breastfeeding help!!

[leanneh]

ok so im thinking of breastfeeding when i have my little boy, does anyone know whether drinking alcohol affects your breast milk or anything??
also... can anyone give me any advice with breastfeeding as im totally clueless about it...
thanks

 

[Mervs Mum]

There is a good thread above about things that helped members in the early weeks and there is lots of info in this board - too much to summarise! I suggest you attend your Parentcraft classes as they tend to cover BFing too.

You can have a drink when you are BFing but some choose not too. I have a glass of red wine most nights and as a basic rule, if you are ok to drive you are ok to feed. If you drink more than that you should 'pump and dump'.

 

[leanneh]

thanks, im not a big drinker or anything lol but i was curious for if i say, go for a meal and have a glass of wine... but that should be ok then?

 

[mommyof3co]

Some drs will say it's ok, others will say not to. For me it's not worth the risk, I won't have even a sip of anything while nursing. It does pass through to your milk. I've heard the best time to do it if your going to though would be after their last feeding of the night and you can have a couple drinks then and if they sleep through then it will pass out of your milk before they nurse again. Like I said though< I don't think it's worth the risk

 

[MaryJ]

While alcohol will pass through to the milk researchers can't seem to agree on how much actually passes through. Some say a little as one will pass and others say you have to be completely wasted for it to affect your baby at all. Big help huh? I would have one very occasionally after he finished a feed and I knew I had 2-3 hours before the next one. Personally, I was more concerned about what affects caffeine would have than alcohol (no idea why) so I completely avoided pop the entire time I fed.