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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Can you boil the alcohol out of breastmilk?

28 replies

worriedamy · 05/12/2009 10:55

Title says it all really! Going on my work Christmas do tonight, and it will be a tad disheartening to just chuck any milk I take off tonight when I come home! Especially as I am out again on Thurs (what a party animal!), and I am building up a store for Christmas day too. So, would I be able to boil the milk that will have a bit of alcohol in it, effectively removing the alcohol, or will this damage the milk? Will I just have to concede to chucking the milk?!

OP posts:
NotAnotherNewNappy · 05/12/2009 10:59

i've never heard of boiling it - i think you just have to pump and dump.

how old is your baby? are you still feeding lots?

Lulumama · 05/12/2009 11:00

do not boil it and don't dump it

search the archives on this, it is a myth that your breastmilk turns to posionous alcohol that is unsuitable for your baby the minute you have a drink

boiling it will simply kill all the goodness in it

Flightattendant · 05/12/2009 11:04

Sorry, but I did giggle at your title...only on the renegade forum known as mumsnet

Can you imagine a q like that on babycentre?

Listen to Lulumama - she is Queen of this type of thing. Sorry I am no use whatsoever, will go now...

NotAnotherNewNappy · 05/12/2009 11:07

I only pumped and dumped once when DD was very small and I'd drunk an awful lot. Later on, I did just continue to feed her

A friend said to me once that the alcohol passes through your milk in a similar way to how it would pass through your blood. I.e. if it's the morning after and you think you'd be safe to drive, then you'll be fine to BF. Enjoy your party.

Lulumama · 05/12/2009 11:08

thank you flight, am not queen of this i would definitely search the archives for posts by tiktok in particular about alcohol and breastfeeding

Original poster
worriedamy · 05/12/2009 11:13

Thanks! So it looks like a no-go then! Since I never get to go out anymore these days, I was planning on getting raaaather drunk (we are staying over at my mum's for the night, she is babysitting for me!). So I'll be suprised if my milk would still be fit for consumption! DS is 5 months by the way, so still feeding the 'usual' amount (i.e. as and when he fancies!). Thank you all!

OP posts:
Flightattendant · 05/12/2009 11:14

Oops did not mean queen of what to do re being pissed and bfing

BloodRedTulips · 05/12/2009 11:14

i've fed several times after having a few drinks and can honestly say i've never noticed any of my three showing the slightest indication of being affected by it (it certainly didn't help them sleep!)

ds1 would have been old enough to tell me on a few of the occasions and he never mentioned odd tasting milk either.

hth

ninja · 05/12/2009 11:15

Really - you don't have to dump, just feed it's not a problem. I think the statistics are that your blood will have the same amount of alcohol as OJ. If you're worried, express and dump one feed but it's unnecessary.

Go out and enjoy yourself

Flightattendant · 05/12/2009 11:17

actually on some other forums it would be 'can you boil the alcohol out of WKD before you give it to your baby'

JackTheHallsWithBauersOfHolly · 05/12/2009 11:17

Just feed as normal, pump and store it. I fed both of mine for at least a year and was by no means teetotal
Just pump before you start drinking and then you will at least have a few hours if you are worried.
You can feed as normal when drinking, just don't drink too much, which you won't do anyway if you have a baby to deal with.

Have a good night!

Lexilicious · 05/12/2009 11:19

It'll take not very much alcohol to get raaaather drunk! So with my sensible pants on I'd say be careful and drink water in between each boozy drink as you need water to replace all the milk you're making anyway.

I have a 4month baby and have been out the last three saturday nights for about 6 hours. Going out tonight too. In only that length of time my baps have swelled up to rock hard. I can't be arsed hand expressing in the loos, so end up with a huge rack and rather unattractively showing all the blood vessels too. Expressing when getting home doesn't really take off all the pressure and I've found it's not till the middle of the following afternoon that I feel normal of nork.

Still love it though.

Original poster
worriedamy · 05/12/2009 11:26

I know, I admit it is a bit of an alarming thread title, but I couldn't think how else to put it! Just would like a night of not having to worry having a drink or few! Especially since I was pregnant at last years party so (obv.) couldn't drink, and I haven't been out where I can have a few drinks since I found out I was pregnant last October! Ooh I'm all excited!

OP posts:
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 05/12/2009 11:29

Just feed, it will be fine. So little gets into your milk.

hanaflower · 07/12/2009 12:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lymond · 07/12/2009 13:09

OP - this thread title sums up what I love about mumsnet!

Original poster
worriedamy · 08/12/2009 14:05

God I was ill yesterday...

OP posts:
EthansMammy · 02/12/2010 13:18

Hi Amy, I was wondering the exact same thing, it's how I came across your post. I know you DEFFINATELY can't feed whilst drinking. At the breastfeeding group I go to, all the lactation experts and my health visitor have said that at the time of drinking your baby will take in the same percentage of alcohol as you are. Your meant to wait 2 hours for every unit you've drunk, for it to be safe for your baby. I've looked up boiling alcohol out of fluids though, and heavy research has been done into the subject. The minimum amount of alcohol left in the fluid recorded was 5% after 2 and a half hours of boiling! I think after all that time there wouldn't be any of my milk left in the pan!

Hope this helps for fututre use,

xx

berri · 02/12/2010 13:23

Ethansmammy where on earth did you get that from?? When our baby was in the NICU over xmas, all the midwives & doctors were in agreement that such a tiny percentage goes into your milk, you can basically drink as much as you like! Whether that's the best thing to do or not is a different argument.

tiktok · 02/12/2010 13:23

EthansMammy - old thread you have resurrected here :)

They have sadly and grossly misinformed you at your bf group.

The professional health people at your group need some urgent retraining.

Alcohol passes into milk from the blood - and it freely passes out of it again. The level of alcohol in your blood is the same as the level in your milk - this is not the same as the baby 'taking in the same percentage of alcohol as you are'.

You have to be very, very drunk to be unsafe to feed your baby.

There is a huge amount of info on this in the mumsnet archives.

No need for boiling, no need for expressing.

hildathebuilder · 02/12/2010 13:23

Ethansmummy thank directly contradicts what I was told by the lactation consultant and nurses in NICU. They were always happy that I had a glass or two and then fed DS when he was still only 30 weeks gestation. They would only object after a bottle or two.

I think its all a matter of what risks you are willing to take. I go with if you can drive you can feed.

SirBoobAlot · 02/12/2010 13:25

Just feed as normal. Pump before hand if you're that concerned :)

ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 02/12/2010 13:26

Bit irrelevant now EM, as this post is almost a year old Wink

SirBoobAlot · 02/12/2010 13:30

Has just spotted the date on the OP Blush

nattiecake · 02/12/2010 23:54

WRT the suggestion that boiling wouldnt remove alcohol, are these health professionals not trained in basic chemistry? Alcohol boils at 70degrees C, and water at 100, so if you are boiling it, of course the alcohol would evaporate!! Just the same as if you put alcohol in any food you are cooking...