Question for BF experts

[Stimpy]

I am really really hoping this doesn't turn into a debate!

We were at a family party today and a family member just had a baby a few weeks ago. She is BF the baby. I do not know much about BF, didn't do it myself (again, please no debate/flames...personal decision). Another family member noticed that she was drinking alcohol. I thought it was unusual and with my basic knowledge of BF I thought it passes through the milk but I didn't say anything at all since it is basically none of my business. Other FM did The new mom stated "it's ok. I can drink what I want as long as I don't feel anything. If I don't feel a buzz, the baby won't be affected at all." I thought that sounded....ummm.....I hate to say it but "odd"? Again, I don't know. And again, I didn't say a word....but I'm sure the rest of the family will be buzzing about it for weeks Is that true?

 

[Elmo888]

From what I understand, it is the same as drinking and waiting to drive. It is okay to have about a drink an hour, give or take. If she had one drink right after BF, the baby wouldn't get much or any alcohol (assuming that the baby is feeding every 2-3 hours). Also, alcohol helps with let-down, and some women need a lot of help with that. It isn't just the help with relaxing and BF (again, with a new mom, new to BF, the relaxing feeling of a glass of wine), but something about the alcohol triggering the let-down.

I"m not an expert, but that's what I understood (BF DD#1 for 5 months and DD#2 for 9 months).

The medical professionals are always going to say just don't drink alcohol, but that's what they are supposed to say.

Does that make sense?

 

[ksumn1]

I think it depends on the amount of alcohol she consumed. If she had 1 glass of wime after BF and baby didn't nurse again for 4 hours then the baby wouldn't recieve a large amount of alcohol. I don't think theres a definitive answer because if you do a web search on "alcohol while breastfeeding" it pulls up article after article stating that as long as it's small amounts the effect on baby is negligible. I was told by my Dr when my DD was 1 month old that a glass of wine or beverage was OK, but no more. (It was Christmas and I occasionally enjoyed an eggnog during the season)

I definately wouldn't get stinking drunk, since the efeects aren't totally known. I think the ? is if your family member feels like defending herself over and over agian to the family. Funny how everyone in your family is a baby/chidcare expert.

On a kinda related note, my DGrandmother always told me to rub whiskey on a baby's gums when they were teething. Make them numb. This form the same lady who gave us homemade cough syrup every time we had a cough (homemade= moonshine, pepeprmint flavoring and honey)

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Only 2% of alcohol that even gets into a mother's blood stream makes into her breastmilk. Its perfectly FINE to BF and have a couple of drinks....she didn't give you the most "educated" so to speak answer...but since its HER body and HER baby, I'm not sure why anyone would comment or be judgmental.

 

[Copperline]

Alcohol, in any quantity, takes 3 hours to filter through the bloodstream and out through the kidneys. Although mom may not feel buzzed, baby could certainly receive enough alcohol through the milk to impair the brain. Perhaps not enough to do permanent damage, but why take the chance? Whenever a mom asks me this question, I always ask them "would you put that same drink in a sippy cup or bottle?". If mom can't wait to nurse until 3 hours from when the last of the drink is consumed, it is advisable to abstain.
I really grow weary of the comments from people about "geez what harm can one drink do? or isn't that a little restrictive?". But honestly, it's better to ask and have the right info, than to act and then regret it later.

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

Link with info....

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

 

[CastleCreations]

Alcohol, in any quantity, takes 3 hours to filter through the bloodstream and out through the kidneys. Although mom may not feel buzzed, baby could certainly receive enough alcohol through the milk to impair the brain. Perhaps not enough to do permanent damage, but why take the chance? Whenever a mom asks me this question, I always ask them "would you put that same drink in a sippy cup or bottle?". If mom can't wait to nurse until 3 hours from when the last of the drink is consumed, it is advisable to abstain.
I really grow weary of the comments from people about "geez what harm can one drink do? or isn't that a little restrictive?". But honestly, it's better to ask and have the right info, than to act and then regret it later.

Thank you!! I have to totally agree...

 

[Stimpy]

A little more information, I'm not really super close to this branch of the family tree. They are all know for over-drinking, not that I have never fallen into that category myself. The BF mom is married to one of my cousins. We were there for 3 hours. From what I noticed, she drank a few beers in about 2 hours, I wasn't counting, wasn't keeping a close eye on her myself but my aunt was and occasionally pointed it out to me so I don't know if that's all she drank and quite honestly don't really care too much. (I would care if I knew for a fact that she was definately harming a baby, relative of not) Heck the way they act in this family, I can't really say I blame her for drinking! She did take the baby inside atleast once to feed her.

Their family is actually very supportive of her BF the baby (I think it's great too if someone chooses to do it and great if they don't ). I think that's where the concern came from. Like I said, they drink alot. The statement about not getting "buzzed" was what hit me odd. It could take quite a few drinks to hit that point.

Anyway! Thanks for the responses!

 

[Tikicampers]

Link with info....

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

What it says on this site is the same as what I was told by the lactation consultant at our pediatrician.

 

[emh1129]

That link to Kellymom is great- a small highlight from that page:


Current research says that occasional use of alcohol (1-2 drinks) is not harmful to the nursing baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.”
Many experts recommend against drinking more than 1-2 drinks per week.
It is recommended that nursing moms avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking (Hale 2002).
There is no need to pump & dump milk after drinking alcohol, other than for mom's comfort -- pumping & dumping does not speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk.
Alcohol does not increase milk production, and has been shown to inhibit let-down and decrease milk production (see below).
If you're away from your baby, try to pump as often as baby usually nurses (this is to maintain milk supply, not because of the alcohol). At the very least, pump or hand express whenever you feel uncomfortably full - this will help you to avoid plugged ducts and mastitis.
In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.
-------------------

I have a lot of clients ask about this and I usually pass out information from Dr. Jack Newman and Thomas Hale that basically states one glass of wine or one beer is fine.

http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/mythjn02.htm
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html

 

[tonilea]

Here is my take on alcohol consumption, based on some exercises we did during alcohol detection classes in law enforcement training. We tested several individuals, men and women, weights varied dramatically as did medical conditions and the amount of alcohol regularly consumed by the individual.

Impairment does not always equal a blood alcohol content above the legal limit. Example - an inexperienced drinker can be much more impaired and feel the effects of alcohol much more strongly than a regular drinker.

In the class I took, the most intoxicated/impaired person was the wife of a state trooper who had volunteered to help. She was not a regular drinker and was much more impaired (she was sloshed on one drink) than some of the more practiced/regular drinkers who had consumed a great deal more alcohol.

I would have to assume that my baby would be an unpracticed drinker and would be much more strongly effected by even small quantities of alcohol.

I'm not much of a drinker anyway, but I wouldn't even consider drinking when I was nursing my son. Since alcoholism runs in my family, I wonder what kind of implications it might have for a baby.

 

[SnowWhite12]

I used to "pump and "dump". If I had a drink on a weekend night, I would pump after and throw that milk away. By the time for the next feeding, usually next morning, it was fine. (I didn't just guess at this; it's what the MD suggested.)

 

[AngieWin]

In the 5 years I have been pg and/or nursing I have had 3 drinks total, so my personal view is what goes in my mouth goes in my child's also, so I dont drink. That being said...

Dark beer (guiness) is supposed to have a positive effect on the quantity of milk that is produced. Wine (red specifically I think) is supposed to help mom with let down and to make baby sleep better. In moderation, it is supposed to be ok, but 3 beers in under 2 hours is too much in my opinion.

 

[darlak]

I breastfed 3 of mine. Over the years, I have watched the "expert" opinions change on many parenting topics, including breastfeeding. As a previous poster said, I was of the opinion that what I put in my mouth also went into my baby's mouth. If the odds were 1 in a million that it could have harmed my child, that was still too high a risk. Why roll those dice for something as unnecessary as having a drink?

 

[baybemama]

I've never considered a glass of wine incompatibile with breastfeeding. I have a glass once in awhile with dinner....I don't always wait until just after a feeding and I don't always wait 4 hours to nurse. (And I don't know many babies that go for more than 4 hours in between feedings under 6 months!) I trust the sources that say occasional wine is ok. Alcohol in milk is much like alcohol in the bloodstream...it does not get stored.

I also don't consider wine a recreational drug like many people do. I enjoy it's tastes and benefits as part of my diet. Having a glass of wine does not= giving my baby a glass of wine in a sippy cup...that's simply not how it works. I will even go as far to say that **** milk with traces amount of alcohol is still better for my baby than a bottle of formula without.

I wonder how different this thread would be on a European board

 

[kpm76]

I don't really care what the "experts" say, I don't drink at all while BF. It's just not worth the risk for me. God forbid something happened and my daughter was adversely affected, I would never forgive myself.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Here is my take on alcohol consumption, based on some exercises we did during alcohol detection classes in law enforcement training. We tested several individuals, men and women, weights varied dramatically as did medical conditions and the amount of alcohol regularly consumed by the individual.

Impairment does not always equal a blood alcohol content above the legal limit. Example - an inexperienced drinker can be much more impaired and feel the effects of alcohol much more strongly than a regular drinker.

In the class I took, the most intoxicated/impaired person was the wife of a state trooper who had volunteered to help. She was not a regular drinker and was much more impaired (she was sloshed on one drink) than some of the more practiced/regular drinkers who had consumed a great deal more alcohol.

I would have to assume that my baby would be an unpracticed drinker and would be much more strongly effected by even small quantities of alcohol.

I'm not much of a drinker anyway, but I wouldn't even consider drinking when I was nursing my son. Since alcoholism runs in my family, I wonder what kind of implications it might have for a baby.

Bolding is mine. That is a good point (or at least one worth thinking about when a nursing mom takes a drink.)

I don't drink alcohol myself so it was never an issue (and one reason extended nursing was never hard for me, I wasn't ever giving up anything to do it.) Not being a drinker I would not chose when I was pregnant or nursing to start (although there has been times a good nights sleep sounded very good.)

Can a mother drink a small amount with out it being a big issue? Sure I think so (or at least studies say so.) Is it a risk I am going to take? No.

Then again I drank a bit of caffeine when pregnant and nursing (about one can of coke a day or a cup of half caf.) Did the same while nursing too. That is my normal amount of caffeine. I don't see it as a big deal, neither did my doctor. For someone who never consumes caffeine I think they would feel differently.

To answer the OP's question. I think a women can nurse and drink occasionally and have no ill effects. I don't know this mother's case is all harmless though. It doesn't sound too occasional. Hard to say with the info presented.