Drinking is just not that easy is it?

[redandyellowandpinkandgreen]

We've been invited to a party next month and I'd like to go and have a few drinks. So, I express some milk for DS (he'll be about 12 weeks) to have in the evening while I'm at the party. Then when we get home I won't be able to feed him because of the alcohol in my system so I'll give him more expressed milk. Then my boobs will be full so I'll have to sit and express and then dump that milk. It all sounds a bit time consuming for the sake of a few glasses of wine!

Or am I over-complicating it?

I thought very little of the alcohol gets into your milk - hope some one comes up with a useful link soon!

Main risk, as I understand it, is dropping the baby when you are pissed.

yes,massively! just have a few glasses of wine and feed as normal - it will be fine. well, this is what i have been doing and lo is fine - others may disagree, but she hasn't been slurring her words or starting fights with anyone!

Just feed him - such a minute amount of alcohol gets into your milk it's not worth worrying about. I seem to remember reading somewhere that if you drink yourself unconscious your milk will have roughly the same alcohol content as gripe water!

So long as you're ok enough to handle the baby you're ok to feed.

If I was getting hammered I would pump and dump but for a few drinks on the odd occasion not bothered.

I have had a small glass of wine 3 nights this week, and I had the occasional glass of wine when I was pregnant too. At least we're not still rubbing in on babies gums to get them to sleep!

No, it hardly goes through to your milk at all :) If you are sober enough to hold the baby then you can feed safely. Don't co-sleep though.

Could I ask about the not co-sleeping when drinking - what do you actually do with the baby theb

When I've gone out drinking DP has been at home with the baby, so I sleep on the sofa and they sleep in bed.

Posted too early, sorry! What do you do with they baby if co-sleeping? I have avoided drinking for this reason, as I don't see my LO sleeping in a cot for a night just coz mommy's been on the razz?

Just go to the party, enjoy yourself and stop worrying about it!

Ahh right phew, thank you! I do over think things at times.

I am having a big glass of red right now!

There is an excellent leaflet about alcohol and breastfeeding here

I would never pump and dump, as I feel that if I can't BF a baby then how would I manage the logistics of pumping

I don't co-sleep if I've had more than 2 drinks (provided some time has passed as well). When I've been out proper, then DH just slept with her and I slept in another bed. He had expressed milk to give her for her night feeds, but I didn't pump.

You don't need to pump and dump (unless your breasts are about to explode).

Yeah- the pump and dump thing is quite confusing.

When I got told to do this by the mw at ante-natal class, I thought that it was because the alcohol stayed in the milk so whenever you next fed, it would be there. However, I subsequently found out this isn't true and that alcohol levels in yr milk fall with your blood alcohol levels, and pump and dump is purely for comfort.

I went out last night and didn't pump when I got home. However, my boobs were like melons this morning. DS didn't quite know what to make of it.

I dont co-sleep so cant advise on that but I find that the thought of a day with DS and a hangover tend to keep me on the right side of pissed anyway. Sighs. Dreams of massive bender and sleep in till 2pm. Realised wont be getting for at least next 10 years.

Re co-sleeping, I had a bedside cot so I'd feed DS to sleep and then once he was in a deep sleep scoot him over into the cot part so that there was no way I could roll onto him. I don't know how you would deal with it if co-sleeping out of necessity though, as I co-slept out of choice because I found it easier.

Boobmeister - great link, I'm loving the Australian breastfeeding association, nice to see some guidance with a little bit of common sense, pass me the corkscrew!