Alcohol

[Kmx]

What is the guidelines/your opinion on drinking alcohol when breastfeeding?

I'm talking 1 glass of wine once/twice a month.

I'm craving after 9 months of pregnancy but don't want to put my newborn at risk and have read conflicting things.

 

[MrsHudson]

There's plenty of research to suggest if you can drive you can nurse. If you'd like me to find a study I can. While I never get drunk these days, I enjoy a glass of beer or wine here and there.

ETA: not now since I recently found out I'm pregnant lol.

 

[Zephram]

What she said ^.

With both kids I have had one small glass of wine here and there and everything has been fine. Mind you I didn't while they were newborn, I waited until they were old enough that I could have a glass of wine and then not have to feed for a few hours. One small glass of wine takes two hours to get out of your system, so the general rule is to feed baby, have a glass of wine, and then wait more than two hours to feed baby again.

 

[minties]

I have a small glass of red wine almost every evening, I have it right at the end of nursing Emma and then hopefully she sleeps afterwards.

 

[gingmg]

I have the occasional glass of wine or mixed drink, a couple of times a month maybe. I usually don't have more than one or two.

 

[staralfur]

I was pretty liberal with my alcohol consumption but not until my LO was a few months old. I'm sure once or twice a month would still be perfectly fine with a newborn, it was just slightly out of my comfort zone.

 

[noon_child]

My HV always said if you have had enough alcohol to make your breastmilk harmful for your baby then you have drunk too much to be safely in charge of a child alone, or drive.

If you are still worried, it can be useful to know when baby is going to need a feed and time the drink around that, so easier to wait till they are a few months old. I know people who have a glass of wine while nursing their older babies because they know it will take about 15minutes to get in to their blood stream and then they'll be about finished with the feed. When a baby is cluster feeding it is impossible to tell when they are going to stop.

 

[jessmke]

I am fairly liberal with alcohol consumption and have a glass of wine most nights after Isla goes to bed. I know I have at least three hours before I will have to feed her again so I'm not too worried about it. I don't think I drank much if any in the first few months (although I do remember having a glass of wine with Christmas dinner when Isla was about 3 weeks old), but now that she is older and has a more reliable sleep schedule I am not too worried about it. I have never gotten drunk, but a glass or two of wine doesn't worry me.

 

[1nceUponATime]

The lactation specialist at my breast feeding class said a glass of wine is probably okay but not more than that. 9; course she couldn't recommend it because of liability reasons but she had said she knew a couple ladies who stopped breast feeding because they wanted a glass of wine now and again and she wanted to discourage people from quitting because of that reason.

 

[AngelOb]

I read somewhere that having one and breastfeeding isn't going to affect baby, I have been drinking half a beer every now and then after her night feeding but not more than that since a full beer makes me feel drunk after not drinking for 9 months. I would say all in moderation and as long as you aren't getting drunk and then breastfeeding you should be fine.

 

[TTC First]

I remember with my first I was having trouble getting my milk in. My doctor said that I should have a beer and it will increase my supply. She said that they used to keep beer in the fridge at the hospitals. Just be careful with the beer cause it certainly does help your milk supply. One beer at night and it gave me lots!

As for other alcohol, my doctor said the same as everyone else. I wouldn't drink till lo is a little older so I know that she will be sleeping for the next couple hours.