A.K.
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If you can drive , you can nurse.
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It was a loonoong 9 months abstaining from beer (my alcoholic bev of choice).
I am now breastfeeding my 1 month old and have had a beer here and there (the Germans do it, right? It supposedly helps the milk supply... right ...?? ;)
Question: Did you drink at all while nursing, and where is the cut-off before heading into "pump and dump" territory?
I'd love to have 2 beers but I just can't bring myself to so far. I really hate pumping and do NOT want to bust that thing out until I have to go back work! My Birthday is coming up and I am craving a tasty meal and craft brew at a Brewery. 1 or 2???
OK thanks everyone. It looks like I can feel fine about 2 beers as long as I time it right :) I generally have a good tolerance for beer and 1 alone does not make me tipsy. And baby is sleeping better each day so hopefully soon I can count on him to be down for a good chunk of the night.
If you can drive , you can nurse.
If you are sober then the alcohol is out of your system. No need to pump and dump. Feed the baby, put him down for the night and go out and have a couple of beers..
Congratulations on your little one!
M.
I was told by my OB/GYN that 2-3 glasses of wine in an evening (over a couple to three hours) was fine. Also, the same with beer. I was also told as well as read that if you have alcohol like an hour after you breastfeed, it's okay and also, the same as for before you breastfeed. Double check the times I gave, as it's been a few years (5) since I breastfed. Just don't get tipsy and give your body some time to absorb and process before you feed your baby.
Alcohol leaves your milk supply like it leaves your bloodstream, so if you feel sober you are safe to nurse. Feel tipsy at all then give bottled milk and wait to nurse. There's no need to pump and dump, the alcohol won't stay in your milk that was produced while you were drinking. I enjoy a good margarita myself, and I would indulge at times when I knew baby wouldn't need to nurse for a couple hours (mainly when we went out for dinner and I had pumped milk for baby). So it depends on your tolerance, if 2 beers doesn't affect you, then you are fine. Beware though, after 9 months of abstinence and then breastfeeding, your tolerance can change pretty dramatically! Congrats on your new little one!
http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/alcohol/
Yes I drank beer (and wine) while nursing, I'd usually try to time it so it would be at least 60 to 90 minutes before the next feeding.
I have three healthy young adults with no trauma or ill effects :-)
You can do it. I drank a bottle of Canadian beer a day for the extra brewer's yeast and I don't like beer. Once a day I would have a beer while I nursed for about nine months. I had the local grocer drop a case a beer off a month.
The pediatrician knew it and said nothing against it. That baby will be 37 on Monday and is doing fine.
I even found that bottle of beer relaxing while I nursed and rocked my daughter.
Since you are going out you might want to pump a bottle or two so that you don't have too much alcohol in the milk. Enjoy yourself.
the other S.
I drink and nurse, kind of. My baby started sleeping 8-10 hours at 5 weeks, so I felt comfortable having a beer or two.
There is no need to pump and dump. Just don't nurse while tipsy. I read you can hurse while sipping a beer if you want since it's not yet in your blood stream.
My midwife advises against the hard stuff for the first 6 months.
My daughter's nursing coach told her to drink beer to help with nursing. I suggest based on other's experiences that drinking beer is ok. It might help you feel more comfortable to know some statistics. How much alcohol gets into the milk and how long does it take for the alcohol to get out of your system? I suggest calling the Le Lech office and asking them this question
I suggest it's definitely ok to have 2-3 beers to celebrate your birthday.
I've never heard of pumping and dumping because of alcohol consumption.I have friends who occasionally drank while nursing and there were no ill affects short term or long term.
After MUCH research we found that breastmilk is like your BAC (blood alcohol content)
The alcohol is out of your breastmilk at the same speed it's gets out of your blood. So as long as your not nursing 30 mins after you have a drink, or two you are ok!
I think you can swing it, if you time it right! If you are bringing the baby with you to dinner, I would breastfeed immediately before or after your first beer- it takes a while for the alcohol to get into your milk, so while it may feel like an evil mommy moment, it is quite safe to drink a beer WHILE breastfeeding! Bring a pumped bottle for an in-between feeding if baby eats every hour. Then you can buy yourself about 3 hours between feedings to enjoy that second beer! Particularly if you are eating, you should be fine. And alcohol does leave the milk that is in your breasts, it is not automatically contaminated :)
One is probably no big deal. I usually waited to have more until I could count on the baby to sleep a bit longer, so nurse the baby, baby sleeps mom has a couple beers, 4 to6 hours later nurse baby again, no dump. The other option is to pump until you have a bit of milk then bottle feed for an evening, although baby is kind of young for that because you are still establishing a good nursing relationship. I have three very bright children who nursed between 1 1/2- 2 1/2 years, I also enjoy a good beer.
