? re: breastfeeding and alcohol

tomandcourt

I know, it's been 5 days and I'm already asking about booze :-) I definitely want to be able to have a drink or two now that I'm not pregnant, but I'm nursing/pumping and supplementing so I'm not sure how it works. All my googling led to a lot of contradictory info - pump and dump, drink then nurse/pump, nurse/pump THEN drink, don't drink at all . . . ugh.

I'm only thinking about a glass of wine or two a week, nothing crazy. What do you do?

bh2720

When I was bf-ing, if I was just having a single glass of wine, I just made sure I drank it right after I pumped or nursed--so that there would be a couple hours for the alcohol to process out of my system. Our pediatrician said that I didn't even need to be that cautious with just one glass of wine--she said hardly any of the alcohol gets into the breast milk.

And no worries about "only 5 days". It's been a TOUGH 5 days!! And I was so happy with my first glass of wine I was certain that going that long w/o alcohol was going to turn me into an alcoholic!

smacb

 I didn't really drink the first six weeks.  He wa jaundiced and his little liver was still developing.  After that, I'd have maybe a glass of wine after he went to sleep or while I was nursing.

suecadence

I haven't been super strict about it.  I will nurse after one drink.  Agree with PP that very little alcohol gets in the milk.  If I have more than one drink I usually pump and dump.

Artslvr

suecadence:

I haven't been super strict about it.  I will nurse after one drink.  Agree with PP that very little alcohol gets in the milk.  If I have more than one drink I usually pump and dump.

Same here.  I would say for me, I may have two drinks and then nurse, but only if the nursing was hours later. 

I think the first few weeks with both the girls I didn't have any alcohol.  I started when they were maybe 4 weeks old?  That wasn't based on anything scientific, I think that's just when I came out of my mental haze and realized I could - yay! - have a drink.

femmeftle9

If you have a drink at least one hour before your next feeding, you should be fine.

One glass of wine is not going to do any harm. If you have a stronger drink, then I would follow the "one hour" rule.

vtkgirl77

I have an extra three pack of the MilkScreen strips that I never used which I am happy to mail to you. Send me your address if you want them at vtkendra at hotmail.

eeclem

bh2720:

When I was bf-ing, if I was just having a single glass of wine, I just made sure I drank it right after I pumped or nursed--so that there would be a couple hours for the alcohol to process out of my system. Our pediatrician said that I didn't even need to be that cautious with just one glass of wine--she said hardly any of the alcohol gets into the breast milk.

This is what I've been told as well. But, to be honest, these first few days have been so unpredictable, especially since he tends to cluster feed every hour in the evening, that having my own glass hasn't even been worth it.  I tend to drink two sips before either I feel woozy or he starts acting hungry again. The two sips are nice though.

I have started a very small freezer stash so that I can finally enjoy and entire glass soon. 

Ana0927

I drank while I bf and my pedi said it was fine. I drank right after a feeding and would have 2 glasses of wine. If I knew I was going to drink ALOT then I just gave her pumped milk or formula.

Don't feel bad about having a drink! You deserve one!!!

kelygirl

I had 3 glasses of wine the other night when DD went to sleep, then fed her 7 hours later the next morning and she had much more spit up and a thicker consistency all morning.  My doc said it was possible that the alcohol did it and that I should stick to only 1 glass.