Alcohol and breast feeding

[sammy2311]

So i am planning on breast feeding once baby finally arrives!! And i know that if in a couple of weeks/months i have a big night out i would need to express to cover milk for the next day or 2.. But if at a last minute at a meal or so i decided to have only one or 2 drinks would i not breast feed? I would never like to think my baby would get any into his system but would one drink affect him and feeding?

[happilypregnant82]

Pump and dump is a waste of time. Like maw said, once alcohol leaves your body your milk is fine too. I highly doubt one drink would do much anyways. Just wait an hour before feeding and drink some water to flush any alcohol out xx

[maw4389]

http://www.llli.org/faq/alcohol.html
This should give you all the information you need to know.

[maw4389]

I even got pamphlets from the hospital after I had my kid that say you don't have to pump and dump because pumping and dumping doesn't remove the alcohol.

[maw4389]

That is straight from the La Leche League website. I highly doubt a reputable organization would put that on their website if it wasn't true.

[maw4389]

As alcohol leaves the bloodstream, it leaves the breastmilk. Since alcohol is not "trapped" in breastmilk (it returns to the bloodstream as mother's blood alcohol level declines), pumping and dumping will not remove it. Pumping and dumping, drinking a lot of water, resting, or drinking coffee will not speed up the rate of the elimination of alcohol from your body.

[Kjens12]

Also, stores like buy buy baby sell alcohol testing strips so you can test your milk for traces of alcohol.

[Kjens12]

Yes it does, you're getting rid of the milk that is contaminated with alcohol. Alcohol doesn't stay in your system that long, so if you dump a couple feedings worth it is out of the system and not in the new milk.

[maw4389]

Pumping and dumping doesn't remove the alcohol from your milk.

[Kjens12]

I always pumped and dumped after drinking to be safe

[ashleyyy7]

My doctor always told me with my daughter that if I'm drunk - so is my milk. If I'm tipsy - so is my milk. If I'm sober - so is my milk. So just be honest with yourself and if you're nervous then maybe self express and use saved milk for that feeding or supplimeny with formula that one time.

[NadiaKruger]

It's totally fine, your body is like a filter if that's the best way to explain. Your baby won't receive any alcohol just from 1 or 2 small glasses of wine. Our wedding anniversary was only a month after baby was born and I still enjoyed a glass of champagne with my husband to celebrate. It didn't affect my daughter at all. But I didn't make a habit of it though. Only on occasions.

[lguzmom]

I read a study that said the alcohol leaves your system after 2 hours. Most of it leaves after an hour. I have had a glass of wine or one margarita and then breastfed an hour or two later and noticed no change in baby.