June 2014 Moms

Drinking when Breastfeeding

Newbie question not in the newbie thread because:

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A friend mentioned to me last night that her co-worker could "finally drink last night" after something like 6 weeks of breastfeeding after birth. What are your thoughts/what have you learned about "when to drink" post birth if planning to BF? I'm not talking 1 or 2 glasses of just wine here either...

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Re: Drinking when Breastfeeding

  • Non-snark but I didn't know there was a timeline... As long as you have milk available for baby I feel like it wouldn't matter how far post partum you are.. Unless of course you are taking pain medication .. But that's a different issue
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  • I'm a ftm here too but from what I've read, you're going to have to pump that all out of your system and toss it after drinking excessively. My sil pumps before so she has a fresh clean supply to feed during the time she pumps out the milk supply made during her drinking. To me that sounds like more of a PITA but I'm not really a drinker much but a glass of wine here and there, so someone else will have to weigh in on this.
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  • @MNOpea - I've never heard of it either. Googling left me with conflicting results so I'm curious what folks here think or have been told. 

    @MrsRahl - Agreed on this sounding like a huge PITA. We've just had such a long and horrible winter here that I'm starting to really crave more than one margarita at an outside cafe, and can't imagine the always-too-short summer passing me by without a trip to the beer garden or 3.
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  • This is what Le Leche league research says on the matter...https://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/alcohol.html
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  • If in doubt, pump and dump. 
     

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  • I didn't feel up to drinking the first few weeks after I delivered and I'm guessing I won't this time either. If you could drive after the amount you've had to drink, you can breastfeed. Pump and dump if that's what makes you (people in general, you) comfortable, but I don't think it's necessary unless you're wasted. 2 glasses of wine? No way will I pump and dump for that.
  • With DD I was told 1-2 drinks were fine, so I stuck with that. I also tried to time my drinks with food drink lots of water..

    @njbabymama the idea of pumping and dumping makes me cry lol! As a working mom you work very hard to build that freezer stash and to have to poor the gold down the sink is SO sad

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  • I hadn't even thought of the fact I may be too exhausted.

    A friend of DH's took a photo of the three of them (him, his wife, and he was wearing the baby) at Brooklyn Brewery having a beer, I think only a few weeks after their daughter had been born. It was actually a very sweet photo. I bet his wife only had one or two and they went at a low-key time of day. 

    I agree with drinking while eating food for sure. (that's my style anyway, appetizers are the best.) I have a lot of sober friends actually, but it's really the "drinking outside" aspect that I'm into. I live really close to popular options for that. (City dwellers and their obsession with getting outside, lol.)


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  • I'm with  @Rachel5130 and have already purchased my Milkscreen test strips especially to see about how much I can safely drink.  Just like Savvy said, pumping does not remove the alcohol from your breastmilk, only time does so you'd only be pumping to remove engorgement and keep on your pumping schedule.

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  • My doctor told me with my first "If you can drive you can feed". Words to live by... And test strips.
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  • It was something that I just didn't do for a few reasons, the biggest being that if there was ever an emergency and I had to take over care for baby in a hurry I didn't want to be drunk. We rarely went out but when we did I limited myself to no more than two drinks, particularly if baby was with us. Pumping and dumping does not work but I have heard good things about the test strips.

    Honestly, breast feeding is only maybe a year out of your life, it was never a big deal for me to cut down on the big drinking during that period. I have the rest of my life to get wasted when I am not responsible for the care of a baby.
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  • I plan on staying pretty much sober until the end of September. Only bc we are moving and will be busy. I have my best friends Bach party to go to so I will pump plenty before and then dump what I need to after. Test strips will prolly help with this.
    I def don't feel the need to put my fun aside for a whole year while I am BF as long as the baby is properly taken care of.

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  • efino87 said:

    It was something that I just didn't do for a few reasons, the biggest being that if there was ever an emergency and I had to take over care for baby in a hurry I didn't want to be drunk. We rarely went out but when we did I limited myself to no more than two drinks, particularly if baby was with us. Pumping and dumping does not work but I have heard good things about the test strips.

    Honestly, breast feeding is only maybe a year out of your life, it was never a big deal for me to cut down on the big drinking during that period. I have the rest of my life to get wasted when I am not responsible for the care of a baby.

    How does pumping and dumping not work??

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  • I just want to re-emphasize what PP's have said....

    You do not need to "pump and dump" to get alcohol out of your breast milk.

    While alcohol is still in your bloodstream, it is in your milk.  Once it is out of your blood, it is out of your milk REGARDLESS of whether or not you pump/feed.

    People that "pump and dump" do it to relieve the engorgement that might happen or to stick with their typical "schedule" so that they don't have supply problems later.

    Just pump before you start drinking, so LO has food for the time between margarita #3 and sobriety.  Once you are sober enough to blow into a breathalyzer at a traffic stop without any problems, you're good to feed again. 

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  • It's interesting that this came up because I actually just took a breastfeeding class this past weekend and a lot of stuff like this came up and I thought it was all very interesting and contradicted what I thought I knew before.  First, don't listen to anything your doctor or hospital nurses tell you, they're not up-to-date on proper breastfeeding techniques, knowledge, etc.  Always consult a lactation specialist with these kinds of questions because this is their specialty and they'll have the best information for you.  So the class we attended was specifically with a lactation consultant who runs her own practice of sorts.  First, apparently you're not even supposed to start pumping until baby is at least 1 month because at that point your body should be in pretty good shape to know how much milk supply you actually need for baby.  Once you're there, it's OK to drink, but you need to pump and dump even if you've just had one glass of wine (this is contrary to what I previously thought).  You're supposed to give yourself at least 3 hours between your last drink and feeding baby on the breast - that may mean you pump multiple times if you have a large milk supply.  Obviously you'd just feed baby any previously pumped milk during that time if baby needs it.  All very interesting.
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  • Not reading the other responses yet but here are a couple of my thoughts.

    1.  I will be drinking dark beer occasionally.  It helped with my milk supply, a lot actually, and is one of the things they recommend for that very reason.  I was an EPer and would sometimes have half a dark beer right after pumping so that I'd have a few hours in between the beer and when I pumped again. 

    2.  Milk doesn't retain alcohol from what I was told by the lactation consultants.  So a lot of people go by the rule "if you're not feeling any effects from the alcohol then your milk is safe."  If I had the slightest doubt I still chose to pump and dump.

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  • Wow I didn't know that. I just assumed that if you drank you would pump and dump. I mean I guess I would still need to but for different reasons. Learning new things everyday!!
    Thanks for the clarification!

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  • ElTrain5 said:
    It's interesting that this came up because I actually just took a breastfeeding class this past weekend and a lot of stuff like this came up and I thought it was all very interesting and contradicted what I thought I knew before.  First, don't listen to anything your doctor or hospital nurses tell you, they're not up-to-date on proper breastfeeding techniques, knowledge, etc.  Always consult a lactation specialist with these kinds of questions because this is their specialty and they'll have the best information for you.  So the class we attended was specifically with a lactation consultant who runs her own practice of sorts.  First, apparently you're not even supposed to start pumping until baby is at least 1 month because at that point your body should be in pretty good shape to know how much milk supply you actually need for baby.  Once you're there, it's OK to drink, but you need to pump and dump even if you've just had one glass of wine (this is contrary to what I previously thought).  You're supposed to give yourself at least 3 hours between your last drink and feeding baby on the breast - that may mean you pump multiple times if you have a large milk supply.  Obviously you'd just feed baby any previously pumped milk during that time if baby needs it.  All very interesting.

    Based on what the lactation consultant at my practice, my current midwife, my former OB and La Leche league says....that is 100% false.  I'd be very wary of what that particular consultant told you, also anyone who tells you to disregard what any doctor or nurse says.
    Agreed - this completely contradicts all of the information I've ever been given.

    From La Leche League's web site:

    Do I have to pump and dump after drinking an alcoholic beverage?

    As alcohol leaves the bloodstream, it leaves the breastmilk. Since alcohol is not "trapped" in breastmilk (it returns to the bloodstream as mother's blood alcohol level declines), pumping and dumping will not remove it. Pumping and dumping, drinking a lot of water, resting, or drinking coffee will not speed up the rate of the elimination of alcohol from your body.


    https://www.lalecheleague.org/faq/alcohol.html

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  • This is from the mayo clinic's website:

    "Pumping and dumping breast milk doesn't speed the elimination of alcohol from your body. However, if you'll be missing a breast-feeding session, pumping and dumping will help you maintain your milk supply and avoid engorgement. "

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/breast-feeding-and-alcohol/faq-20057985

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  • If I have a drink I plan on doing it while actually nursing, or right afterwards so there is at least an hour or so between feedings. I'll never drink enough to warrant "pumping and dumping." Breastmilk is precious! And my drinks will either be wine or wine. So low alcohol content to begin with.

    I also don't plan on getting shit-faced wasted ever. 

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  • efino87efino87 member
    edited April 2014
    @cristykaye, Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but yes along with what all the other ladies are saying it doesn't work. Only time will get alcohol out of your body. We are all here to learn together!

    Edit because I used the wrong form of "here" and the grammar Nazi inside of me is having a fit about it.
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  • snowpantssnowpants member
    edited April 2014
    MegEL85 said:
    This. I had breastfeeding class this weekend, By a certified lactation consultant. They said if you can drive you can feed. She actually joked that the best time to drink was while you were actively breast feeding.

    Yes to the bolded.  This is what I've been told by multiple lactation consultants and by my doctor and the pediatrician too.  The alcohol won't hit your milk fast enough for baby to get any, and then you have the maximum amount of time to metabolize it before your next feeding. 

    ETA:  All of the conversations I've had on the subject were in regards to drinking a beer or two (or wine, cocktails, etc) not slamming shots or guzzling multiple drinks in a short time.  

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  • FutureMrsW9FutureMrsW9 member
    edited April 2014
    I'm just going by what I learned in the class, and most of it makes a lot of sense, at least to me.  Even stuff other than the drinking part, which I'm not worried about because I personally don't plan on drinking but that's my personal choice, I wouldn't shun anyone for drinking at all.  What I would give for a vodka drink these days!  But I can wait :-)  Anyway, I do think there's something to be said for hospital nurses not necessarily being up-to-date on breastfeeding, but I guess I'll see once I go through it in 10 more weeks.

    Edit: And, no, the nurses at the hospital I'm delivering at are NOT LCs.  They have LCs on staff, but you have to request to meet with one if you choose and they'll send someone right to you.

    CDK211 The not pumping the first month has to do with creating the proper milk supply.  She said if you get engorged, which we all probably will, it's fine to manually expel milk in the shower or something to get relief, but we shouldn't be pumping at that point.  Baby should be dictating the feeding schedule so that you body learns what baby actually needs, and from there on you should be creating the right amount of milk and can then start pumping and introducing a bottle if you want.  If you're feeding and pumping, you're body is going to start over producing milk.  Maybe this doesn't actually happen, but I think it makes a ton of sense.  So that's where that came from.
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  • @efino87‌ no big deal. I really don't know how I didn't know this anyways! I know time is what it takes to get it out of your blood. I'm kinda of face palming myself right now lol

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  • i worked closely with Lactation consultants and was told that 1-2 glasses of wine in between feedings was fine and didn't merit a pump and dump. I used that as my rule of thumb and my kiddo survived.

    I also pumped before 4 weeks. I gave a pacifier before that time as well and succesfully went on to BF for 12 months.

    So, take the advice, work with a LC, but know you can be succesful if you don't follw the "rules" to a T

  • I know you are trying to be helpful @FutureMrsW9‌, but I am definitely going to listen to my dr/nurse/midwife, over third-hand advice on the internet.
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  • elsa1688 same here!
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  • Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this is a repeat…

    Alcohol metabolizes out of your milk just as it does out of your bloodstream - sober enough to drive; sober enough to nurse!

    Unless you are getting shit faced and need to pump to relieve engorgement, there's no need to "pump and dump."

    I'm not a huge drinker but I do have an occasional drink or two while nursing.
  • AmyG* said:
    JNerd said:
    AmyG* said:
    snip
    @amyg* thought you had GBCB (https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12308561/taking-a-break-good-luck-to-all#latest)
    From the post " I'm not an LC and I'm not currently nursing". Just an FYI to the J14 ladies. 
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    I am taking a break! Really!

    As I said in the OP, I have to wean myself off of doing something I've been doing for almost 14 years--so after 10,000 posts in almost 4 years at the bump, with the majority of my posts giving breastfeeding advice, if I only post 2 times today, that's almost nothing compared to my normal. LOL!

    So sure "warn" June 2014 that I'm not an LC and I'm not currently nursing, it's not something I've ever hidden.  I don't get tags so I search my name and I search breastfeeding and answer pertinent questions.  That means GASP I sometimes answer questions on other boards aside from the breastfeeding board.  And some boards get really ticked off at that.  oops!

    I just wanted to give a heads up that the expensive alcohol test strips suck.  You can also fid that out if you look at the reviews at places like Amazon.com.  I would hate to dump milk due to an inaccurate reading on the alcohol test strips.

     

     

    Yes, you have never hidden the fact that you are not an IBCLC or currently nursing. However, I think it is entirely fair for posters to let other posters know that you are not:
    a) a J14 mom (it's the internet, post where you want)
    b) an IBCLC and 
    c) no more expert than anyone else who has nursed all of their children
    when you randomly show up on a thread. 
  • I would have a few glasses of wine and still nurse DD after. I pretty much did that since she was born. On the occasion that I would get a little tipsy or drunk it was always after DD had gone to bed and I knew that I'd have all night before having to nurse her so I didn't really worry about pumping and dumping. 
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