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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Having a drink immediately after birth

20 replies

MrsHowardRoark · 12/12/2013 21:03

Dc2 is due in a few weeks and I was wondering if it's ok to have a glass or two of champagne after the baby is born. I intent to breastfeed.

I was so freaked out after the birth of Dc1 that I didn't have a sip of alcohol for 6 months. I'm much more relaxed this pregnancy and I want to celebrate with everyone else this time.

What do you think?

OP posts:

flame04 · 12/12/2013 21:09

Absolutely. Exactly the same as you. With Ds1 I didn't touch a drop. I exclusively breasted for 6 months and didn't drink but was highly strung. Had dd in July. Have had a small glass of red, not every night but a couple of times a week and just helps me unwind. Still exbf and she is thriving and I'm a million times more relaxed!!! Enjoy!!! You are amazing for breast feeding xxxx

ZingChoirsOfAngels · 12/12/2013 21:12

I wouldn't recommend it immediately after it.

you are not allowed alcohol in a hospital anyway, but even if you give birth at home you might be sick from it.

and I don't think that a very newborn baby should get alcohol with their first feed. just doesn't seem right to me.

ZingChoirsOfAngels · 12/12/2013 21:14

flame

but did you have it immediately after birth? within a few hours or within a day?

I don't know anyone who would even consider that. very strange idea.

Devora · 12/12/2013 21:17

Why would you want it? Isn't a nice cup of tea about all anyone can stand?

How about a glass when you get home instead?

I'm not judging, just wonder how the hospital staff take to families knocking back a bottle on postnatal ward - not something I've ever seen!

flame04 · 12/12/2013 21:18

Sorry xx not immediately xx the following night when I got home, had a glass of red xxx

JanePurdy · 12/12/2013 21:26

To be honest it isn't something that's occurred to me - immediately after DD1 was born I was STARVING HUNGRY & I had a sandwich & a cuppa… immediately after DD2 was born I was STARVING HUNGRY & I had a sandwich & a cuppa… Yum. Did have a glass of bubbly the following day with DD2 as it was my brother's birthday/her birthday & we were at home (home birth).

Unexpected · 12/12/2013 21:27

What does "immediately" mean? Are we talking while you are still in the labour room or maybe the next day when you have visitors?

Original poster

MrsHowardRoark · 12/12/2013 21:45

To clarify, I am due to have my second home birth so no worries about upsetting hospital staff

And by immediately mean within a few hours.

When Dc1 was born she had her first feed and then slept for 6 hours. Everyone arrived to see her and had a glass of champagne but I didn't.

She didn't sleep that long again for a year, so I really missed that glass.

I'm surprised it's considered strange tbh.

OP posts:

Unexpected · 12/12/2013 22:15

I don't know if people think it strange so much as just not a priority or even achievable in a short time frame. When DS1 was born, I seem to remember spending ages holding him, having stitches, having something to eat and drink (which I then threw up), phoning my mum/MIL, hanging around in the delivery room for someone to come and take me back to the ward, trying to wash and get into some clean pyjamas, feeding the baby etc that there was just no time to think about anything non-essential like champagne! Perhaps at home might be different. I can't see that a small glass would be such a problem but I'm still not sure that you will feel like it on possibly an empty stomach anyway?

JanePurdy · 12/12/2013 22:19

I must have had a glass of champagne within 12 hours of the birth. I can't really imagine having had any earlier - as I posted upthread I was hungry, then we went to bed, then it was 7am & DD1 was up etc. Having some at lunchtime felt totally fine, I just can't imagine having a glass of champers while the midwives angles the lamp to stitch me back up/I shuffle to the toilet to have my obligatory wee with blood running down my legs...

Devora · 12/12/2013 23:10

I don't think it's strange in a normative way, just odd in a 'Do you really want to drink orange juice straight after brushing your teeth?' kind of way.

If it works for you, no complaints from me

OnTheRunAndUpTheDuff · 12/12/2013 23:20

Dh opened a bottle of champagne a few hours after ds was born. I had a home birth, and I'm guessing it was probably about four hours later, when the midwives left. He poured me a glass but I think I only managed one or two sips. I was quite disappointed! I couldn't manage the pizza he ordered from my favourite takeaway either.

I think dh and dm enjoyed it though. It was the good stuff, apparently.

The next day I had salad with blue cheese for lunch. And for dinner. Mmmmmm...

tiktok · 12/12/2013 23:44

Why not? What would be strange about this? If you would like a drink to celebrate, then have one :)

I can't see why you would be sick (why would she be sick, Zing?).And the amount of alcohol that would reach the colostrum would be minuscule - see the thread about common sense article about alcohol and bf for exactly how minuscule.

Enjoy :) :)

legoplayingmumsunite · 12/12/2013 23:44

I was home 8 hours after DD2 arrived, I was handed a glass of champagne by my Mum as soon as I sat down. And very nice it was to, although after 9 months of not drinking very much at all half a glass was quite enough. DD2 BF for nearly 3 years and doesn't seem too harmed by a tiny amount of alcohol in my BM.

Supersesame · 12/12/2013 23:51

I had a bottle brought into postnatal ward by my family about 12 hours after birth. Have a lovely photo toasting the baby. Only problem was I couldn't figure out how to dispose of the bottle without being noticed.
Due again next week so if they bring one in again, I might ask them to take empty bottle home with them!
I didn't enjoy it that much to be honest, it was more for the visitors benefit than mine.

squidkid · 13/12/2013 06:11

I had some champagne a few hours after delivery - not much , it went right to my head!! A big wodge of soft cheese too I had baby at home though. And yes, absolutely fine with bf.

squidkid · 13/12/2013 06:12

I didn't think it was strange at all! Momentous occasion and all that!

The midwives left after an hour or two, and we had some tea and breakfast and made some phone calls from bed, then had more food and photos and champagne.

Original poster

MrsHowardRoark · 13/12/2013 07:51

Thank you all for your experiences.

It seems like having a home birth is a bit more amenable to drinking

OP posts:

leonardofquirm · 13/12/2013 23:05

I was home within 12 hours of my second DC being born and we had a bottle of bubbly with my parents that evening. It was quite nice. :) I only had a wee gloss as I was quite tired though!

Lj8893 · 14/12/2013 19:33

I had half a pint of cider when I came out of hospital (I was living in a pub at the time!) but that was 4 days after giving birth. I managed half the glass!

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