Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Getting drunk and EBF

22 replies

LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 17:34

I've had a very bad day and all I want to do when DH comes home is hand our 5 month old to him and get blind stinking drunk. (I will feed the baby before getting drunk obviously).

My question is:

How much alcohol really gets through to the breastmilk?

Is feeding a baby whilst drunk really a big deal? What's the worst that could reasonably happen?

I really need to have a good, long drink for my mental health.

No I'm not an alcholic (I can go weeks t-total) so no I don't need help with alcohol. I just need the answers to the above BFing questions. And you don't need to tell me that I'm an irresponsible shit mother. I know that already. At least I'm waiting for DH to come home to look after DD before I start drinking.

OP posts:
theboobmeister · 21/12/2010 17:42

There is a very helpful leaflet here which explains how much alcohol gets through and how quickly.

It says that

"Drinking 3 or more drinks a day can be harmful to your health and that of your baby. Be aware that:

  • You may not be able to take care of your baby properly if you are affected by alcohol.
  • Your baby may be slower to reach developmental milestones.
  • Alcohol may decrease the flow of your milk and thus reduce your supply."

I can definitely vouch for the first of these. I had a few drinks for the first time when my DD was about 9 months old and the combination of hangover and baby was so unpleasant I didn't repeat the experience for a very long time!

organiccarrotcake · 21/12/2010 17:45

Brilliant idea. I'm all for it. In fact, I've felt the same way many times and am quite happy to reach for a bottle of wine. I only end up having one glass as it happens as my tolerance is rubbish but that one glass - say once a fortnight I suppose - is just lovely. in fact, just knowing that it's ok to have it makes me feel much better.

I can't tell you how much gets through to the BM as I just don't know. I would recommend giving your baby a gooood long feed before having a drink then waiting 2-3 hours before feeding again, if possible (have you got any stored expressed milk?). I know it's not what you're asking and I'm sure someone will have the science data, but I just wanted to say that clearly you know what you want and that IMO it's a great idea.

Obvious disclaimer to other readers that like the OP, I also rarely drink and anything other than the odd one/odd time is not going to be good for anyone. But we all know that.

And are you a shit mother? Is that how you feel today? Those days are really horrid, aren't they :( Don't take it personally. He loves you really and he's just trying to make his own way in this confusing world, a world where he can't even tell you what he wants and to him, you're the centre of it. That's a tough thing to be all the time and not being that person for a while is a grand idea. You can go back to it when you're ready :)

organiccarrotcake · 21/12/2010 17:46

X post - there's the science. But I can see that you've already planned to NOT be taking care of your little boy when piddled, and it's worth trying to ensure you don't have to deal with him with a hangover too!!! Oh I'd forgotten than from DS1. Not nice :)

Original poster
LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 17:54

damn the reduction in supply would be terrible for me :( how does alcohol reduce supply?

DD is teething and has lost weight (just fround out today). So a reduction in supply is no option.

OP posts:
organiccarrotcake · 21/12/2010 18:00

I think, Amy, that the reduction in supply is if you're drinking on an ongoing basis. Which you're not.

PassionKissUnderTheMistletoe · 21/12/2010 18:01

Well I think drinking and breastfeeding is fine as long as it makes you happy (ie not guilty about it the next day)

LittleAmy, I remember you from another thread I think? About how you weren't coping very well? How're things - not too good I take it Sad

Is getting drunk going to make you feel better?

AbiAbi · 21/12/2010 18:58

I'm having a small glass tonight, while EBF my son. It's a shit time of year and I want a drink dammit!

Just read up on the risks and make an informed decision on what's best for you.

jandmmum · 21/12/2010 19:00

just a warning about supply ( anecdote coming up) a friend of mine went on a Christmas do and got quite drunk and next day she had pretty much zero supply. Her LO was only a few weeks old though so this may have contributed. She did manage to resume feeding but it was very hard and not something she wished to repeat. I would think that the dehydration that alcohol causes may be a factor so if you drink water as well you at least shouldn't get a hangover.

On the shit mother front if you truely were you wouldn't have bothered coming on here asking advice. We've probably all had those days and they are horrible. Try to give yourself a break and think of all the good you've done like ebf for 5 months for a start. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully it will be a better one for you. (sending you a very un MN hug(()))

Original poster
LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 19:15

Thanks everyone.

Would a double vodka be terrible?

OP posts:
rubyslippers · 21/12/2010 19:16

One double vodka wouldn't be terrible

5 or 6 would be

Original poster
LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 19:19

got a double here in my hand. i hope it helps.

when you guys are struggling and you dont have a supportive husband or supportive mother and no friends, what would you do?

OP posts:
rubyslippers · 21/12/2010 19:29

Well drinking is a temporary and tempting relief

Could you call The Samaritans?

TruthSweet · 21/12/2010 19:34

Could you go to a mother & baby group or may be there is a bfing group near by (not for the advice side but for the social side)? If you're in W. Sussex then I can recommend a few.

Hope the vodka helps but a fuzz on the day and you feel better soon.

Indith · 21/12/2010 19:42

Hi Amy, I'd ask how you are doing but I think the answer is in the vodka! (The sloe gin is looking very tempting here!). We've said it before but there are plenty of us around here and we'd love to meet up for cake and chat but you seem to come on and then not come back over to any meet-up thread to confirm a date. Anyway, think about it, the Durham thread is always floating about near the top of the "meet-ups" section and doesn't just have Durham people on it, just keep us in mind :)

marzipananimal · 21/12/2010 19:43

pray!

Original poster
LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 19:57

The vodka has helped brilliantly :) I'm dreading it wearing off. Would another double be bad? (I haven't poured it yet)

Hi Indith - whenever I've been to the local section it always seems dead? We should deffo meet in Newcastle John Lewis for cake. I'm guessing after Xmas?

OP posts:
rubyslippers · 21/12/2010 20:01

Don't have another

Or have a single

You don't want a fuzzy head

Original poster
LittleAmy · 21/12/2010 20:31

i'm in bliss right now. i hate when it wears off

OP posts:
theidsalright · 21/12/2010 21:02

Amy, I had plenty of shit days in the first six months. I hate to think about it!

There IS a difference between drinking and getting drunk. A drink is OK. Two drinks is probably OK. Getting drunk is probably NOT OK. The problem is that you don't know when your baby will wake up and want a feed...You also don't know when feeling great will turn into feeling even more shit than you do already. If you have had problems with supply, is it really worth rolling the dice?

organiccarrotcake · 21/12/2010 22:34

I agree amy. Obviously from what you've been talking to people about on other threads this isn't just a one-day thing as I assumed to start with.

Are you talking about what's going on on other threads? Can you talk to your husband?

Indith · 22/12/2010 08:45

Amy the local section is pretty quiet but we have a thread here which is always running. It has quiet spots but there is always someone around.

porcamiseria · 23/12/2010 09:13

no criticism from me! I am BF and I drink about 2 glasses a day over the course of the evening

if you want to get DRUNK why not express then do it guilt free? that said one time with DS1 I went for an night out, got home and he refused the bloody expressed bottle so had to BF anyway, he was fine, and no it did not make him sleep

but def invest in a pump and then you can even have a night out

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread