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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you drank alcohol while breastfeeding

52 replies

Beebeezed · 23/05/2019 18:26

Sorry if this has been done a million times before. I’m currently exclusively breastfeeding and haven’t touched a drop of alcohol in nearly two years. (Stopped while trying to conceive). Since the sun has been out the last couple of weeks I’ve been craving a nice glass of wine, but abstained due to assuming the rules were the same with regards to alcohol and pregnancy as they are to alcohol and breastfeeding. But since speaking to a few friends who have said that they drank (but never got drunk) while breastfeeding, it’s made me think... is it ok?!

I have googled it, of course, but received hugely different answers depending on where I look. Some are also very vague and anyway, I prefer real peoples opinion and experiences Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Beebeezed · 23/05/2019 18:27

Also, the rules are very varied when it comes to when is safe to feed after a drink, pump and dump etc.

OP posts:
HappyPunky · 23/05/2019 18:29

It's ok as long as you don't get drunk. If you have one or two it's fine.

Delilah2019 · 23/05/2019 18:30

Have one or two and enjoy them!

susiegrapevine · 23/05/2019 18:31

The answer is yes you can drink. The alcohol leaves your breastmilk at the same rate it does your body. Ie roughly 1 unit per hour. So a small glass of wine will be gone after say 2 hours at the most so as long as your baby is not feeding every hour just have your glass after the last feed. All the alcohol will be gone by the time you do yhe next feed. I am a trained breast feeding peer supporter by the way Smile

PhillipeFellope · 23/05/2019 18:31

Have a glass of wine and enjoy the sunshine. I didn't drink whilst breastfeeding simply because DS was a bedsharer. But if he hadn't been, I would have! Wine

InACheeseAndPickle · 23/05/2019 18:31

The amount of alcohol in milk depends on the alcohol in your blood at the time of breastfeeding (or pumping). So if you drink a small amount of alcohol when there are hours before your next feed you should be absolutely fine (and I'm a very cautious person). If you'd be safe to drive you're safe to breastfeed was my mantra.

AbbyHammond · 23/05/2019 18:31

The reason you can't get drunk is that you can't look after the baby. It's not an issue for your milk.

Spudina · 23/05/2019 18:32

Yes a glass of wine. Never pumped and dumped.

Namechangeymcnamechange11 · 23/05/2019 18:32

Although everywhere seems to say it's fine, I couldn't bring myself to. Stopped BF DS last month, first glass of wine in 2 years was bliss Wine

AbbyHammond · 23/05/2019 18:33

Even if you drink while breastfeeding, the amount entering your milk is equal to your bloodstream eg much less than a non alcoholic beer even.

CactusBee · 23/05/2019 18:33

It’s safe, apparently even if you were falling down drunk, your milk would still only contain the same level of alcohol that is naturally present in orange juice. Obviously in that scenario the danger would be dropping the baby!

Waiting1987 · 23/05/2019 18:33

Drinking and breastfeeding is absolutely fine. I had the odd drink from when baby was about 8 weeks. He is 16 months now and I will drink 3 glasses of wine most weekends.

thinpigeon · 23/05/2019 18:33

The amount of alcohol that passes into breast milk is negligible. I'm feeding at the moment and all the healthcare professionals and breast feeding support people have said that if it's safe for you to be holding the baby (i.e not drunk), then it's safe to breastfeed the baby.

Tootyfrooty35 · 23/05/2019 18:34

I think its generally thought that as long as you can hold your baby and care for them then it's acceptable. Similar to driving, as long as your not dependent with a huge tolerance I guess. Very little actually gets into your milk.
If you're bedsharing then any alcohol is a no no as it could affect your judgement while sleeping next to them

OstrichRunning · 23/05/2019 18:34

it's not at all the same as pregnancy. When you're pregnant, everything pretty much goes straight to baby via the placenta. Breast milk on the other hand is made from blood. Only a tiny fraction of the alcohol ends up in the milk. Alcohol can affect supply (temporarily) but that shouldn't be an issue once solids are established. Have a look at the kellymom site, it's really good.

ScreamScreamIceCream · 23/05/2019 18:34

Yes I've been drinking. I was told if you can still safely hold the baby you can breast feed.

Original poster
Beebeezed · 23/05/2019 18:34

Ah - thank you all! Tomorrow I will have my first glass of wine and enjoy it!

OP posts:
randomsabreuse · 23/05/2019 18:36

Is fine. Only reason I am not because alcohol would = zzz and DS can be a needy fit at night so I want to be "fit" to co sleep if necessary...

So sleep deprived at the moment really can't function if I've had a drink so only indulge the odd lunchtime if we're out for the day and DH is driving.

Have acquired a taste for fake booze (Peroni Libera and some of the alcohol free wines) when bored of water/Sweet fizz.

scaredofthecity · 23/05/2019 18:36

Definately! I never got drunk but I certainly enjoyed a few drinks. The levels excreted are tiny.

The risks are more about not being fit to look after baby rather than passing alcohol onto the baby.

Sparklingbrook · 23/05/2019 18:37

My midwife positively encouraged it. Told me to have a glass of wine prior to breastfeeding to relax me. Grin

Unfortunately one glass was not going to be enough though.

mindutopia · 23/05/2019 18:40

Yes, of course, I didn’t drink any differently when breastfeeding than I would have if I hadn’t been. I mean I didn’t get falling down drunk, but who can when you have to get up at 6am with small children? But I have certainly had 3-4 glasses of wine over the course of a day (just not in an hour!) on many occasions.

AlbusPercival · 23/05/2019 18:40

Umm I’ve been drunk too, though not in charge of my child. He is 2.5 though so can happily skip a few days feeding

CasperGutman · 23/05/2019 18:41

AIUI the alcohol level in milk is basically similar to the alcohol level in your blood. In other words, if your blood alcohol reached 0.30% (which would mean you were in a total drunken stupor, lapsing in and out of consciousness, unresponsive, entirely disoriented with the potential for bladder and heart failure) then your milk alcohol level would still be easily legal to sell to children (this is OK up to 0.5%) and could be called "alcohol free" in most countries.

Source: my wife is a doctor and this was her justification for having the odd glass of wine when breastfeeding!

MyInnerAlto · 23/05/2019 18:41

I breastfed for a cumulative total of 11 years (some of that was overlap/tandem), had wine, and never pumped and dumped once. You'd have to be really very drunk indeed to cause any kind of ill effects.

HavelockVetinari · 23/05/2019 18:44

It's absolute bollocks that you can't drink and bf, my DSis (consultant paediatrician) says you'd have to be falling-down, incredibly hammered for the alcohol to have even a mild sedative effect on the baby. The issue is more being sober enough to adequately care for the baby without risking falling asleep holding them (major SIDS risk).