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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Got drunk - when can I feed again?

55 replies

Beccarollo · 09/11/2003 10:53

I went out last night and was v drunk - I have expressed twice to relieve horrible engorgement - how long do I have to leave it before I can feed him again?

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollo · 09/11/2003 22:48

Will it? cool - wonder if i can get a rushed appt for that - I'll ring tomorrow - I was going to leave thinking Id be ok im glad O posted this now!!!!

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollo · 09/11/2003 22:48

Will it? cool - wonder if i can get a rushed appt for that - I'll ring tomorrow - I was going to leave thinking Id be ok im glad O posted this now!!!!

Thanks

OP posts:
mears · 09/11/2003 22:50

Needs to be done ASAP really.

Eulalia · 09/11/2003 23:58

You haven't said how old your baby is beccarollo - if s(he) is under 3 months you should be Ok provided feeding very frequently. Even under 6 months you should be fairly safe... after this babies usually feed less because they are taking solid food. However it varies a lot - I didn't get my period back for 18 months this time round!

motherinferior · 10/11/2003 08:20

I am quietly relieved that my ostrich technique appears to have been the right one

tiktok · 10/11/2003 08:53

Pupuce, relax....I only meant I am from NCT and felt an obligation to express a hope that none of us were saying incorrect things! I wouldn't expect any counsellor from any other organisation to impart bad info either, but I would have no collegial 'responsibility' for them. Hope that clears that up

There is also the issue of the term 'breastfeeding counsellor' which is not protected by law....Clare Byam Cook, author of a pretty poor book about bf describes herself as a 'breastfeeding counsellor' and as far as I know is not part of any organisation. Anyone can stick the label on themselves

beetroot · 10/11/2003 09:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

JanZ · 10/11/2003 10:09

The advice I got from my best friend and her dh (both GPs) was "the only effect it MIGHT have is to make your baby a wee bit sleepy, so why worry?" !!

Original poster
Beccarollo · 10/11/2003 10:53

Baby is 9 weeks old and exclusively BF only thing is the "deed" took place after a 12 hour break in breastfeeding (he had bottles as I was out on the town!) - my periods havent returned yet though

OP posts:
mears · 10/11/2003 15:43

Beccarollo - pregnancy would be highly unlikely but not impossible. You do not need to have periods to get pregnant. I am sure that there are plenty of mumsetters out there who have taken risks and got away with it, me included

Eulalia · 10/11/2003 18:26

Did you pump during the 12 hours? Certainly a break of this period means a risk, pumping can simulate the nipple stimulation but 9 weeks is still early days and unlikely you would be fertile. Return of periods is the most significant sign of fertility but not safe to rely on this as you actually ovulate before you have the period so could get pregnant then... but I sure you'll be ok.

Original poster
Beccarollo · 10/11/2003 20:07

I pumped a few times but at the time of the deed (about 2am) the last time I pumped/fed was 5pm.

Ive procrastinated and reasoned to myself that Ill be fine and that if I was to be pregnant we would get on with it and all would be fine but I just had a pang of OHMYGODIDJUSTDIEIFIWASPREGNANT so tomorrow Im going to go and get it even though it will be nearer the 72 hour time - why I didnt just go yesterday I do not know

You will all think Im a right plonker I bet after this thread!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollo · 11/11/2003 16:17

Just to update on here - took the first of the MAP this morning so hopefully any chance that I could have got pregnant this will deal with - thank you for all the help/advice!

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 17/02/2004 13:05

Have to drag this up again as I got a bit confused by all the messages on it relating to pregnancy.
I normally have about 3 glasses of wine before I decide to give ds the bottle instead of breast. But my question is, if I were to go out at night and get relatively drunk (not falling over, just happy) and I leave ds a bottle for his 10.30pm feed. If I express when I come back, am I ok to feed him again at around 4.30/5am?

prufrock · 17/02/2004 13:27

Rhubarb I think the time for it be out of your system totally is 2 hours per unit. BUT. I've just looked back at the previous thread (close to my heart as my first ever on Mumsnet) wher you yourself gave me the wonderful advice to leave plenty of EBM with dh so he could get up in the morning with her.

tiktok · 17/02/2004 14:06

Rhubarb, you don't ever need to leave a bottle or express instead of feeding, unless you are very, very purist about alcohol in the milk.

The hassle, and the risks, of formula are (IMHO) greater than the very marginal possibility of any harm coming to your baby via breastmilk after getting drunk.

But having said that, leave about one and a half hours per unit of alcohol if you want to ensure your milk is 'clear' - that doesn't mean leaving 9 hours after 6 units, but it means leaving 9 hours after you start drinking the first of those units IYSWIM.

Honestly, with a healthy term baby, especially one beyond newborn, it shouldn't bother anyone.....a per-term or sick baby might be a different story.

Rhubarb · 18/02/2004 09:06

Yes I remember that Prufrock! But to be honest, rather than faffing about with formula at 5am I'd much rather just plonk him on, especially as I've got him down to 15mins for that feed.

I don't really know where I stand on the issue of alcohol and b/fing. Obviously I'd much rather he didn't get any alcohol, however minute. But then after 9 months of pregnancy and now 10 weeks of feeding, the urge to get out there and socialise is becoming increasingly prevalent in my mind. Even when just having a glass of wine with dh on Sst night, I can't seem to just stick to the one, I WANT THE WHOLE BOTTLE! I DESERVE IT! I'VE EARNED IT! I'VE WORKED DAMN HARD ALL WEEK FOR IT! But then I feel guilty and selfish that I'm putting my needs before ds.

So how do you know exactly how much alcohol gets through to breastmilk? Because a few years ago they were saying not to drink at all whilst b/fing, now it doesn't appear to be that bad. Are there any studies I can read on it? Just to put my mind at rest and ease some of the guilt? After all, as one Mumsnetter once said, you wouldn't give your 10 week old baby a glass of wine to sip. This has preyed on my mind ever since.

miranda2 · 18/02/2004 09:14

Yeah, but you wouldn't give your 10 week old baby a plate of curry to eat either, but its fine when its been processed via your body and become milk.

(mind you, my ds stuck his fist into a glass of wine at about 9 months and sucked it, then went back for seconds... we now have a 'only fingers in wine or beer' rule, meaning he isn't allowed to sip it, just dip a finger and suck )

mears · 18/02/2004 09:18

I agree with Tiktok - to my mind breastmilk with a bit of alcohol in it is better than formula. I never, ever did not feed after having a drink. I honestly do not think it is a problem unless you are talking completely ratarsed

Rhubarb · 18/02/2004 09:22

How about a bottle of wine and a Baileys???

mears · 18/02/2004 09:27

This might be helpful Rhubarb
here

As long as that is not every night you should be OK

debra64 · 23/02/2004 19:02

I found that anything I ate or drank went straight through into my milk, so maybe it depends on the person. Curry? If I ate anything too spicy my son would throw it straight back at me. He also threw it back if I ate anything with leeks in. I drank a glass of champagne on millenium new year's eve and when I fed him after it, he was sick and the sick smelt of pure wine! As him throwing up meant he would feed again and then the next day my breasts would produce more because of it, I'd have too much milk and be engorged and sore as a result, I soon learned to avoid the things which upset him!

aloha · 23/02/2004 19:47

Miranda2 has such a good point. You wouldn't give a newborn any food at all but that doesn't mean you should starve yourself. I particularly looked forward to the early evening feed - Top of The Pops2 and a big glass of red. Bliss!

emma622 · 31/05/2004 23:59

my baby daughter is now 3mths old and i like to have a few glasses of wine,i wait till she has her last feed and is put to bed for 6hours until she needs a feed again..then i have a few glasses of wine,iv started feeling really guilty and was wondering if i am doing an awful thing?i dont get drubk just tipsey..is this ok???

Tommy · 01/06/2004 00:03

Yes - fine! There was a thread on this yesterday and if I hadn't run out of wine and need to go and get another one, I'd do a link!