A pharmacist told me today that I can't drink any alcohol whilst breastfeeding

[kveta]

I wanted some heavy duty cough syrup as have spent the past 3 days not sleeping at all and not keeping any food down due to the violent coughing. She advised me to use lemon and honey as most cough syrups contain a small amount of alcohol and 'you can't drink alcohol whilst you're breastfeeding a baby'

My response, between hacking coughs, was 'of course you can, although I prefer to wait until he's gone to sleep'

then one of the women who worked in the shop said 'ooh, no you can't, that's why I didn't breast feed, needed my wine too much!' ha ha ha.

I went to a different pharmacy in the end. but wtf? I've half a mind to print off some bfn fact sheets for them. I know it's not recommended to get leathered and bf, but ffs, how much cough syrup did they think I was going to get through?!

Dark chocolate is quite a good cough suppressant :o

Also worth pointing out that teh NHS advice if you have had a drink is to continue breastfeeding rather than express and throw away as this can lead to probs with engorgement.

HI Lynzjam - I went in (at the encouragement of my GP) to ask about over the counter remedies - I had laryngitis (sp?). She told me I couldn't have anything - not even simple honey and lemon linctus. And so I said whispered 'so all I can do is just normal honey and lemon drink then - the kind you make up at home?' She looked horrified and said that honey was dangerous for pregnant women because there was a risk of botchulism. She was really horrid about it - looked at me like I was suggesting snorting coke and washing it down with a bottle of vodka and twenty Marlboro. A mate who works at a uni in food science checked up the most recent case of honey-based botchulism. It was in 1948. Bah.

The main thing about drinking alcohol whilst breastfeeding is not to let your DC grab the wineglass out of your hand.

A woman working in a pharmacy pointed out I wasn't "allowed" Buttercup syrup when I was heavily pregnant and buying it for my husband. She said it was because of "the high levels of alcohol". Made me smile. Just how alcoholic could it be?

GruffaloMama - I thought the honey/infant botulism thing was only if you gave honey (directly) to babies under 1 year

I've never heard that about honey/pregnant woman - she's talking cr*p, isn't she??

About the honey thing, wasn't there a story in the news recently (few years ago?) about a baby dying because someone put honey on their dummy? I'm sure I remember reading that.

I ate loads of honey while pregnant. I was hoping it would help my hayfever and I love it in my porridge! Can't be assed listening to folk telling you what you can and can't do!

Angeldog I'm with you!

I think the mad pharmacist was just that. Mad.