Urgent help! Alcohol and breastfeeding.

[Lemonycakes]

I need some urgent advice! My LO is 4 weeks old. After abstaining for so long, I decided today would be my time to have a glass of wine.

I'd also pumped some breast milk for two feedings, figuring I will have two glasses max and would be able to feed again at night feeding.

I've already drunk a glass of wine and was in the middle of a second. DP has started feeding DS, but he's now decided he doesnt like the bottle (I have expressed once before and it went fine so had no reason to think he wouldn't take it this time).

He just won't take the the bottle and is screaming his head off. But I still have alcohol in my milk/ blood. What the hell do I do?

I've eaten since my first glass (which I finished drinking about an hour ago) but even so I wouldn't expect the alcohol to leave my blood until at least 12am (the night feed takes place around 4am so I would be fine by then).

I don't know what to do. Is my breast milk alcoholic now? How can I convince him to take the bottle? This is my first child so I have zero experience with this and now I'm panicking slightly.

Any advice?

Honestly, if you're sober enough to stand up and hold your child then your breast milk is absolutely fine. You would have to have enough alcohol in your actual blood ( i.e. alcohol poisoning) for it yo affect the baby

Just feed him. A couple of glasses will be fine.

fwiw I and most people I know regularly drink more than that and breastfeed and about children are all fine ( ahead of milestones etc etc)

Agree you have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and feed. Profit: when I used to enjoy the occasional glass of wine when bf, I used to drink it while bf with theory it would mean longest interval to next feed.

Thank you! I wasn't sure if I was being overly precious.

Absolutely fine, fed your baby and enjoy your second glass of wine

Feed him! I sometimes have a glass of wine whilst feeding. The amount of alcohol that passes into your milk is negligible - you'd basically have to give yourself serious alcohol poisoning before it would affect your baby.

You would have to be very drunk for the alcohol to do your baby any harm. Your milk has the same concentration of alcohol as your blood, I.e. not much. Peak alcohol levels in blood and breast milk occur about 30-90mins after drinking. If you want to limit exposure as much as possible then wait at least 2-3 hours before feeding.

This factsheet is really good if you want more info so you can decide what to do
<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/alcohol%2520and%2520breastfeeding.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwi7tN37y_XVAhUMIcAKHSXYAxQQFggyMAI&usg=AFQjCNEvg_rtJQCGzWEa0V_32ZvHUvHMAQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/alcohol%2520and%2520breastfeeding.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwi7tN37y_XVAhUMIcAKHSXYAxQQFggyMAI&usg=AFQjCNEvg_rtJQCGzWEa0V_32ZvHUvHMAQ

The most important thing is to avoid co-sleeping after drinking as that is a SIDS risk.

Good luck and I hope this hasn't spoilt your glass of wine!

Oh I had a similar thing - DS wasn't 'supposed' to wake up, never usually did in the evening, I have a gin and then he wakes up crying! So annoying. I fed him anyway while sipping the gin. Felt a bit weird but he was fine and has turned out ok

I'm glad I asked. I now have a much happier baby (and I'm a much happier mummy ).

I remember being told at an antenatal class that a couple of glasses is fine. Such a tiny amount ends up on milk. You only have to worry if you're too drunk to actually look after the. Any!

Any = baby!

I'm still breastfeeding my 15 month old at present ( he's just to obsessed with it to wean himself off) so i really really wanted to get back to having wine 🍷 so I have 2 glasses regularly and my son is fine. Enjoy your wine.. it honestly won't affect him.