To have a glass or 2 of wine and possibly breastfeed?

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It's my mum's wedding this Friday, and I haven't drank since before pregnancy, but am planning to have a glass or 2 (tipsy not drunk).

DD is 14 months so might well be distracted enough to not want feeding, but if she decides she wants milk she will scream the place down if I refuse. She feeds on demand so some days has lots and some days just a few feeds. (She will be staying up late as she co sleeps)

Is it causing any actual harm if I feed her tipsy or is it just not ideal?

No it's probably fine. Only an infinitesimal amount of alcohol actually makes it into breastmilk. As a toddler rather than a baby, your DD is taking in a lower percentage of her calories as milk. Also, her liver is more mature than a newborn baby's, so she is more well-equipped to metabolise any alcohol which does make if through.
I don't believe it's helpful to have generalised 'rules' such as 'you mustn't drink alcohol while breastfeeding' because there is a world of difference between exclusively feeding a tiny baby and providing a nice snack for an older child. Enjoy your couple of glasses :)

I wouldn't feed her tipsy, no.

Its not really ideal and I wouldn't but plenty of people do.

Just go with what you think is right she's 14 months not a ebf tiny.

Won't do any harm at all, enjoy your two glasses of wine :)

I've been feeding my DD for 22 months now and I am a breastfeeding counsellor.

I absolutely don't think it will do any harm as a one-off. Or even a two-off.

I think it's absolutely fine - very tiny part of the alcohol reaches your breast milk - it's completely different to drinking while pregnant

Won't do any harm, even if you are a bit tipsy. The amount of alcohol in your milk is the same as in your blood stream - so tiny after just a couple of glasses.

My Midwife told me to have a glass of wine to relax before breastfeeding (I was struggling).

It will do no harm at all, enjoy your wine :)

If you drink a glass of wine just before or as you start bf, then the milk being used will be fine.

Enjoy

I would in your position. I have an occasional drink and have a younger baby. I drink very slowly and quite little (small glass) as I'm very lightweight, so don't build up a huge amount in my bloodstream. At weddings, I'll have a couple of hours gap between drinks.

I'd be more wary of the co sleeping if you were drinking but you know your baby and your limits so enjoy!

there are little dip sticks you can buy to test your breast milk for alcohol. I never detected any after a couple of glasses of wine.

To put it into context, many "alcohol free" beers are up to 0.5% alcohol. If your blood alcohol level was 0.5% you would be unconscious and at risk of death! After a couple of drinks, your blood alcohol is likely to be nearer 0.05%.

I think hardboiled has given you your answer, have a great night

Your baby won't be effected at all.

have a look at this experiment. biologybrain-simonsays.blogspot.se/2008/12/alcohol-content-of-breast-milk.html

I was told by a dr friend that they advise mums not to drink whilst breastfeeding because it is not ideal to be drunk and looking after a small baby but you would have to be so drunk you were unconcious for the alcohol content of your breastmilk to be high enough to effect your baby.

biologybrain-simonsays.blogspot.se/2008/12/alcohol-content-of-breast-milk.html

It will be fine.

When you are pregnant the alcohol in your bloodstream goes directly into the babies bloodstream at the same concentration. Plus the baby is still tiny and has little liver function.

When you are breastfeeding the alcohol in your milk is at the same concentration as your blood. Then it goes through the baby's digestive tract and the concentration in their bloodstream is much lower.

A tiny baby who is exclusively bf will be more at risk because of their size, immaturity and the high volume of milk consumed.

A toddler having night time snacks will get much much less relative to their body size.

Also, when your liver processes alcohol the breast milk reduces in strength just like your blood does. So if you can time the drinking to be a few hours before the feeding you will be fine.

Imagine how much you would have to drink to make your bloodstream about 12%ABV. That's how little gets across. Drinking whilst feeding a baby is discouraged mainly because it is asses the baby is tiny (so as not to make the advice too complicated) and also because being drunk in charge of a baby is not good in itself. If there are other adults around, you don't go crazy and you sober up before cosleeping i really wouldn't worry.

Enjoy the wedding!

It'll be fine. Bet you're surprised how drunk you get after two glasses, I am such a lightweight after pregnancy/breastfeeding.

Asses = assumed

Afaik, if you can drive you can bf. I've got a next to me now having just got my 11mo down, and it's not the first time, although the next feed will be 7:30 tomorrow morning.

2 x 250ml pub glasses might be a bit much - that's 2/3 of a bottle. But 2 x 175ml small ones with a soft drink between and a big meal and coffee after should be fine :)

Enjoy!

I didn't drink anything for nine months and half a glass of wine had a HUGE effect on me so I would be careful if you haven't drank for over two years. I felt head swimmingly drunk and it took a long time to not feel battered off one glass.

Happily I have built up my tolerance again though

It's completely fine:

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/dibm/Alcohol_and_Breastfeeding_Oct_2012.pdf

I got home having had my first baby and my then husband cracked open the champagne...I'd downed half the bottle with baby on my boob before we realised what I was doing! He was fine!