Breastfeeding-Alcohol-Need your advice!!!!

[fifimummy]

My gorgeous girl is 6 and a half months old, and I decided to post on this site, as it seemed like a friendly one!! I need to ask a question about breastfeeding and alcohol. I have, since my daughter slept through the night at 5 months had about 2-3 glasses of wine. It is my way to unwind, as I don't get a lot of help with her during the day and I didn't even think that it could affect her in any way. I have the wine just after she goes to bed at about 6pm, and am done ant about 8 o clock but I am now worried that I am doing something wrong to her. She is very healthy, and she sleeps til at least 5, sometimes 6.30 so I didn't even think that the alcohol would not be out of my system, as I have never actually been drunk at night. I just wondered what your experiences have been with this-and should I be as guilty as I am feeling right now???
Thanks

Do you mean you don't feed her from 6 pm until she wakes at 5-6.30 am? In which case don't worry - the alcohol leaves your milk at the same rate that it leaves your blood (approx a unit an hour depending on your build/metabolism/etc) so you will be alcohol free by morning. And very little gets into your milk anyway

oh gosh - dont worry
enjoy

I drank a little bit most night when bfing DD1, she slept through from 6 weeks. You metabolise a unit an hour, I'm sure it'd be out of your system by morning. I did feel guilty a couple of times when I went out with friends and felt distinctly hungover when bfing in the morning...

Hi-Thanks for your messages, I was right about it being a friendly site!! I do have a drink most nights, but only because I feel so thoroughly shattered after a day with making baby food, and just dealing with her little tantrums!!! (yes already!!!) She's a darling, but when she's in bed, I feel that is my own time, but have been feeling so so selfish for my glasses of wine. I make sure that I have something big to eat after I have drunk them, but it is sheer bliss!!! just to have them while I am doing the dinner or sorting out her washing!!! She never ever has a feed in the night til about 5 or 6 a.m, as I stopped this when she was about 4 months old, and she sleeps through 100%. I alweays feel bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning when she wakes up, but a friend has made me feel very guilty!! Thanks for your help-any more advice??

It's a great way to unwind after a hectic day. Dont get me wrong my DS2 is 22 months and up until recently I was the same -probably polishing off at least 1/2 bottle of wine every night and I BF him till he was 18 months old.

The only thing I would say is that I have recently stopped drinking in the week - to cut down on calories and money plus the nagging thought that I was drinking over the govt. recommended amount.

It has been a revelation - I sleep better and I have lost 6lb in a month!

Cups of tea can be a great way to unwind too...

I just feel so ignorant, as I just assumed that about 7 units would be well out of my system and it doesn't matter. Then when a friend said that I shouldn't be drinking this much and certainly not most days, I have started to panic about every upset stomach, crying fit, whenever she looks pale and everything else you can think of! Thank you StarlightMcKenzie, you have made me feel a lot better. Obviously I knew that there wa a limit to alcohol, and you couldn't sit breastfeeding a brand new baby with a bottle of cider in your hand, but I just thought that when she was definitely sleeping through, I was fine to indulge a bit! She has a good 10 hours which is guaranteed sleep! By ther way Pippylongstockings, you have made me feel better too, as I was convinced that I had poisoned her, and all the homemade baby food, and rear facing pushchair etc was just a front and I really was A BAD MUMMY!!!

Alcohol leaves your system at a rate of 1 unit per hour. Not sure how long it stays in milk though sorry.

TBH when my DD was a baby I occasionally had a baby on the nipple and a glass of wine in my hand! Bad mummy. My way of coping with very sore nipples.

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your experiences-I still want more advice, and am off to check out this site more, as it's excellent! Please have a little look at my lovely daughter, she's such a poser, and i've just worked out how to post pics!! PS Don't blame you fifitot,although I never had sore nips, just a sore head from all the stress!!! Not that I would change anything though!!!

I think maybe your friend meant that maybe you shouldn't be drinking that much most days for yourself. I think the government advice now is no more than 3 units daily for women (which would be 1-2 small glasses of wine).

I certainly wouldn't worry about breastfeeding, I really don't think your daughter will be getting any alcohol with the length of time between you drinking and feeding her.

Enjoy your wine, you deserve to relax.

Thank you nellynaemates-TBH I think that whoever set the guidelines has never had to look after a family!!! I really do appreciate what you all say, as I was so so paranoid that it would hurt her and , to be honest, more embarrassed that I hadn't even thought about it. I would like to think that I will come within the guidelines at some point in the near future, but just for now, it's my treat, and I will try not to feel guilty.We're also moving into our first ever house from a flat with a 2 foot by 6 foot kitchenette, and a flight of iron stairs to the front door, so, needless to say I am getting very stressed out waiting to be out of here!!!

I don't think I could have coped the the last year without wine!
You get so much guilt just being a mum that the last thing you need is your friend making you feel worse.

I think you have a sensible attitude about it - that it's for you for now and that in the future it will be a cup of tea or whatever.

Don't even get me started on the wholebuggy facing front debate! My sister spent a small bloody fortune on a bugaboo for that very reason and my 22 month old speaks much better that her 2 and a half year old.

That's my survey of 1 and it's enough for me.

thanks for this post - I've had one or two glasses of wine (a small one at a time) since ds was born 4 weeks ago - and so so worried it might have affected him, they've only been very small glasses and straight after a feed in the eve when he has consistently then gone through til 2 or 3 am (so roughly 5 hours), and feel horrible saying i need my wine! feel much better now...

Hmmm , well according to my mum gripe water stopped working when they took the alcohol out of it! So I can only imagine that generations of men and women went through babyhood with a nightly dose (and lets leave to one side the generation that put a tot of whisky in baby's bottle "to help with teething" ...).

Must admit though that I sleep better without alcohol - if you manage to wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed I'm sure you're fine!