# 3 glasses of wine



## JSerene (Nov 4, 2004)

a big deal?

I drank last night for the first time and didn't pump and dump the milk like I had planned to. I nursed 5 mo dd in my sleep like always and dh is irritated with me this morning that she got alcohol-laced breast milk. My midwife tells me I can lighten up a little and have a glass of wine when I want to (god bless her), but three? I don't think it's a big deal, but like I said, dh is mad. Anyone else indulge once in a while?


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

i did. of course now that ds has a physical delay i feel like maybe it's my fault, but it isn't. it's up to you. there's a risk in everything and you just need to judge for yourself.


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## hannahnc (Mar 30, 2005)

personally the most i've had is two glasses, but i would think it's ok. you said you nursed in your sleep, so i assume that's a few hours after your last drink. IMO you're fine.


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## Red (Feb 6, 2002)

A few questions.

Did you drink the 3 glasses over a 2 hour period? Or 6 hours? How long after you'd finished drinking did you nurse? How big were the glasses? (I have some glasses that hold 5oz and some that hold 14! 5oz is one glass of wine for measuring alcohol purposes)

How would you feel if your DH had 3 beers, or the equivelent of how ever much wine you had, and then HE nursed the babe? (Besides shocked, relieved and free?







)

I think 5 oz of wine, and then nursing in a few hours is no big deal. I think 3 glasses, even if it was 15 oz, (and not the 42 I could get in my BIG glasses) is too much to be nursing.


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## nonconformnmom (May 24, 2005)

I don't have an answer; I don't know enough about how alcohol is metabolised in the bloodstream, at what rate (probably different for every individual based on their weight, etc.) and how much, if any of it goes into the breastmilk. Even if it does, I do not have the knowledge to understand what, if any, effect it could have on the baby.

Since I have no answers, I'll respond to the OP's question with one of my own: Which would be better: to give the baby formula? Or to breastfeed after having 3 glasses of wine? I'm asking the general 'you' because I'm sincerely curious.


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## hannahnc (Mar 30, 2005)

From Kellymom about breastfeeding & alcohol: http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

From the article:
"In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels."


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## kyangel80 (Oct 5, 2005)

Had to jump in here and say that pump and dump is a thing of the past. No need to do that. As the pp said, alcohol does not accumulate in your milk. It leaves milk as it does the blood stream. So it is dependant on alot of factors if you should or shouldn't nurse after consuming said amount of alcohol. How long was it. The standards I have read say if you drink a glass of wine your safe 2 hours later. Thats for a 135 women. I weigh 160 so it would be a little different. Did you feel drunk? Probably not I'm assuming b/c you probably wouldn't have nursed babe if you were worried. Trust your instincts. I don't think ppl should booze it up a bf, but what you did probably doesn't fall into that category.


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## RoadWorkAhead (Sep 8, 2005)

Our midwife and the lactation consultant both said 1 glass per hour is safe...I normally just wait until he's asleep to drink more than 1 because he sleeps through the night.


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## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

The same 'rules' as for driving apply to BF - two standard drinks in the first hour, and one per hour after that will maintain you at around the limit.


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## JSerene (Nov 4, 2004)

Thanks for the info everyone. I didn't even think to look on kellymom for info. I drank nearly 1/2 a bottle of wine over the course of the evening (with food). I could feel it, but was no where near drunk. I was still responsive to her during the night and felt completely safe in co-sleeping (which, now that I think of it, should have been dh's worry far more than the breastfeeding). I had no idea it left your system so quickly. I did pump once before bed and discarded the milk so that was probably enough (though it sounds like that wasn't even necessary).

I'm not much of a drinker, but my friend brought over wine, chocolate and cheese and it was too much to resist. It's good not to feel bad about it . Thanks!


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## Sweetiemommy (Jul 19, 2005)

If my dh said something to me about how to breastfeed my child, I would tell him that when he is capable of giving birth and breastfeeding, he will be qualified to tell me what to do.


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