Breastfeeding mums - will you be drinking alcohol this Christmas?

[Jellybabie3]

Curious as I know the advice as relaxed a little of previous years. I will have an 11 week old this Christmas. I havent had a drink in a year now. Most people are telling me its OK although others glare at me even mentioning it.

What will you do this Christmas?

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/pdfs/BfN_how_safe_is_leaflet_2009.pdf

I'm still expecting so I won't be drinking but all the advice I've been given says a drink is fine, just wait until just after the baby's been fed, and don't overdo it!

I can only manage one drink nowadays but will have a glass of fizz or wine over Christmas. I'll have it immediately after a feed so it's out of my system by the time baby is hungry again.

DS1 was 12 weeks at his first Christmas; I had a drink at the start of feeds (he was fairly spaced out, every 3 hours or so by then) as in my head it was the biggest distance from alcohol going into milk he would drink!

I’ve since done more reading and with DS2 (9 month old milk monster) I’ve not beaten myself up about a few glasses of wine once or twice a week. I won’t be getting sloshed by any stretch as I have two non-sleepy children and need to care for them but will definitely enjoy a Buck’s Fizz for breakfast, mulled wine, baileys etc in her course of the day.

Yes I will be. DD is 10 weeks (DS is 2.5 which is why I need the drink!) Not going crazy or anything, but I’ve been told several times that there is no effect on baby from moderate drinking so I have been having the odd glass.

Of course. I'd never been told not to, even when my oldest was born 7 years ago. You can eat and drink as normal when breastfeeding.

The risk is drinking and cosleeping. But other than that, so long as you are sober enough to look after a baby then go ahead.

Yep! Have bought myself some bucks fizz for Christmas eve! Can't wait!

No I won't be, DS will be 13 weeks. I've never felt the need to drink while pregnant or EBF, but then I've never been a big drinker. However I'm sure I'll over do the Quality Street and the puddings

Yes! Why wouldn’t I? There’s no real evidence of it passing well through milk. I’ve always had a drink and breastfed

Yes, but only a glass or maybe two as my tolerance is very low and caring for a baby with even a tiny hangover sounds miserable.

Yes, definitely.

Great! I guess I was worried as I dont know how I will react after a year! I feed my son laid down in bed in the night and have been known to fall asleep in cosleeping position so I am of course worried about being less responsive if I have had a drink.

You mustn't feed him in bed at night if you've been drinking.

Yes! I won’t be doing Christmas without some fizz & baileys.

I wouldn’t however feed in bed if I have been drinking

I'm not bf at the moment (due in January), but definitely with my first, I had a glass or two of wine so long as it wasn't before bed as we were co-sleeping. Definitely enjoy it if you want it, but don't get sloshed obviously if you're co-sleeping or can't offer a bottle. Otherwise, yes, definitely. It's well-earned!

Not currently bf but I fed both my dcs until they were two. No way was I going to abstain from alcohol for four years on top of 18 months of pregnancy Having said that, I did research it first. Dr Newman (bf guru) did a study which found that after drinking a couple of glasses of wine, breast milk has barely detectable alcohol levels - about the same as orange juice. The conclusion was that you would have to drink yourself into a stupor before your milk would contain alcohol levels that might be hazardous for the baby. A couple of drinks does no harm at all so that was my policy whilst feeding. The risk, as others have said, is that it switches off your spidey-sense of where your baby is in bed which bf mums have when they co-sleep, which could be very dangerous. By all means enjoy your drink and don’t worry about the effect on your milk, but you must put your baby to sleep in a cot or Moses basket and not in your bed.

Yes i always put ds in his own bed. Its just the risk that i would fall asleep feeding him in bed. I usually feed him til hes asleep then lift him into a next to me cot. So i guess i would need to feed him sat up in a chair in another room to reduce the risk.

I have a 5 week old and will be having one or two glasses early Christmas Day, early purely because we collect so I can't drink later on as it needs to be out of my system by then. Definitely don't feed in bed if you've had alcohol, but other than that a few drinks are fine.

Absolutely but my nursling is 3 1/2 years!

I did when both mine were tiny though, just not much as I could t tolerate it. Generally speaking, if you’re sober enough to look after a baby then it’s fine (a minuscule amount will be in your milk). And don’t co-sleep when under the influence of alcohol.

The research shows that a miniscule amount goes into breastmilk and it's not an issue, especially as a one off. It can harm your baby if you're regularly drinking a lot.

As others have said just make sure you under no circumstances fall asleep with the baby as it's very very dangerous even in a "safe" co-sleeping set up (but especially so in another scenario, like a chair or sofa.)

Yes, yes, yes! I'm a year in so he doesn't feed during the day usually but even last year with a newborn I had some Buck's Fizz and prosecco. Only a minuscule amount goes into your milk, google Dr Jack Newman.

I have a 9 month old. I do have 1 drink from time to time, but we cosleep so I ensure I have sufficient time for the effects to wear off before I go to sleep.

I have a 9 month old. I do have 1 drink from time to time, but we cosleep so I ensure I have sufficient time for the effects to wear off before I go to sleep.