September 2015 Moms

Drinking

I think this has already been discussed but I want to hear from real moms what they think because I'm NOT buying test strips for $14/8!!! How much do you guys drink comfortably, how long do you wait before feeding, pumping and dumping, etc.?? With the holidays coming up, I want to be able to have a drink or two but not at the expense of my supply! What's your rule of thumb on drinking while BF? Thanks everyone!

Re: Drinking

  • I will have a glass or 2 of wine or a beer/2 beers and nurse. If I felt drunk I wouldn't do it, I know they say if you feel fine to drive, you're fine to nurse but some people have higher tolerance, so that's not always a good rule of thumb for everyone. I don't go out drinking hard liquor and nurse, but i think small amounts of beer and wine are fine. I have read to drink while nursing or right after and then it's "safe" to nurse 2 hours after that. 
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  • Safe to drive, safe to nurse is my rule. Also beer increases milk supply (if you're looking to build a stash).
  • I allow myself 1 drink a day, I never feel drunk or even a little buzzed, so I think its fine.  Anymore than 1 drink at a time I would probably feel a little tipsy!
  • My Doula once told me "if you need to use the test strip to see if you had too much - you had too much. You should not feed"
    If you do have a little too much you can wait. Alcohol in your milk does not stay there it passes just like the alcohol in your body.
    If you feel that you must pump because you're getting engorged then pump a little and dump it. You don't need to pump the whole thing if two hours later your fine.
  • I have a glass of wine or two or a beer and have no issues. I usually try to ensure that it's after I've BFed so that it's at least 2 hrs before I breastfeed or right before I BF so there's no way it can affect baby. I avoid hard liquor.
  • kmcshane0211kmcshane0211 member
    edited November 2015
    I'll have one glass (or less) or a beer at anytime. No guilt. haven't had more than that yet. VERY little is passed into your milk once your body processes it.

    I should mention I didn't have a drop when I was pregnant and RARELYEVER drank caffeine. So, I'm super conservative when it comes to this stuff.
  • I will drink a beer/glass of wine or two. I try to stick with beer because hops increase milk supply, but I like to drink wine with dinner sometimes.
    Also just learned that pumping and dumping is 100% uneccesary and a waste of milk. Your milk is like your blood, as your body metabolizes the alcohol out of your body and blood stream, it also takes the alcohol out of your milk. If you pump and dump, whatever new milk your body makes will have alcohol in it as well until all the alcohol leaves your system, pumping as dumping doesnt make it go any faster. If you just wait until you sober up, your milk will sober up too!
  • I'll have one drink anytime without affecting feedings. One is usually all I can handle these days anyway lol. Dr Jack Newman says you can drink to the legal limit safely. And beyond that, it's not safe to breastfeed because you might drop the baby.
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  • I allow myself a single drink some evenings, usually a glass of wine or a good microbrew.  

    My husband pours it for me and has it at the ready immediately after an evening feeding, so it's 3 (sometimes 4, if it's late) hours til the next feeding.  

    I never have more than one in a single sitting.  My BIL and SIL were in town from the UK last week, and they are wine aficionados and had been to Napa doing a wine tour, and had a bunch of cases shipped back here. We had a couple of wine tastings/cheese pairings while they were here, and same thing...I participated, but only immediately after a feeding, and my "tastings" were literal tastings...maybe a thimbleful of each, so it equaled less than a glass. 
  • We're doing a date night at Alamo Draft House this weekend, and I might stock up on pumped milk, so that I can have more than a single beverage for the evening. 
  • I'm exclusively pumping so I just have a drink or two right after my second to last pump of the night. If I feel a little tipsy when it's time for my pre bed pump, I'll dump it, and then be fine for my motn pump.
  • smiversen said:

    SO keeps telling me I should have a drink and for some reason just the thought makes my stomach hurt! Haven't had a drink since December. And I just graduated from college in May so before December there was quite a bit of drinking going on. ;) hence, the baby. Just kidding. :smiley: I'll be quiet now.

    Haha we also had a lot of free time and drinking in december, that's what we blame it on, too! ;)
  • I usually have a drink or two right after nursing, wait a couple of hours then try to nurse. If I feel like I should wait longer to nurse and baby is hungry, I give him milk that I pumped earlier that day. I always pump in advance just in case.
  • smiversen said:

    SO keeps telling me I should have a drink and for some reason just the thought makes my stomach hurt! Haven't had a drink since December. And I just graduated from college in May so before December there was quite a bit of drinking going on. ;) hence, the baby. Just kidding. :smiley: I'll be quiet now.

    Lol! The thought of alcohol turns my stomach. Plus, having not had alcohol in a year, one mixed drink and I would be slurring. The thought of possibly giving myself a hangover or headache on top of how exhausted I am...I just can't. Probably will never drink again and be fine. :)
  • I bought the strips. Safety of my baby is well worth the money.
  • I've had one beer on two occasions since baby was born. I was buzzing after 1/2 a beer both times (and it was a light beer)! I've always been a lightweight and it's even worse now that I hadn't drank in 11 months.

    To be honest, right now drinking takes too much planning and work and just isn't worth it to me. Because I'm such a lightweight, I don't feel comfortable nursing baby until 3 hours at least after having a beer, which means I would only have one at night before bed after his last feed, but by then I'm usually tired and don't feel like drinking anyways! I have enough of a milk stash saved up where I could indulge if I wanted to, but I guess it's just not that important to me (and never really has been even pre-baby). I would much prefer a big piece of chocolate cake! Lol.
  • Thanks for your input everyone! I've never been much of a drinker anyways but it's nice to know I can have one or two socially!
  • I drink after the bedtime feeding. LO has been sleeping 7+ hours so I know it's well out of my system by then.
    *Siggy Warning*

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  • So far I've had hardly any alcohol. My problem isn't feeling tipsy... It's that after one glass of sangria I want to fall asleep. When it's 6PM, momma duty isn't over.
  • If I feel buzzed, then I won't nurse. Usually a drink or two is fine but I wouldn't do more than that. 
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    Mama of boys, Landon (Jan 14) and Harrison (Aug 15).  

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  • TabulaRasa25TabulaRasa25 member
    edited November 2015
    Yep, I've not had a large enough drink yet since giving birth to even feel a buzz.  

    I do find I'm more susceptible to heartburn from red wine, now, than I was previously, though. 
  • my husband makes us a whiskey and coke most nights after baby is asleep and its just enough to relax.
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