So I am just curious as to how long I have to wait to bf or pump after I have a few drinks? I'm not planning on getting trashed or anything, but we have a wedding on Sunday and I wanted to have a glass or two of wine.
My doc says as long as you don't feel tipsy you're ok to bf. The alcohol will metabolize out of your breast milk so there's no need to pump and dump unless you're feeling tipsy and need relief from engorgement.
They say to wait 2 hours after 1 drink before pumping or breastfeeding. Since my LO eats every 2 hours, this usually means I have a glass of wine or a beer WHILE feeding her... I figure it can't get into my milk that quickly and it gives me the full 2 hours to metabolize it out...
I went to a wedding the other week and once I hit the 3rd glass of wine mark, I still pumped to avoid discomfort/supply issues, but I dumped it.
You can also buy some alcohol test strips that test if there's any alcohol in your milk. I used them a few times, but found them to be a bit unreliable and inconsistent. One time I used one, certain there was no alcohol in there -- I had only had 2 glasses of wine over a time period of 3 hours, it had been over 2 hours since I finished them and inbetween I had eaten dinner, drank water, etc. I didn't feel the least bit tipsy. And the test came back positive.
Another time, I had had 3 high-alcohol beers and was feeling "pretty good," but when I tested my milk, it came back negative... This is why I go with the 1 drink per hour/how do I feel rule much more often.
My grandmom, a Maternity nurse for 25 years, recommends to breastfeeding moms to drink! It relaxes you, supposedly helps with supply, and, in her words, "makes baby sleep better!"
Re: drinking
They say to wait 2 hours after 1 drink before pumping or breastfeeding. Since my LO eats every 2 hours, this usually means I have a glass of wine or a beer WHILE feeding her... I figure it can't get into my milk that quickly and it gives me the full 2 hours to metabolize it out...
I went to a wedding the other week and once I hit the 3rd glass of wine mark, I still pumped to avoid discomfort/supply issues, but I dumped it.
You can also buy some alcohol test strips that test if there's any alcohol in your milk. I used them a few times, but found them to be a bit unreliable and inconsistent. One time I used one, certain there was no alcohol in there -- I had only had 2 glasses of wine over a time period of 3 hours, it had been over 2 hours since I finished them and inbetween I had eaten dinner, drank water, etc. I didn't feel the least bit tipsy. And the test came back positive.
Another time, I had had 3 high-alcohol beers and was feeling "pretty good," but when I tested my milk, it came back negative... This is why I go with the 1 drink per hour/how do I feel rule much more often.
My grandmom, a Maternity nurse for 25 years, recommends to breastfeeding moms to drink! It relaxes you, supposedly helps with supply, and, in her words, "makes baby sleep better!"
this. LOL
As long as I'm not drunk, I don't wait at all.
Violet Mae born 1/15/13