Alcohol and BF

[MissTwister]

I know the official NHS advice is 1-2 units a week whilst breastfeeding. But if my baby goes to sleep at 8pm and I then have a couple of glasses of wine stopping at my 10pm-ish bedtime and then feed her at the 4-5am feed there wouldn't be any alcohol left in my system so why would this matter? Does it indeed matter?!

Thanks for thoughts

1-2 units a week?!? Heh.

That's a whole small glass of wine don't you know!

1-2 units a week? I was told to have a small glass of wine during the evening feed. It's amazing how such a simple thing can make you feel more like an adult woman and less like a milk-machine. It kept me sane.

Yes here is link. Reading it again it's implying that drinking more than this affects milk supply and baby's development!

www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/958.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=135

There's a study online somewhere about this - the bottom line is that the amount of alcohol that goes into your milk is minuscule. If you are sober enough to take care of your baby then you're fine!

Not sure if you are able to access it from the UK App Store, but there is a FANTASTIC app called "Feed Safe" which was released by the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA).

You put in your weight, height, and then record when you have a drink and it will tell you when your milk is alcohol free.

For me (as an overweight person), it was about 90 minutes per standard drink. For those of a more healthy weight it seemed to be around 2 hours.

When I was breastfeeding and expressing, I would often have a small drink at night, knowing when I would next have to feed or pump.

Hmm, well. I probably went over that recommendation.

DC seem OK.

Oreos is right. Only thing to point out is that alcohol can inhibit let down to a certain extent. Studies have shown babies ingest slightly less after mum drinking. Although they can make up the shortfall at other feeds.

My glass of vino after bedtime feed definitely keeps me sane at the moment!

I bf until DS was over 3yo. I only didn't drink in the first few weeks, and didn't feed him on one occasion when I'd drunk too much to feel I could safely handle him.

His orange juice could have been more alcoholic than my milk ever was whilst I didn't have alcohol poisoning

I came across this blog a few years ago, when I was BF and found it very reaasuring: evolutionaryparenting.com/guest-post-breastfeeding-and-alcohol-consumption/

Cheers all