Can you drink alcohol if breastfeeding?

[tacosplease]

Someone asked me yesterday whether I’ll be drinking alcohol again once the baby’s born OR whether I’m planning on breastfeeding (implying that I won’t be able to drink if I BF).

I was a bit surprised by this as I thought you could drink if breastfeeding, but is that not the case? If you do drink and breastfeed, does alcohol pass from your system to the baby?

Even if you were over the limit for driving your milk would still be less alcoholic than some orange juices. The risks come from being too drunk to look after your baby, and hopefully it goes without saying that you must not co-sleep if you have been drinking (and that this goes for your partner too).

There’s no need to pump and dump. You don’t undergo a blood-letting ceremony after a night out, do you? Your liver filters the alcohol from your bloodstream and therefore also from your milk.

I agree with @wonderstuff .
Here is a good article...

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/breastfeeding-mums-rejoice-you-can-drink-alcohol-christmas-or-no/amp/

I think the article is saying that alcohol leaves the milk at the same rate as it leaves your blood. So if you're not buzzed at all, neither will the milk be.

I had a half beer when my DD was 6 days old and felt incredible guilt and so did some research. If you can feed baby, then you can feed baby. Meaning if you're sober enough to safely hold baby, and care for baby whilst feeding, then you absolutely can have a drink. I now occasionally have a wine/beer at the weekend but have never been close to even tipsy, DD is 12 weeks and very happy and healthy! Good luck OP.

Yes you can drink and breastfeed as long as you aren't bed sharing. Look on the Kelly mom website it has loads of good info on there. Enjoy your wine! 😀

I think that's the problem with the really conservative advice about avoiding alcohol when breastfeeding - it puts people off from breastfeeding longer term if they feel that they need to completely give up alcohol for the duration.

It’s kind of putting me off to be honest - depending on how long I breastfeed and whether we decide to have a second DC, I could potentially be tee-total for years!

Please don’t be put off, OP. The benefit to your baby of receiving your breast milk for as long as you want to feed vastly outweighs the minuscule risk from you having the odd glass of wine.