Drinking while bfing!

[pinkyprincess]

Right so my OH has just told me that he's gonna treat me and we're gonna go out on valentines day and I've been a long time without a drink. I've brought some freezer bags for expressing into but I was wondering how long the alcohol takes to get out your system and how it works with the alcohol 'tainted' milk?

Hopefully got enough notice so my milk will be in enough to express so was hoping for some tips?

 

[Franna75]

Ive read quite a bit on the subject and they say its like drinking and driving, one hour for every unit. But it clears through your system, so lets say you have a bottle of wine that is nine units and you should be OK that many hours later. It also depends on your size and if you are eating with it, as it gets absorbed through the stomach lining, so better if you have food. To be safe, count from when you stop drinking.

I also read an article that said you would have to be five times over the legal limit for it to get to your baby....which is a vast amount of booze.

You could do what i did the other day and have some forumla nearby just in case he wakes up earlier than expected if you can't express enough, but I dont encourage a hangover and a baby!!
(its the only time i've given a full feed of formula - felt a bit guilty, but thought it was best to be safe).

 

[Maria1977]

The odd drink is fine as far as I'm aware, but it would have an impact if you went on a massive bender!

I'm sure a couple of glasses of wine wouldn't do any harm, esp if you're eating at the same time!

 

[Sarah13]

I agree, think of it in terms of driving, if you wouldn't drive you wouldn't be ok to breast feed either, same goes for the morning after. You don't need to pump and dump unless your really uncomfortable as your milk gets filtered in the same way as your blood. Just go easy on yourself too if its your first time drinking since your BFP and enjoy your night x

 

[pinkyprincess]

Thanks girls. We are only looking at having a bottle of wine with dinner. So if I express enough to last until the next morning he'd be ok?

 

[catty1]

That sounds more than ok. Enjoy your night x

 

[Sarah13]

Yeah that sounds ok. I had a few drinks a few weeks back before Kynon decided he won't take a bottle and I had 3 bottles ready in the fridge which was plenty, then fed him at about 4am as I felt fine.

On another note make sure he will take a bottle and keep giving it to him as Kynon decided at Christmas not to take one anymore, luckily I'd only drunk a glass and half of wine. It's my own fault for not giving him a bottle for 10 days and he forgot, or got wise!

 

[l_maclean]

I've read that pump and dump doesn't work as the alcohol is in your blood stream, not stored in your breast milk. So there is no benefit to doing this. Xxx

 

[hopefulmummy]

I had a bottle of expressed milk all ready for
My babys 3 am feed when he was about 10 weeks old. I had a great night, dinner with friends, a couple of gin and tonics, wine. That of course was the night Arthur decided to reject the bottle. He screamed bloody murder every time it was out near him. I still felt a bit drunk but had no choice but to breastfeed him.

A doctor has since told me it would have done no harm - the % of alcohol that goes into breastmilk is minute and they'd still say that even if you were an alcoholic you would be better off breastfeeding. That said, it's probably better nt to go on a bender every night (obviously!!) but the odd drink won't hurt at all. Xx

 

[pinkyprincess]

I'm slightly confused. So if say OH and I shared a bottle of wine or so with dinner and came home and Tyler woke for a feed in the night would I be better off feeding him with expressed milk it just bfing him?

 

[l_maclean]

If he'll take a bottle i would have thought that expressed milk would be better as you can guaruntee there's no alcohol in it. xxx

 

[pinkyprincess]

Then I'd still need to pump and dump the milk that would've come in in the mean time?

 

[Sarah13]

You won't need to pump and dump unless your uncomfortable, your milk will be filtered the same way as your blood.
This is quite an interesting website on breast feeding http://www.007b.com/ sure I read some info about drinking on there.

 

[hopefulmummy]

Personally I would just breast feed him if id drunk only half a Bottle of wine, if he doesn't wake till like 3. I he woke around
Midnight id probably give him ebm xx

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Was about to start a new thread on this but came across this hope u don't mind me hijacking..
It's my bday on Tuesday and OHs the following week and we are debating going out next sat.. Haven't had a drink since my bfp and I'm worried about my milk.. I have no knowledge of breast feeding dos and donts but it's obvious alcohol may affect my milk..
I know I only make enough for Lilyanna in the day every four hours.. But she sleeps thru 12hrs at night.. So my breasts are very full in the morning so she only takes from one side and that's enough for her.. I can express the other side in the morning.. I've read it lasts 5 days in the fridge and you can add to it.. So if I express every morning starting tuesday.. Can I definitely add to it every day and use it for Sunday morning? I'll probably have a fair bit to drink I'm not gonna lie lol so would I have to make enough for at least two feeds say 8am and 12pm.. Or would my milk be ok for 12? I want to make enough for her if she wakes in the night at all too.. How much should I separate? I can't use one bottle in case she needs two or more feeds.. I suppose I can add more to the first bottle of she wants more but I don't know how many oz she will take.. I've only expressed once when I had bad thrush and that was at about 3weeks and she took 3oz and some breast then..

 

[hopefulmummy]

To be honest if she sleeps through 12 hours I think you will be fine feeding her first thing with no expressed
Milk.

 

[Jayceesmumma]

So if I drink at night it's ok to feed her at 7-8am?

 

[pinkyprincess]

Maybe have some in the fridge just incase she wakes up?

 

[hopefulmummy]

Maybe have some in the fridge just incase she wakes up?

Yes. Bit you're fine to feed first thing x

 

[Jayceesmumma]

Even if I get home at 3am? That's only 4hrs after my last drink.. I'll defo b expressing in case she wakes in the night.. It's ok to add to it over 5days though right?