Breastfeeding and alcohol

[yelyahyoung]

What do you think about this ladies? Do you/did you have a drink or two when breastfeeding? NHS guidelines suggest it is ok, however it doesn’t say anything specific... just a recommendation amount of units per week.
I’m not talking about loads or a night out as of course that would be totally inappropriate imo.
Tonight I’ve been chilling out with DP and had a couple of pink gins and I feel like another. I’m happy to give DD a bottle instead, which I may do for her last feed, I just wondered is all. Thanks!

There have been lots of threads on this lately... Do a search on the pregnancy board.

But, basically, you're fine to drink provided you aren't too worse for wear to care adequately for your baby- only you will know that limit for yourself. Never co-sleep when you've been drinking. And as far as weekly unit consumption goes, I'd try and stay well within the NHS guidelines for women.

You'd have to be absolutely plastered for your breastmilk to contain the same amount of alcohol as an average glass of orange juice, so as far as breastfeeding goes, you're fine.

Yeah you can have one small wine once a week or so. Very little alcohol goes in your blood, you would have to feel very very drunk for there to be much transfer to the baby.

But a word of warning- with young babies you will already be exhausted and all over the shop emotionally so alcohol might make things harder for your recovery and health. Also you cannot, absolutely Cannot co sleep or take baby into bed with you if you have been drinking. Having to breastfeed through the night means this can be making life harder for yourself. Also it’s hard enough to look after a baby sober, you don’t want to be fuzzy while ah ing to do that too.

I did have the occasional small glass of fizz while breastfeeding. During an afternoon and if I drank my partner didn’t.

Congrats on your baby and enjoy yourself x

@FourPlasticRings oh ok, thank you, I will have a look through now
Yes I wouldn’t get hammered with my daughter in my care lol that would be awfully irresponsible, I was just worried about the alcohol going into breast milk and therefore baby consuming said alcohol

Ok thank you very much DD is 2 months and I am finding it quite easy at the moment. Highlight ‘at the moment’ as I’m sure it’ll get harder lol I’m coping well atm so having a drink is for the right reasons if that makes sense x

@littlejalapeno regarding co sleeping (which we don’t do anyway, so no worries there) after drinking. Is it purely because of the dangers of not being fully aware/awake and you could roll onto baby etc etc? Or is there some other dangers like with smoking and you exhale carbon monoxide for like 24hrs or so after smoking? I don’t smoke for the record, just a question. Didn’t know if alcohol had some effect...

*parenting board, not pregnancy board! They may also be on the baby feeding boards though

It's linked with an increased risk of SIDS. I'm not sure why. People have crushed their kids/smothered them while sleeping drunk but I don't think that's recorded as SIDS- SIDS is unexplained AFAIK.

I thought so. Oh how awful for them. I have been worrying so much about SIDS non stop since she was born! She now wears a Snuza Hero breathing monitor lol which makes me feel a bit better. I try not to set alarms in between night feedings to check on her......

Yeah, I still check on mine and she's nearly two! I always regret it though, when she wakes up.

@FourPlasticRings bless you lol. I will be the same as you I imagine! And yes lol but I always feel better to have checked than to have not checked, for sure