Drinking & Nursing

lm45678

I want to get a better idea of what everyone else does in terms of drinking if you're breastfeeding. I'm still trying to get the hang of it and what I feel comfortable with! This weekend I had a wedding, family get together and a bridal shower so clearly it was more of an issue than normal! I'm EBFing and have looked at Kelly mom/talked to pediatrician, LC but want to know what "real people" do to make it work.

-How often have you had a drink(s)?
-How much do you drink?
-How long do you wait to nurse and/or pump?
-Do you pump and dump?
-What's your favorite drink? Obvi not important just fun

lac1252

The LC at the hospital told me a glass of wine or a beer with a meal was totally fine and I wouldn't have to worry about pumping and dumping. If I wanted hard alcohol or more than one drink than it was recommended to wait to feed until it was out of my system or to pump and dump. I've pretty much been sticking to the one drink a couple
times a week. 

adiaz132003

I may have a drink every other day.

I'll have one cocktail or two small glasses of wine if I drink really slowly

I don't wait, as long as you don't feel any effects, it doesn't bother me.

No dumping

Hmm favorite drink tends to change but some type of yummy Bourbon cocktail is always my safe bet!

purplefan1

I have a drink when I feel like it. Usually if I know I want more than one I will have one while I am BF her, then I can have one or two more before she is ready to feed again. Your body metabolizes one alcoholic drink an hour (on average) so since she eats every two hours I know most of it is out of my system before she is hungry again. I haven't gotten drunk by any means but since it has been  so long since I drank, one drink makes me feel heady and two makes me feel good. I'm making a sangria for a family reunion this weekend and plan to sip off it all day but never enough to feel tipsy. Just mellow :-)

lm45678

Okay so similar to me: I basically will have one drink between a nursing session. She pretty much eats every 2 hours while awake. So I would have a drink at 5:30 then another at 7/7:30, for example.

I limit it to 2 drinks a night. I felt sort if guilty this weekend (even though there's no need to). Just trying to establish what's okay so I don't over do it or feel deprived!

Goocran17

I was told that as long as you're able to function, able to care for baby, walk, talk without slurring, etc, you can bf. If you're ok, baby we'll be ok. 

mrsp2213

I have a tall glass of wine during my last pump of the night nearly every night.  I agree with PP, if you can hold your baby, drive, generally function, etc. then you're fine to nurse/pump and not dump.  It's my understanding you have to be pretty much piss drunk in order for it to affect your milk.  So I would say drink up and don't worry about it!

rbflei

I love beer. I have an ice cold IPA right as I start an afternoon feed. I don't dump unless I feel tipsy or have more than two drinks in a short period. usually, I space the two out at least two hours. the bonus is that hops also helps increase milk production.

meggyme

How often have you had a drink(s)? I've had at least one drink a day this week (family in town on vacation), but usually one drink every other day or so.
-How much do you drink? Typically one drink per feeding rotation.
-How long do you wait to nurse and/or pump? I try to time my drinks for right after I feed her so it will be an hour or so before she wants to eat. During cluster feeding it can get a little closer than I'd prefer, but as long as I do t feel tipsy/drunk I will feed her.
-Do you pump and dump? No. I've read that is pointless since your milk reflects your BAC. As the alcohol leaves your system it also leaves your milk.
-What's your favorite drink? i haven't had one yet, but I love a good old fashioned.

HeartLikeMine3

Last night was the first night I actually felt too tipsy to nurse. Sure I could still take care of my baby but I wouldn't have been able to drive so I decided to let DH give her a bottle. I only pump if she needs to nurse and I can't feed her just to keep my supply where it should be. I had two glasses of peach sangria then a beer so that's definitely more than normal for me. I usually put LO to bed at 8 and stay up till 930-10 so I have a pretty large glass of wine after she goes to sleep a couple nights a week. I'll have a beer or two here or there on the weekends and nurse right away I usually just prefer to wait till both of the kids are asleep so it's actually relaxing lol. 

lm45678

I keep reading "okay to drive, okay to feed" like you all have mentioned so it seems legit.

It looks like pretty much everyone is on the same page, and it's awesome that there's no need to pump&dump! 

Even though I haven't been drunk (or even tipsy) since she was born I always worry, and man is mom guilt real!

cdnrunning

Ditto to PP's

I'll usually have a 1/2 glass of wine after dinner and refill at least once, maybe twice. I've never pumped and dumped and never felt tipsy or unable to drive. 

kristinamarie10

My birthday was this past Saturday so I used some of my pumped stash to feed dd and have dad feed her to give me a break. First time getting kind of drunk since last summer; I was all kinds of giggly. I pumped and dumped to keep on schedule, but as soon as I felt sober I nursed then putt her to bed. 
Favorite drink: Washington red apple 

ecolton01

I was told just as everyone else has said that you can have a beer, wine or one shot right after you finish feeding them and by the time they are hungry again they are fine to eat . But I also think it depends on height weight , metabolism etc. 

last weekend end we went camping so I brought pumped milk and had dh give her a bottle so I could have more then one. I think over 6 hrs I had 4 beers and fed her after dh gave her a bottle so I missed one feeding . DD eats every 3 hrs and has since she was born . I didn't pump and dump I just waited until I felt normal again, fed her until she was done and pumped the rest to make my boobs feel normal again . 

Typically i I probably have 2 to 3 beers a week . 

I totally understand the guilt . I have extra milk stored so that makes me feel better but my biggest fear would be if I drank a beer and for some odd reason couldn't feed her and she was hungry .. That would suck !