alcohol and bf

[virgo1979]

When is the best time to have an alcoholic drink, is it straight after a feed? basically how long does it take to pass through your system, with minimal impact on any breast milk? is this a stupid question???

i remember reading somewhere a while ago it takes an hour for your body to get rid of a unit of alcohol?

i havent been drinking, but would like to resume drinking soon...9 months plus 8 weeks is a looooooong time...

That's right, 1 hour for a unit to leave the body, so really depends on how long between feeds and how well baby sleeps.

Only a very small amount gets through to the milk at all though.

After much handwringing, the rule I went by was 'if I'd be okay to drive, I'm okay to breastfeed'. So yes, I'd say have the drink straight after you feed, so by the time you feed again it should be out of your system.

During a feed. Just don't spill it on your DC.

I've been drinking throughout bfing - on the couple of occasions I've known it's going to be a big night out I've expressed in advance. Otherwise, my general rule is that if you're sober enough to drive, you're sober enough to breastfeed.

Exceptions have been election night and my sister's wedding, when I had quite a bit to drink. No apparent harm to my DS.

YanknCock - that was my rule too until DS was about a year.

Have to say there have been times since when I've fed him when I was fairly sozzled, but really the amount that gets through in your milk is so so minimal that unless you are a bottle of wine down and feeding a newborn you aren't going to cause a problem.

Yes I quite often used to have a glass of wine during a feed, very relaxing :)

It can help if you have a colicky/windy baby as well, an obstetrician who was also a BFing Mum told me that.

You shouldn't drink red wine while feeding a fair/blonde baby.

It stains when you spill it.

Other than that, have a nice drink and relax!

Thanks Morloth - I've just spat my tea on the computer!

OP - I'll have a couple of small glasses of wine in the evening and agree - as long as you don't feel tipsy then you're fine. As far as I remember, the FAQs for donating breastmilk say you can have 2 units a day or similar - so if it's OK for that, then definitely fine!

Mind you, I have fed DS once when I'd probably had a bit much - anniversary meal out, he had a hissy fit about being babysat by his grandparents and had a random bottle-refusal moment when I got home... he slept well that night!