Breastfeeding/alcohol

[cmc]

Can anyone put my mind to rest? I had 5glasses of wine last night, my partmer fed my baby expressed milk while I was out and she was asleep when I returned at 11pm. I had intended to feed another expressed bottle when she woke. However when she woke at 4am, I breast fed her. Im now having a real attack of guilt wondering if Ive done her harm? I had read that the alcohol does come out of the breast milk but I have no way to know. I dont feel drunk, just a bit dehydrated, I have enough expressed milk to give her next 2 feeds and am just about to pump & dump.I dont usually drink,(the very occasional 1glass) and find the whole alcohol/ feedimg thing confusing. I definatly wont drink alcohol while still feeding, its not worth the worry.My baby is 12weeks.I would appreciate some input.Thanks

[Pixie]

She will be fine. Relax many hours have passed and very little will be getting through to her. :)

I've been breastfeeding over 3+ years and do drink so far so good :)

[Seacretsquirrel]

:iagree: I too BF and Drink I just make sure I limit it you had a number of hours between your last drink and BF bub remember alcohol is processed at about 1 drink per hour so even if you had your last drink at 11 pm there is still 5 hours between it and BF bub at 4 am - and you said you got home at 11 so I asume you stopped drinking a while before then so it was longer so I think the amount of alcohol in you blood and BM would have been very low if not nil.
I wouldn't stress about it!
Some wise woman said on here that if you are right to drive you are right to BF so that is a good ball park for BF and having the odd drink!:hugs:

[Tam-I-Am]

It was probably a LITTLE early to b/f her at 4am - your breastmilk alcohol level is always the same as your blood alcohol level, and the alcohol in you breastmilk is metabolised the same way that it is in your blood stream (ie through your liver). So it takes about 2 - 3 hours for your body to completely metabolise and get rid of 1 standard drink.....after 5 drinks the advice would be to wait for 10 hours at least before feeding again.

However, as a once off, it won't have done your bub any damage - and you'll know for next time :)

If you have any concerns re: feeding and alcohol, you can always call the ABA breastfeeding support line - 1800 mum2mum.

Hope your hangover isn't too bad! :)

[bosang]

Bubs will be totally fine. Good on you for going out & having a few relaxing drinks! If you wanted to make extra sure next time whether or not your breastmilk did contain alcohol, go & buy a packet of 'Milkscreen' test strips from chemist. You basically drip some breastmilk on the test strip & it tells you within 2 mins whether your milk alcohol concentartion is within recommended feeding guidelines or not.

[Hollywood]

By the way, 'pump and dump' is no longer considered necessary. I found this info (but for fear of an infraction I'm not putting a link):


You should know that alcohol in your milk doesn't remain there. It works the same as it does in your blood. Once the alcohol is out of your blood (http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa35.htm), it's also out of your milk. So only pump if you are going to miss a couple of nursings and want to keep up your supply or to relieve any engorgement you might have while you are away from your baby. You can also pump before you drink if you want to have some milk on hand to feed your baby if you feel like you're still going to be intoxicated at the next feeding. Don't think you have to do it because alcohol is going to stay in your milk long after you've been drinking. You don't have to get rid of any milk. It doesn't work that way.

[cmc]

Thankyou all for your comments.Freya survived the day :cool: - I was really panicking this morning, I think for me its not worth the worry of drinking. Ill wait until Im no longer BFing.
Thanks for the support & advice

[Hollywood]

Good choice. I still BF and even now at 2.5 years I rarely drink.

[lupa]

just for the record, I was told by my nurses that as long as you can drive (0.05), you can b/feed.

[Hollywood]

just for the record, I was told by my nurses that as long as you can drive (0.05), you can b/feed.

:confused: You are joking, aren't you?? Why take the risk?

From the ABA site:


ALCOHOL


Traditionally, women have been told that drinking alcohol will help increase their milk supply and strengthen their baby. Alcohol is generally not considered harmful to the infant if the amount and duration are limited (American Academy of Pediatrics 1989). Some recent studies have suggested that even modest amounts of alcohol may have a significant long-term effect on the breastfed baby (Little 1989; Schulte 1995), making a safe level of alcohol exposure to the breastfed baby hard to define.

Anecdotally, Nursing Mothers' (now ABA) breastfeeding counsellors report instances of babies being drowsy and fussy at the breast after being breastfed by a mother who has been drinking alcohol. Mothers who have been drinking often relate the experience of delayed let-down reflex and a perceived reduced supply. Mothers also report a lower tolerance to alcohol whilst breastfeeding. This may be so, as the low oestrogen levels present during amenorrhoeic lactation are associated with higher blood alcohol levels.

Studies have shown that within thirty minutes of its ingestion, the equivalent of one standard drink changes the smell of breastmilk and has a mildly sedative effect on the baby. Excessive amounts may lead to drowsiness, deep sleep and weakness. A drowsy baby may not suck well which may lead to a reduction in supply. One recent report suggests a 23% reduction (156 ml to 120 ml) in breastmilk production following ingestion of beer (Hale 1998). The altered smell of the milk may account for any fussiness. Any drug that causes drowsiness in the infant may be implicated in SIDS.
Alcohol may theoretically inhibit oxytocin release. Oxytocin is the hormone that causes contraction of the cells surrounding the alveoli and interlobular ducts, forcing milk out into the larger ducts for the baby to remove. Anecdotally, one drink relaxes the mother and improves the let-down reflex whereas large doses of alcohol are believed to have an adverse effect on the let-down or milk ejection reflex. Studies have shown that maternal doses of alcohol greater than 1-2 g/kg can interfere with the let-down reflex (Cobo 1973), though there is considerable variation between individual mothers.

[lupa]

[QUOTE=TysonsMummy;3975139]:confused: You are joking, aren't you?? Why take the risk?

QUOTE]


no, not joking. They told me that when I left the hospital. Obviously like almost anything to do with babies professionals have differing opinions. You do what you think is best from the info you've gathered. The 0.05 rule is just a good one to go by if you're worried... well... for me anyway, maybe not for others.