What's the rule if you have a drink while breastfeeding?

jgengo0

I will be the MOH in my best friend's wedding June 25th. My sister will be coming down to watch the girls so my husband and I can enjoy ourselves. I know by this point I will be dying for a drink, or two...or three haha ...Does anyone know how many days you have to wait, or how many times you have to pump and throw away before it's safe again? I am totally clueless when it comes to anything BF related.

MommaA117

I was wondering this too!

BosMama626

AprilLynn09:

I was wondering this too!

Me too!

samfish2bcrab

Depends on who you ask.   My OB's rule was 1 drink while or immediately after nursing/pumping was fine.   if i went out for a night on the town, i pumped and dumped until the next morning.

You'll be, what, 3 weeks post-partum by then?   You'd be a real trooper of you drank more than one and didn't fall to the floor.

jessalynn221

I think you pump and dump? that is what i have heard at least.

luvbeingmom

www.kellymom.com is the best resource for this type of stuff...

https://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

jgengo0

Thanks so much ladies!

Printergirl

It all depends on your body (how fast you process alcohol) and how often LO is eating (so how often you will have to pump while away).

I am one who will drink a glass of while while nursing and not worry. Usually right after he was done so I'd have an hour or two to process. So take my advice with a grain of salt as everyone has different opinions on this topic.

 I would either nurse or pump LO as close to your first drink as you can. If you are not buzzed when you need to pump or nurse again don't worry. If you are buzzed then pump and dump. You won't want to get too tipsy bc I hangover while nursing sucks. Trust me. Dumping milk is hard to do but it's not the end of the world as some might tell you.

They sell those little strips to test your milk. Not sure on the accuracy but a friend and I used them for another friend's bach party and were happy to have them (milk at 2am...not good, milk at 8am was fine).

DaisyJanie

My friend was using these milk testers when we last got together: https://www.amazon.com/Milkscreen-Home-Detect-Alcohol-Breast/dp/B000UEA95M

She had pumped and dumped the night before, but tested in the morning and there was still a lot of alchohol in her system! (It was a bit of a wild night for her...) I had no idea such things existed. I would think for 2 or 3 drinks, one pumping session should take care of it, but for more than that, these might be good to have around.

ETA: Um, whoa, just noticed the price - $34 for 8 testers. My friend is a nurse, maybe she got them for cheaper? That does not seem worth it to me.

jgengo0

DaisyJanie:

My friend was using these milk testers when we last got together: https://www.amazon.com/Milkscreen-Home-Detect-Alcohol-Breast/dp/B000UEA95M

She had pumped and dumped the night before, but tested in the morning and there was still a lot of alchohol in her system! (It was a bit of a wild night for her...) I had no idea such things existed. I would think for 2 or 3 drinks, one pumping session should take care of it, but for more than that, these might be good to have around.

ETA: Um, whoa, just noticed the price - $34 for 8 testers. My friend is a nurse, maybe she got them for cheaper? That does not seem worth it to me.

Wow that is pricey! But thanks! I might still look into these. I very rarely drink, but I know I will want to for this occasion so those still might be worth it! Thanks again! 

Mrs06708tobe

I also used the rule if I didn't think I could drive I definitely didn't nurse....I only pumped and dumped once with my DS and let me tell you....that headache the next morning was soooooo NOT worth dumping all that liquid gold!  I felt so guilty dumping it and having a headache from drinking (only like 4 or 5 beers through the course of 5 or 6 hours) only made it worse!  I will not be doing that at all with this one...I will however still enjoy a beer or a glass of wine but I will wait till I'm done nursing before I really partake again!

pumpkin_head

I would have a glass of wine right after I nursed and it was fine, but there were a couple times where I went out with friends or out to dinner with DH and had 2-3 glasses, so would pump and dump.  That was the WORST feeling watching all of that BM go down the drain though   BUT, occasionally it was worth it for mama's sanity...heehee!

seattlestef

pumpkin_head:

I would have a glass of wine right after I nursed and it was fine, but there were a couple times where I went out with friends or out to dinner with DH and had 2-3 glasses, so would pump and dump.  That was the WORST feeling watching all of that BM go down the drain though   BUT, occasionally it was worth it for mama's sanity...heehee!

 Ditto!

soontobe05

samfish2bcrab:

 You'd be a real trooper of you drank more than one and didn't fall to the floor.

THIS! haha My first drink after having DD I was spinning a bit and that was enough for me!

As for your question, it depends on how much you drink. Pumping and dumping is so depressing though.  

AeL347

I would still breastfeed DD if I had one small glass of wine... but I know people (my sister) who 'enjoyed' themselves more would buy alcohol testing strips... she would pump and then test the milk... the strips turn colors and indicate if alcohol was detected

...something to look into?  (the test strips are available at Target)

But just know that Alcohol (beer in particular) can make you produce and engorge more quickly... I know when my milk supply was decreasing my MW suggested I enjoy a few beers and it totally worked... so be prepared to pump a lot that night!

klv

From what I understand if you have 1 beer while feeding LO (or just after) you are fine.  It takes about 30 mins for the alcohol to get to your milk and by the time the baby is ready to eat again the alcohol is cleared from your system. 

Turtle143

pump and dump 6 hours after your last drink?

Sazhrah

klv:

From what I understand if you have 1 beer while feeding LO (or just after) you are fine.  It takes about 30 mins for the alcohol to get to your milk and by the time the baby is ready to eat again the alcohol is cleared from your system. 

This.

I would feed and then drink. By the time LO was ready to feed again it was out of my system. Having a drink and getting hammered are 2 different things though.

mesr

after abstaining for 9 months during my pregnancy with dd, my tolerance was not what it used to be.  so one drink was really all i could handle most of the time.  i never pumped and dumped, but i never drank much alcohol either.  i think the most i ever drank between pregnancies was 5 drinks over the span of an entire day on two occasions (4th of july block party and day-long new year's bash).  i made sure to drink a lot of other fluids too, so i never felt drunk and i was comfortable nursing.  on every other occasion, i stuck to one drink.  most of the time, i chose not 'ot drink at all.

Marissa423

luvbeingmom:

www.kellymom.com is the best resource for this type of stuff...

https://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

Yes. Great advice.