Xmas drink while breast feeding

[Wondermum]

Does anyone know if you are able to consume alcohol while breast feeding and if so how much is safe? I would love to be able to have a :xmas: drink or two but don't really want to express as bubs doesn't really take to a bottle.

[Oscar's mum]

I was always told that a drink won't do any harm but just express and throw away the milk.

That way you don't have to worry about bottles etc nor worry about bub getting any of the alcohol in the breastmilk;)

[the_queen]

I thought about it - and I probably will have a half glass of champagne, right after a feed. But I've bought a nice non-alcoholic sparkling Rose for me and my breastfeeding sister, so we can drink that together. I used to be quite a big drinker, it's amazing how I just don't see the point of it anymore! I can give up drinking for the next few years while I'm breastfeeding, I think it's all part of being a mummy - giving up nice things so your baby has the best in life :)

But having said that, all things in moderation :yes: and if you want to have a drink or two, there's definitely a safe way to do it. I think the best way is to have a drink straight after a good-sized feed, because your milk alcohol level is the same as your blood alcohol level. So if you have one standard drink, allow at least an hour before feeding bubby again. Obviously, the longer you wait before feeding again, the better. So if bubby is predictable with feeds and sleeps, just wait until he's had a big feed and won't need another one for 3 or 4 hours at least, and then just have one or two standard sized drinks. Sip slowly, drink lots of water afterwards, and if you're having any "guilt" or "worries" about it, just express and dump the milk, like Oscars Mum said :thumbsup:

[Tam-I-Am]

Actually, OM - that's untrue.

IF you have a drink, the alcohol will pass into and out of your milk the same way that it does in your blood, meaning whatever your blood alcohol level is - that is what your milk alcohol level will be too. So even if you've consumed alcohol, if you have no alcohol in your blood stream, you have none in your milk either. There is no need to pump and dump, and, in fact, it doesn't matter how much milk you pump - if you have alcohol in your blood - it will be present in your milk, regardless of how recently you pumped.

A good yardstick is to leave 3 hours after each standard alcoholic drink before feeding. That is a very conservative estimate to get your BAL back down to 0 before feeding.

(and remember a standard drink is rarely what comes in a bottle - ie one bottle/can of beer is usually 1.4 standard drinks etc. So read the labels).

HTH

[Oscar's mum]

Actually, OM - that's untrue.


As I said that is just what I was told (Child Health Nurse). I probably just didn't listen to the nitty gritty details about drinking etc as I am not a drinker at all.

My apologies for the misinformation:o

[Rainbowbrite]

I was thinking about having a drink this christmas as MJ only has 2 feeds a day..............cant do that now though now that we're expecting :laughing:

Guess another 2 years wont hurt :cool:

[Wondermum]

I was always told that a drink won't do any harm but just express and throw away the milk.

That way you don't have to worry about bottles etc nor worry about bub getting any of the alcohol in the breastmilk

Great tip OM :yes:
I can't be bothered with expressing and throwing away - I just want to have a relaxing day without too much effort.


I used to be quite a big drinker, it's amazing how I just don't see the point of it anymore! I can give up drinking for the next few years while I'm breastfeeding, I think it's all part of being a mummy - giving up nice things so your baby has the best in life

Yep before I became a mum I wouldn't say no to a drink! Since becoming a mum the majority of the time it really doesn't interest me much even when I'm not b/f. But this time of year I'd love to have a glass of champers or wine with/ after my big festive lunch :D

Thanks for the helpful advice too :thumbsup:



A good yardstick is to leave 3 hours after each standard alcoholic drink before feeding. That is a very conservative estimate to get your BAL back down to 0 before feeding.

(and remember a standard drink is rarely what comes in a bottle - ie one bottle/can of beer is usually 1.4 standard drinks etc. So read the labels).

HTH

Thanks for your great tips!
:smiliedance: Yay I get to have an Xmas drink.


I was thinking about having a drink this christmas as MJ only has 2 feeds a day..............cant do that now though now that we're expecting

Guess another 2 years wont hurt

Congratulations RB

Couldn’t you still have one standard drink? I was pregnant last Xmas and I had a beer.

[Rainbowbrite]

Congratulations RB

Couldn’t you still have one standard drink? I was pregnant last Xmas and I had a beer.

Thanks.

I'm not a drinker really, but did enjoy a coktail every 6 months or so when DH & I went out to dinner. Not a fan of beer at all :no:

I'll just stick with water & coke :o

[shed]

DP has just gone out to get bubby's present and I also asked him to pick up a bottle of sparkling grape juice for me.

Its non-alcoholic but still bubbly and grapey a bit more spesh than just lemonade. :thumbsup:

[~Emmylou~]

I've been madly pumping all week so I can get enough ebm together for a couple of feeds so I can have a few beers tomorrow. DS takes a bottle fine so I'm lashing out!

Normally though if I've had a rough day and feel like a beer at the end of it I have one or two and then I don't feed him for about 6 hours. He usually has his last feed at about 6ish, then goes to bed and won't feed again until midnight/1am ish....so that gives me a good stretch where I can have a tipple and not worry about my milk :D

[mum33]

i could say more about it because i feel very strongly about people consuming alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding but i will just say i wouldnt do it. i just think its a bad idea.

[Sheer Bliss]

Actually, OM - that's untrue.

IF you have a drink, the alcohol will pass into and out of your milk the same way that it does in your blood, meaning whatever your blood alcohol level is - that is what your milk alcohol level will be too. So even if you've consumed alcohol, if you have no alcohol in your blood stream, you have none in your milk either. There is no need to pump and dump, and, in fact, it doesn't matter how much milk you pump - if you have alcohol in your blood - it will be present in your milk, regardless of how recently you pumped.

A good yardstick is to leave 3 hours after each standard alcoholic drink before feeding. That is a very conservative estimate to get your BAL back down to 0 before feeding.

(and remember a standard drink is rarely what comes in a bottle - ie one bottle/can of beer is usually 1.4 standard drinks etc. So read the labels).

HTH

This is the same as the info I have read, Once it leaves your blood it also leaves your milk. :thumbsup: Some people i know have had experiences of bubs being unsettled the next day, others that there was no difference - so you can't be 100% sure.

[Verdi]

I agree with Tam AM I

You are spot on.
My child maternal nurse said it is fine especially to leave a 3 hr gap between the next feed as your level will most likely be back to 0.

I never drank during pregnancy, Now i will have a glass of wine every night after a meal as my relaxation time (i have very active boys!!!) so i asked the nurse and said it was fine, iam also in the medical field and believe that food and alcohol in moderation is okay.

[jessgray]

i'm not much of a drinker but i had 1 UDL it was 1.0 standard drinks and 4% alcohol. it takes me well over an hour and half to drink 1 drink (slwo drinker and i chase ds1 around lol and this xmas i also had ds2 to contend with lol)
anyway, i drank my drink inbetween ds2's feeds. but i noticed even at his next feed he didnt want to feed much and he was sleepy all night :( i wont be drinking again.

[KaM]

I had a drink of frangelico and milk on Christmas day without a worry. Matilda had just fed and she fed again about an hour later with no dramas whatsoever. I think as long as its just a spesh occassion there isnt really a worry. You'd know if bubs doesnt agree with it next feed. Ive had one other drink in my entire breastfeeding career and still fed within an hr without a drama.

Also from my reading as well as what my docs have told me .. and the CHN . .a small drink here and there during pregnancy and breastfeeding wont cause problems. Its when you go overboard and make it a regular event that problems occur.

So I say . .if you want to splash out on a small drink . .go for it. .you prob deserve it :thumbsup: