Is it alright to drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

Stephanie - posted on 10/26/2009

i have heard that if you are planning on drinking and you are breast feeding you need to make sure you have pumped enough milk for at least a 24hr period after you have been drinking so your baby has food and also there are breast milk tests you can get from like walgreens that test to see if there is any alcohol in your breast milk

http://www.amazon.com/Milkscreen-Home-De...

Cecilia - posted on 10/26/2009

i would for sure definatly not. everything you put in your body is then passed to baby through breast milk.

Lorelei - posted on 10/26/2009

It is okay to drink while breastfeeding, You have to either give her your stored milk or formula but after the alcohol leaves your system it is okay to nurse again. (usually 2-4 hours per drink). Alcohol is NOT stored in breast milk it just passes through. So you don't have to dump any milk down the drain. I used to "pump and dump" but hen i found out i just had to wait until it was out of my system. It kind of hurt a little to dump that perfectly good milk out.

Simone - posted on 10/26/2009

thanks.

Angie - posted on 10/26/2009

If you pump milk, I would just keep a stash of it for special occasions for when you want to go out and have a drink so you've still got your milk to feed Bub and not feel bad about it. Comes in handy to have some of your milk frozen anyway in case you can't feed for some reason.... And I agree with the others.. Feed your Baby, then have a drink.
Enjoy!! :)

Kathleen - posted on 10/26/2009

it takes 2 hours for the drink to pass through most people... I would feed my son and a have a drink but I would wait three hours just to be safe.

Tara - posted on 10/26/2009

Have a glass of beer or wine right after you finish feeding. A standard drink takes about one hour to leave your system. Nothing but time will help flush the alcohol from your system. Even feed and then pump a bottle before you have a drink. The yeast in beer will actually increase your supply.

Abby - posted on 10/26/2009

I've never noticed anything different/wrong with my baby when i've nursed him after drinking

Malissa - posted on 10/25/2009

If you're going to drink make sure you have enough of a milk supply backed up to last you 3 days before breastfeeding again. That's what my sister's midwife told her. It takes that long for the alcohol to work it's way out of your system.

Ashley - posted on 10/25/2009

it is u just have to pump ur breast first and then feed ur baby with the next feedin but before u drink pump a bottle or two just in case

Hanna - posted on 10/25/2009

If it's a beer or a glass of wine (1), it's fine. I would just make sure that you have about 4 hours before the next time you feed. In Belgium & Ireland, they actually give a glass of dark beer (like Guiness or even Bass) to women in the hospitals who just gave birth to help the milk come in because it stimulates milk production (but for whatever reason, it has to be an ale rather than a pilsner). I used to have a beer before i went to bed when my son was first born because i didn't have enough milk for the first few weeks and it did help increase milk supply. I would drink it before bed & then pump in the morning (I used to sleep from 1-8 & my husband handled the middle of the night feedings) and in the morning, i would produce more than double than what i could get out during the day. good luck!

Carol - posted on 10/25/2009

i bf and i drink a beer or a glass of wine on occasion, no hard liquor though. if you're really worried about it, as you've decided, don't do it at all. i personally enjoy my nice glass of wine to wind down after a long day, but that is my choice. if the idea of having a glass was dangerous, most of my spanish ancestors would be a little brain damaged, lol

Sara - posted on 10/25/2009

I am sure it has been mentioned already....
You can have a drink or two while breastfeeding. Alcohol is absorbed into the milk through the blood stream like everything else, but the breasts do absorb the majority of it. They say 2% is actually released into the milk. BUT infants organs do not handle alcohol like an adult would. The rule is that if you can drive, you can nurse.

If you indulge there is no need to pump. Since the alcohol leaves the milk as it leaves the blood, it would be a waste of effort and milk to pump. Although if you miss a feeding you may want to pump to keep up the supply.

kellymom.com is an excellent website

Marian - posted on 10/25/2009

1 or 2 is ok. if you are too concerned, you can pump extra to give to baby, then when you drink you can pump and dispose the milk for a few feedings

Amy - posted on 10/25/2009

I breastfed and my doctor told me that as long as I didn't consume a lot of alcohol that the breastmilk would be fine. If it is a very low amount then it won't even reach the milk. It is your choice though. If you are scared then I wouldn't do it. Wine or something will be fine though in small amounts.

Simone - posted on 10/25/2009

thank you lady's. it just sounds like so much hassle just for 1 drink. lol. i think i mite as well wait so i really can enjoy my 1! glass of wine. lol and ill look up your links Deborah, thankls for all your comments. they are very helpful.

Sherry - posted on 10/24/2009

If breastfeeding bear will actualy bring in more milk A doctor told me that he actualy prescribed it but only about a shot in half i think you need to wait a hr but your best bet is to talk to your doctor

Melissa - posted on 10/24/2009

It is okay to drink while breastfeeding as long as you pump or wait about 3hrs per drink. I was told and read that beer and wine stay in system about 3hrs per glass (8oz), though some liquors can stay in your system up to 24hrs even just 1 shot. I rairly drinl myself but when and if I do I either pumped or now that she is older just waited till I felt safe.

Amanda - posted on 10/24/2009

I saw something (I think it was at Walgreens) that may help you. It was a test kit to check the alcohol content of your breast milk. That way you can check it before dumping it. Less waste that way.

Natasha - posted on 10/24/2009

Quoting Carolee:

Pump and dump!

pump and dump does nothing its in your blood not your milk and unitl its out of your blood you cant breastfeed.

Carolee - posted on 10/24/2009

Pump and dump!

Natasha - posted on 10/24/2009

here's the deal ........puumping and dumping does nothing at all. you could drink 3 beers not pump and wait six hours and feed your baby with the same milk that was in your breast while drinking.



it has to do with your blood alcohol level so as soon as its out of your system then you can go on as normal and breastfeed.



ex if i drink one beer then it takes 2:16 per beer to exit my system as i am 160 pounds. i got this great chart from my doc that uses your weight to determine how long you wait before you feed again. if you want to know how long you have to wait per drink you could email me your weight and i will email you back:)

Melissa - posted on 10/24/2009

I have 2 boys and breastfeed both... i would would pump some milk before i drank. also i would pump out a feeding or 2 after i finished just so the alcohol would be drawn from my milk that accumpilated while i was drinking. I know some people that have a drink or 2 and still feed. their children have turned out okay so far. Even though they did not dronk every day. which sounds like your a smart person and doesnot. lol. That is how i was. but i was told that you should pump out the milk after you have finished drinking just to be safe.

Amanda - posted on 10/24/2009

I'm not much for drinking either but I was having problems sleeping about a month ago and I figured a glass of wine would be a whole lot better than sleeping pills. I talked to my doctor, pediatrician, health nurse and lactation consultant, and I looked it up in all the baby care books I have from 1975-present and I got the same advice from all of them. If you want to drink it's all about timing and quantity, try to drink right after you feed(or pump) and don't get wasted, the advice I got was to drink no more than three glasses of wine per week. There's no need to dump your milk, although, it may make you feel like it's safer

Hannah - posted on 10/24/2009

Quoting Deborah:

here is a couple links that are very helpful
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/a...

these are the best links I have at the moment..but if you want a drink it is perfectly safe..sober enough to drive, sober enough to nurse!

My Lactation consultant/Lamaze coach/pediatric Nurse said that your Breast Milk Alcohol content would be the same as your blood alcohol content. So yes- sober enough to drive, sober enough to nurse. 

I was in the same boat - I would have a beer or glass of wine once a month maybe, so not a big drinker. I would do as many have suggested, feed baby (or a huge pumping session to empty everything out) and then drink with food, and by the time I had to feed baby again, it had been 4-6 hours and trust me, any remnants of alchohol were long gone. :)

Also you can get these little strips that test BAC of your breast milk - I saw them in BabiesRUs. I don't know how accurate they are (and I never used them) but if it gives you peace of mind...

Rochele - posted on 10/24/2009

I was told to feed (bedtime meal) or pump, then you may have some drinks, but i would pump and dump before feeding your baby from the breast again

Shemika - posted on 10/24/2009

if you drink its simple , "Pump and Dump"

Jenifer - posted on 10/24/2009

It is fine to drink while you are still breastfeeding - you just need to time it right. You do not need to pump and dump unless you choose to. The alcohol will leave your breastmilk the same way it leaves your bloodstream. So the length of time it takes you to sober up is long enough tp wait for the next feeding. Additionally, the alcohol content in your milk is much lower than in your blood. I'd suggest feeding immediately before you have that glass of wine or whatever, and that should give you a few hours before you need to feed again. I'd highly suggest checking the kellymom.com link from Deborah above - they have some great information there.

Kim - posted on 10/24/2009

Anything that you eat/drink will affect your baby. Spicy food, caffeine, etc. Just realize you are making this sacrifice for your precious baby, her health, your health, and an amazing bond!!

Brandy - posted on 10/24/2009

It is okay but there are rules to follow. You can decide whether you are going to pump ahead of time or formula feed for the time that you are drinking. The rule to follow is wait 1 hour per drink (ex: if you had 3 drinks, wait 3 hours) then pump and throw that milk away. The next feeding will be safe. It takes about an hour for each drink to pass completely through your body, so after that hour, no more alcohol should be passing into your breastmilk. It won't leave your breastmilk on it's own. It does have to be pumped and tossed.

Fallon - posted on 10/24/2009

If you want to drink, pump before you leave and store the milk. When you get back from your drink pump the bad milk out and the new milk will be good by the time your baby's next feeding comes.

Deborah - posted on 10/24/2009

oh I and I just wanted to add there is NO need to pump and dump your milk, it does NOT turn your milk sour as it goes through your milk just like it goes through your blood..the ONLY reason you need to pump after a drink is to make yourself more comfy if you are engorged a bit, then it is only as much as you feel comfortable with...these are the common myths of breastfeeding. it takes about 2 hours for the milk to be out of your system..as I said above " sober enough to drive, sober enough to nurse"

Andrea - posted on 10/24/2009

the dr told me if you drink a small amount after a feeding it will be out of ur system before the next one. just wait until you know your baby's schedule well

Deborah - posted on 10/24/2009

here is a couple links that are very helpful
http://kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alc...
http://llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/a...

these are the best links I have at the moment..but if you want a drink it is perfectly safe..sober enough to drive, sober enough to nurse!

Jocelyn - posted on 10/24/2009

if you have a beer it will actually help increase your milk supply temporarily :)

Sarah - posted on 10/24/2009

Im not a big drinker either but my grandmother assures me that a glass of red wine a day does wonders lol. I always fed my girls right before I had a drink and then expressed a bit extra for if they got hungry between feeds and then fed them a coupla hours after my drink and it didnt seem to afect them at all. everything in moderation I say.

Simone - posted on 10/24/2009

thanks, i think i'll just wait. i love breastfeeding my baby girl, so to go through all of tht just for 1 drink, it's not worth it. thank u all.

Jessica - posted on 10/24/2009

Your best bet is to pump enough to feed your baby for 24 hours. Because the alcohol will turn your breast milk sour. It takes about 24 hours to leave the milk, but you need to make sure you pump and then throw out that milk until you've allowed enough time for the alcohol to circulate through. Actually I'm sorry i believe it's 12 hours. However I know this from making this mistake 6 years ago with my first child.

Kayla - posted on 10/24/2009

i saw on the tv show "the doctors" were all teh docotrs were talking about this. they said if you feed first, have a drink, the alcohol will leave your system in 4 hours. so in time for the next feeding! so its ok to have A drink, but not too much.

Rebecca - posted on 10/24/2009

If you drink more then one drink every hour then yes it will. If you have a glass of wine lets say, right after you child has nursed then by the time he gets nursed again it should be gone from your system. I know when i drank while i was nursing i would pump the next feed and dump it jsut to be sure and we would use a good one from the freezer that i had stored away.

Simone - posted on 10/24/2009

thanks, i think i'll wait. as i said i don't really drink, so i no i'm not missing out on anything. lol

D'Etta - posted on 10/24/2009

Alcohol is not safe for the baby, even a small amount as they are small bodies. You can still have a drink tho, if you give your baby a bottle during the next feeding. Just use a pump to release the milk that has the alcohol in it. (If you don't have a pump you can do it manually in the shower- run a hot shower and massage the breasts until you experience your let down.)

Bethany - posted on 10/24/2009

I know that if you drink, it can affect the baby through your breastmilk.

I didn't drink while I was breastfeeding, but have known mom's that did. They would feed baby right before the time they wanted to drink, and then waited a few hours before feeding again. But I'm not sure if this is ok or not, that's why I never did. To be sure, you can call the ped. or a breastfeeding counsoler..if you have a WIC office nearby, they would prob. know.