Alcohol and breastfeeding?

[AussieBub]

Hey ladies,

Just wondering what affect drinking a glass of wine would have on my milk supply and/or my LO? I didn't drink during pregnancy and I haven't had a drink since giving birth but I was considering having a glass of wine with dinner on Xmas Day. Just unsure what affect that'll have on bubs. Any insight?

-AussieBub

 

[calliebaby]

You should be just fine. Enjoy!

 

[missk1989]

I would try to have a drink just after a feed so you have the maximum length of time between feeds. The rule is if you feel tipsy you need to pump and dump. Otherwise you should be fine.

 

[Rachel_C]

If you're okay to be looking after LO, you're okay to be feeding him/her

Generally, just don't drink and breastfeed right at the same time

 

[Reidfidleir]

What they said. Preferably right before or right after a feeding as the alcohol will be less likely to be in your breastmilk. I think it takes a couple hours to get out of your system. Make sure you eat too before so that it doesn't shoot into your bloodstream. That makes it even less in your milk.
Check out kellymom.com

 

[AussieBub]

Thanks ladies, I'll make sure I feed my LO before dinner and I only plan on having the one drink with dinner so hopefully it won't make me tipsy or anything. Thanks for your responses.

-AussieBub

 

[midori1999]

It's absolutely fine to have one or two units and just breastfeed as normal. When you are just over the legal limit to drive your blood/milk alcohol will be 0.08, which is less than the alcohol content of orange juice. You would need to be several times over the legal limit before even mild sedation was noticed in your baby. Very regular drinking, even at low levels, is more of a problem.

The only reason to pump and dump is for your own comfort, it won't affect the alcohol content of your milk.

The Breastfeeding Network has good info on this.

 

[Miss Redknob]

I enjoy 2-3 glasses of wine a week I didn't enjoy a glass until bub was 3months as I read that bub's liver can't process it like an adult liver, but after 3months there liver is able to process alcohol just as well as an adult Here is some information from the Australian Breastfeeding Association, pumping and dumping doesn't do anything!

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/safe-when-breastfeeding/alcohol-and-breastfeeding

 

[Jessica_MTY]

if just the one glass, then having it straight after a feeding is your best bet and then continuing as normal for next feed. pumping and dumping is only necessary in the following situations

- you want to have more than one drink so you can't breastfeed for a few hours but feel discomfort (ie engorgement) and/or need to make sure that your supply is kept up (as if you miss a feed may start producing less). if you do this, baby will obviosuly need expressed milk or formula until you start BFing again

 

[Hangin_On_AGS]

light alcohol is fine. i believe it's if your ok to drive your fine to breast feed