# alcohol and breastfeeding



## newmama8824 (Jul 8, 2007)

I'm just kind of curious. Do you drink when you breastfeed? I would like to enjoy a glass of wine but am nursing an infant so I assume its probably not a good idea as he wants to nurse every 30 minutes to 3 hours. When is it okay to have an occasional glass of wine/beer/whatever you prefer?


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

Honey, there are tons of threads on this. You can drink some and not cause any problems. There isn't a direct line from your mouth to your boobs! THere is some metabolism that goes on in between the two.

And even if you do feel a little drunk, according to my lc, the only affect it will have on lo is to fall asleep faster but wake up sooner.

I drink regurally. My babe is smart as a button. Only twice have I been "drunk" to the point I felt the need to pump and dump. In a year.

Think of how we would have all gotten here if drinking was so terribly bad for bfing babes...our moms & grandmoms swilled back the scotch. And don't forget about the dark ages where ale and wine were safer to drink than the water!

Have a glass. Hell, have two or three!


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

I have a very occasional glass of wine or beer and nurse straight away. I think if I'm safe to drive, I'm safe to nurse!
Enjoy!


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

Exactly, what welsh said, if you are ok to drive, you are ok to nurse is a good rule of thumb. But really, I have an occassional beer or two and don't give it a second thought. At the most I've had maybe four drinks over the course of an evening and still breast-fed. The alcohol content in your milk will never be higher than your blood alcohol content. Legally impaired where I am is0.08%, so even if you are legally impaired, your babe is getting 0.08% or less alcohol in the milk. An ounce of liquor at 40% won't typically get you to legally impaired, so really, how much of an effect could a few ounces at 0.08% have on your babe? They would need to have 500 ounces to have the equivalent amount of liquor that you ingested.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

A drink or two is fine.

-Angela


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

Unless you are chronically and continually drunk, I wouldn't worry about it. A crazy night out with the girls, or a few cocktails aren't going to hurt your baby. IMO formula would hurt them more (which is usually what they'd have to eat if you pump and dump), and pumping is waaaaaaaaaaay too much of a pain for me to even think about dumping that down the drain. breastmilk has the same alcohol content as blood, so less than 10% of your bm will be alcohol that has already begun to be processed and broken down.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Yup, blood alcohol level = milk alcohol level. If you're SMASHED, you're around .2% BAL. So your baby would be getting milk that's .2% alcohol. A "nonalcoholic" beverage (like O'Doul's "beer") can legally be up to .6% alcohol.

I wouldn't recommend getting drunk simply because you have a baby to take care of, and it is true that their livers are really not able to process alcohol nearly as well as an adult's, so getting drunk every single day while nursing might be problematical, but there's really no reason to believe that an occasional drink (or two) is any problem.

And yea, there have been many threads on this before. But I guess we should just keep saying it until people get that they shouldn't stop nursing because they like wine with dinner.


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## mamatoni (Aug 2, 2007)

I agree with past posts, but all that said, DD's tummy seems more upset after I drink a glass of wine. Beer is fine, but lately wine seems to bug her. Maybe stronger flavor?


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## QueenOfTheMeadow (Mar 25, 2005)

Beer has hops in it, and hops is a galactogogue and a nervine. That's what I always tell people who used to give me a hard time about drinking beer while nursing!


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

And actually, if ds is feeling a bit constipated, I can have a couple glasses or three of red wine and know a big ol' poo is in his near future! Gotta love those sulfates...


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

I have a beer each night because it is yummy and delicious and I am not afraid that my little one's health is in danger.


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *honeydee* 
I have a beer each night because it is yummy and delicious and I am not afraid that my little one's health is in danger.

Totally. I think it is one of those urban legends that "They" use to control mommies and make them feel guilty about being regular people. Like we're these pious virgin maries that have to be perfect when we all know that is surely not the case.

I mean, I'm good, but not perfect!


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## 93085 (Oct 11, 2007)

I have been known to nurse with a beer in my free hand. LOL.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamatoni* 
I agree with past posts, but all that said, DD's tummy seems more upset after I drink a glass of wine. Beer is fine, but lately wine seems to bug her. Maybe stronger flavor?









She may be reacting to something in the wine. Sulfites, maybe (as a previous poster stated). You could try a sulfite-free wine (some organic wines are sulfite-free) and see if that still bothers her.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I have a glass of wine or a beer fairly often. Honestly, I think this is a rumour/myth pushed by the formula companies as a reason to ff. I mean, really, if you cant drink if you bf, then lotsa moms are going to ff just so they can drink, yk?


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## thixle (Sep 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jescafa* 
I have been known to nurse with a beer in my free hand. LOL.

ditto... in public!


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## littlemizflava (Oct 8, 2006)

i dont drink beer so the % is not 7% i do drink jamacian overproof rum 63% so my guide goes by the % of what i am drinking 1 drink ok but if i am out drinking or having friends over and i am drinking i bf first then try to wait as long as i can b4 i feed again now if i have been out and drinking (at a club) i wait 3 hours and try to drink lots of water b4 and after as alcohol dehydrates and i dont want supply to go down... other then that i dont worry but i dont drink when they are small just me worring about things once bigger i can watch and see if their are any effects

NOW I SAY CHEERS



























































































: balloons





















BOTTOMS UP







:


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## queenjulie (Oct 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Yup, blood alcohol level = milk alcohol level.

That's the primary thing to keep in mind: Alcohol goes into your breastmilk at the same rate it goes into your bloodstream, but it also comes back out of your breastmilk at the same rate. So if you've sobered up but haven't nursed since you drank, you do NOT need to pump and dump--the alcohol will have moved out of your milk as it moves out of your bloodstream.


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## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

Yes I do. One or two glasses of wine or beer. You can look up past threads.


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## FancyD (Apr 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jescafa* 
I have been known to nurse with a beer in my free hand. LOL.











Keith's Pale Ale was great for my milk supply. And by that I mean I pumped 3 ounces instead of one.


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## dumplingrrl (Jan 17, 2008)

So glad to read this thread. I have a glass of beer/wine every couple of weeks and was wondering if it was actually bad for Mari. She doesn't seem bothered by it most times, just drifts off to sleep. And I _do not_ want to pump and dump. Seeing all that BM going down the drain makes me cringe.


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