't seem like a good solution.
I like your idea of pumping so that you have milk ready if your baby wants to nurse and you don't think your milk is 'clean'.
There is a product that can really help you find the right amount of time for you to wait - and i think if you combine it with pumped milk you'll be in great shape. As an added bonus, your husband can get a good chance to feed baby once in a while, and the baby will learn how to use a bottle.
The product is called 'milk screen' (http://www.milkscreen-moms.com/what-is-milkscreen/) and will tell you how much alcohol is in your breast milk. You could nurse, have your drink, and then when baby was hungry again test before you decided whether to nurse or to bottle feed. This is what i plan to do with my next baby, if i have an occasion to have a drink before the baby is going many hours between feedings.
Btw, advice i've heard suggests that an age of 6 weeks is a good time to introduce a bottle. You may wish to wait until the baby is at least 6 weeks old before giving this a shot, so you can rest easy knowing you can rely on the bottle if necessary.
Please don't drink while nursing. By the time you wait for the alcohol to flush from the breast you will be in pain from not nursing.
I don't think it's a big deal to have one drink (at a time)while nursing. I would wait a couple of months after your child is born, because they nurse so often in the beginning and you want to establish a good breast-feeding relationship. After that I would wait until just after your baby has nursed and have your drink. Usually by the time the baby is ready to nurse again it's out of your system. Breast-feeding is one of the most important things you can do for your baby. Good luck!
You can check with a lactation consultant but ours said that as long as you are not feeling intoxicated it is ok to go ahead and breastfeed or pump. I was always one to be extra careful and always dumped the next pump after drinking. Congrats on your new baby!
When I had my son 1 month ago they told me that as long as you are not feeling the effect of the drink your milk is fine and there is no need to pump and dump. If it would make you feel better just pump before you have your drink and then pump and dump the next feeding but you really don't need to. I have had a drink since having my son and did not dump the milk and I did not notice any change in him. I did the same with my first and had no problems. Enjoy your drink you deserve it!
If you truly want to be honest to your baby dont DRINK!!!!!!!
as everything you drink and eat baby gets, with so much going on with the many bith defects,early cramping within the first two month excess bleeding , you got my opinion of the facts but its you babys choice not yours its your body but the home of your newborn thats coming think of it this way would you like a drunk to live with you if he only drank one drink a day around your children? Your probably saying I was not going to get that bad no but one or two tastings of different kind can spoil the whole round I know I have worked with babies where moms say it was only one drink what happened> FORGET IT OKAY
You can pump and dump, but honestly is it really that important to have a drink? I would suggest you wait a little while until your milk supply is way up and then store milk for feeding the baby. You need to have a full days worth of milk to feed the baby. Then after you have your party pump and dump at least two to three times before feeding the baby again. I'm a little concerned as to why it is so important for you to drink? I understand if you want to have one new drink, but your message above makes it sound like you guys are planning on trying out the whole book, or good portion of. You really should be concerned about caring for the baby and save your celebratory plans for a later date.
I know you got an abundance of responses, but I just wanted to add that I was recently in Babies R Us and they have these strips that you put into your breast milk to test if alcohol is present. Thought it was a neat idea but I haven't done my research on them yet, I too am expecting and can't wait to drink me a delicious mojito. I am repeatedly told that you pump a days worth of milk for baby and after you drink alcohol, dump out the milk that you pump for the next 8-12 hours. When I absolutely need a drink I'll figure out what I'm going to do, but until then I'm going to enjoy being pregnant first.
I just want to say, that you asked a very reasonble question from a very thoughful point of veiw and got some very rude answers. I'm sorry about that. You have had a ton of feedback, so I will keep it short and sweet.
It takes your body 1 hour to metablize one SERVING of alcohol. This means 1 oz of hard beverages, 6 oz of wine, and 12 oz of beer. So one hour after your drink (if you measure the quanity), you have NO alcohol, left in your system to pass on to your child.
That being said, do what makes you comfortable. If you still have conserns or are unsure, talk to a medical professional.
What ever you decide, best of luck and congrats on breast feeding!
Hello C.
Just to let you know that anything you eat and drink can get passed on to your baby through your breast milk. Even if you have 1 drink that will get passed onto the baby. I don't drink alcoholic beverages at all but I do believe that it takes your body about an hr. to get rid of that one drink,it make take longer with a mixed drink.
Good luck.
A.
My advice is to stick with the virgin cocktails for a little longer when you first breastfeed, because the little ones usually drink every 2 hours. I had my first sip of alcohol when my daughter was almost 10 months old. For one drink it should take your body about 2-3 hours to process the alcohol, depending how strong the drink is. There are test kits available where you put a little bit of breastmilk on a test strip and it shows if the milk is safe to drink for your little one. I don't know any brands right now, but that might be an investment worthwhile if you intend to drink on a regular basis. You could look it up on the internet.
Cheers S.
You really shouldn't drink while breastfeeding. That's introducing alcohol to your child right from the start of their life. If you can wait until you are done breastfeeding, it would be best. Virgin drinks are almost the same taste, especially when you know how to make them and it sounds like you guys do.
Hi,
I read in The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers that alcohol readily enters breastmilk in the same concentrations that it is in your blood. Sounds bad, right? But if you look a little further, you realize that your blood alcohol level will very likely be less than the legal limit for driving--0.08 %--a tiny amount that would register as alcohol free if it were in any product that the public drinks. O'Doules (spelling?) non-alcoholic beer is 0.6 % many times what would be in your milk. I would be prudent, of course, but scientifically speaking there's not likely to be any effects on your baby. And as your blood alcohol level decreases, so does the alcohol level in your milk, so the more sober you are when you do nurse, the less alcohol will be in your milk.
I personally have heard that hard alchohol is a no-no while breastfeeding. I do know people that have a drink and pump the milk for the next couple of feedings and dump it. I don't think the pumping before hand and after is worth it so I just don't drink hard alcohol while breastfeeding. My youngest son is 7 months and I don't miss it. I have had a beer. What I did was drink it right after I nursed last so it would be awhile before I nursed again. This couldn't be done when he was really young because then he ate all the time. I love breastfeeding and I hope that you do to!
I've been there! ..and honestly,.. its such a hassel to have to deal with and worry about that its just not worth it or enjoyable!! But if your only having one and craving it so badly then go for it,.. but trying to have a night out on the town is just not happening!! Not in the early stages atleast!!
C.,
It is known amongst the medical field that even one serving of any kind of alcohol destroys brain cells. It's best to avoid it altogether. Protect your child above all else. The alcohol industry will dispute this but you need to do your own research.
