alcohol while BFing?

I tried googling this and I got mixed articles about it, and I was just curious if anyone knew if it affected the baby negatively? I didnt drink when I Bfed my first, but I turned 21 while I was pregnant this time and my friends are itching to buy me a drink. It's really not a big deal to me, I'm not trying to leave my newborn to go to a bar or anything, but I wouldnt mind having a drink or two at my house if it wouldn't hurt the baby. I would rather not pump because she hasn't had a bottle at all and I'm trying to keep them away as long as possible, but if I had a drink right after I fed her and then fed her again in 2 hours or something (she eats every 3 hours usually) would it hurt her? And if not, what if she got hungry sooner and the alcohol didn't have time to leave my system or whatever, should I pump just in case? Or should I just not drink at all? Just curious

 

I've heard that a single glass of wine or a bottle of beer doesn't have a negative effect... in fact, beer stimulates milk production.... but have never tried it myself.

 

First, I am not advocating anyone drink heavily while breastfeeding.

That said my SIL drank everyday while breastfeeding. Some days quite heavily, IMO. However the baby seems just fine and healthy. She is 15 mos now and and I see no adverse effects.
I personally am just not much of a drinker, so I may be exaggerating by saying heavily. I did have a glass of wine once while breastfeeding my second, she didn't seem to be hurt.

I think you should follow your feelings, don't let your friends pressure you into doing anything you feel uncomfortable with, but also don't let society's taboos on alcohol stop you from doing something you feel comfortable with either.

 

well you heard that a single glass of wine while pregnant wouldn't harm you baby why in the world would a glass of wine or a beer or two harm your child now that he is out of the womb and breastfeeding. In my opinion having a drink here or there is perfectly fine. i actually am going to go to a bar (hopefully) and have a drink on my 21st b-day YEAH!!!!!! sorry but i have been pondering the same question and to finally see it here makes me feel so much better about my choice.

 

Good point, FF.

 

my mom drank when she breastfed her older kids. she said we always slept really well if she'd been drinking.

my personal feeling is that if you're legal to drive, you're okay to breastfeed. one also has to consider that somebody has to be able to actually take care of the baby, so if you decide to have more than one, is there a designated babysitter who's going to stay sober?

 

AHHHHH, because a single glass of wine every day during your pregnancy can very much hurt your baby. In fact it can cause permanent lifelong damage due to fetal alcohol syndrome. The fact is they don't know just how much alcohol is too much. No reputible doctor today recommends drinking any alcohol during pregnancy. Believe me folks, I work every day with babies that have many many problems due to their mother's use of alcohol or other drugs during pregnancy. A drink now and then is just not worth the risk. Maybe you can have a drink and be okay. Maybe your can drink a whole bottle and your baby will be okay. But maybe that one drinkcan cause him to be mentally retarded or can cause her to have no short term memory. The damage is devastating. It's just not worth the risk.

I don't have much info on breastfeeding as that is not something that most of my clients do. But I have heard from experts that if you drink after you feed your baby and then wait for a few hours to feed again it should be okay. I have also heard to pump and dump the next feeding. Research just isn't clear on this so you have to make your own decision. And yes, I have heard that a beer a day will help your milk supply.

Kathi

 

oh no no no dakota's mom im not talking about every day im saying maybe once or twice a week sorry if i gave that impression but i meant it as once or twice a week. yeah i see your point there of risking your childs mental state while drinking heavily. but again if i gave the impression that every day drinking is ok i meant a couple times a week one or two.

FF

 

not just any beer....a dark beer like guinness.

 

are you talking about drinking while breastfeeding or drinking while pregnant? cause that would be playing russian roulette on a fully loaded gun with your baby's brain if you're talking about across the placenta transfer of alcohol

 

Fallen Fairy, Dakota's mom didn't say drinking was safe if it wasn't done heavily.. she said drinking isn't safe AT ALL.

We can't stress enough that ANY alcohol is unsafe when you're pregnant. NONE. Not one glass of wine, once a week. NEVER. I don't know where you heard that, but please for the sake of your future children, realize it's just not true.

I know a few midwives will recommend you drink to help yourself sleep during early labor, as at that point development is fully done, but other than that (if even then) there is ABSOLUTELY NO SAFE amount of alcohol. None.

I am unfamilliar with breast feeding and alcohol. I am sure maggie will answer as she is extremely knowledable about this

 

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

 

I'm sure the above link has the actual studies and information. The amount of alcohol in your breastmilk is equal to the amount in your bloodstream. So baby is ingesting just the tiniest bit, even if you're smashed, and even less than that actually makes it to baby's bloodstream. Having a drink or two and then breastfeeding is no more harmful to your baby than giving a sippy cup of juice that has been sitting out a few hours. No big deal. But an intoxicated Mama can be a problem, might not recognize baby's early hunger cues, might be slow to react to an emergency type situation, and is not safe to cosleep either. FWIW, my first baby would refuse to nurse if I had a glass of wine because she didn't like the way it changes the flavor of my milk, but one or two beers was okay.

 

I sounds like I wasn't clear in my first post. I know children who have had permanent lifelong damage because their mother had ONE drink ONE time during her pregnancy. No one knows how much alcohol is too much. Forthis particular baby One was too much. I know other children whose mother's drank a fifth or more every day of the pregnancy and there are no obvious defects. The point again is, NO ONE KNOW HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH. For your baby's sake, the onlysafe amount of alcohol to drink from the day you decide to try to get pregnant is NONE. Don't do it, it's just not worth the risk.

I know some of you are going to say that you drank whileyou were pregnant and your baby is healthy. I'm happy for you. You were lucky. This is not alwaysthe case.

Again, I don't know much about breastfeeding and alcohol. I know some drugs pass through the breast milk. I encourage mother's whose babies are born addicted to methadone to breastfeed because it helps the baby with withdrawal. My suggestion is you can wait until the little one is weaned to celebrate your 21 birthday. Alcohol is just not what it's cracked up to be anyway. And like Mamaboogie said, it can affect your awareness which can put your baby at risk, especially if you co-sleep. This is where a lot of the propaganda against co-sleeping comes from. Mothers who are high on alcohol or drugs can and do roll over on their babies and kill them. Normal mothers who are not under the influence do not. However, those "Studies" don't tell you that it is the mothers who are high. They just say mothers can roll on their babies.

Drugs, alcohol, and children do not mix. Our little ones are so precious, we can wait until they're older to get high again.

Kathi

 

Oh trust me, I'm not planning on getting smashed. If I do decide to drink, it will only be one or two at max, and I hate beer so I will probably drink one of those fruity malt liquor drinks and they hardly have any alcohol in them (compared to wine anyway). I have my hubby here, too, to help out, but I mean it's not like I never drank before. I know your tolerance can go way down after having a baby, but I will sip slowly Thanks for all the input

 

Drugs and alcohol and the way the effect a pregnant womyn and her fetus versus a breastfeeding womyn and her baby are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Pregnancy is a much more sensitive body state than breastfeeding. A fetus is much more sensitive to what is in the mother's body than even a newborn, breastfeeding baby is. The placenta is not a great filter, the breast IS! The next best thing to the liver.

The info I have, based on plenty of research: If you only have a few drinks and do not get really drunk, you can most usually breastfeed right away. There is NO need to pump and dump. This will NOT "cleanse" your breasts or milk, as not much milk is NOT stored IN your breasts and even the tiny amount that is, is cleansed itself frequently. If you drink more than 3 or more alcoholic drink, (meaning each one is about equal to an oz of pure alcohol, that would be a 6 oz glass of wine, an 8 oz glass of beer, or a 4 oz mixed drink, (made with one oz alcohol and about 3 oz mixer) and you FEEL drunk, wait about an HOUR for each alcoholic drink. That is about the time it takes for your liver and your breast tissue to clear out the alcohol. Some people clear sooner, some slower. PUMPING WILL NOT SPEED YOUR CLEARANCE TIME. It does nothing to speed your liver, which is where most of the alcohol is processed. Take about one hour for each oz of pure alcohol, PLUS one hour, IF you have had more than 3 alcoholic drinks OR you feel drunk. Then you can nurse your baby. (Ever seen a drunk womyn try to operate a breast pump?.....it'd be funny, if it weren't so sad......I've seen it.) Most womyn choose to drink at night, at the beginning of their babies LONGEST sleep period, this will give them time to process thier alcohol, and not upset the baby or their supply, and pumping won't be required.

If your baby is only sleeping 60 min at a time, probably not time to start drinking yet, unless it is only a glass of beer or wine, or just a single (weak) mixed drink. One or two drinks should not be a problem for MOSt mamas and babies. Howver, if the next day, your baby is extra irritable, or VERY sleepy or lethargic, even if you were careful, think about staying away from alcohol, as some people (babies, too) have lower alcohol tolerances than others.

Also, remember, you probably haven't had a drink since you found out you were pregnant, and it's been over a year now. YOUR tolerance has gone down. BE CAREFUL, you may get drunk really easily. Drink only with food in your stomach and drink slowly.

I, personally, choose not to use alcohol at all (except to flavor foods, unless a freind who is Recovering is eating with us, then I don't use it for that) but if you want to, keep it to a minimum, eat food the entire time you have you ralchol, drink slowly, and nurse the baby when it is approprirate, by the above guidlines AND watch the baby for the next 24 hours for behavior changes. Most mamas are OK with small amounts of alcohol, a few times a week. If you have a history of addiction, probably better not to at all.

Blessings.

Maggie

 

Thanks Maggie and everyone for all the input

 

If you decide to have a dark beer, your milk supply may go apeshit. Lol.

If I drink one bottle of Guiness I have enough milk to feed every kid in a five mile radius, and boobs that would make Pam Anderson proud!

I'm totally fine if I drink lighter beers. Just FYI.

 

Alas, only the Guiness you can get in Europe. The crap in the USA is watered down and the B Vitamins and yeasts have been filtered out.

 

I see no problem with consuming a drink or two while pregnant. As long as the first trimester has passed and things are going well. I am talking a small glass of wine or a little beer to celebrate a special event. No downing a keg of beer. Though in my experience most women become severly aversed to alcohol while pregnant. I think smoking while pregnant is a far more pervasive problem then the mom who has one beer while pregnant. My Nana's doc told her to drink a pint of guinness every night for 8 months and my dad has no problems. In fact he's in mensa.