Alcohol and Breastfeeding??

A.,

When I had my twins 16 years ago I had a bit of a problem producing enough milk. My Obgyn encouraged me to drink a beer late afternoon to relax. He also said the darker the beer the better. I usually drank about half a Guiness. This allowed me to continue to breastfeed until the boys were over 13 months old. I also began a workout program to help with my stress(I also had a 2 year old at the time). My boys are now 16 and are in Gate and Honors classes in High School.

Enjoy that one with no guilt.

E. M

2 moms found this helpful

I am not a doctor or researcher, but according to Dr. Sears' book alcohol will stay in breast milk for about 2 hours (for a regular glass of wine/beer). So, as long as you are conscientious of when you are drinking and feeding you should be ok. I don't drink and breast feed my baby only because I have never been much of a drinker except on my birthday. You are right about pumping and dumping. You're better off just waiting the 2 hours, that way you can really feed your baby! I cannot tell you whether your guilt is unreasonable. As my childbirth education used to say, "Do what feels right to you and your baby."

1 mom found this helpful

Hi it looks like you already made a practical decision on what to do but breastfeeding issues are near and dear to my heart so I wanted to let you know about a good resource to check out. look up "dr. jack newman articles" on google and when you find the articles, you'll find some files on this very topic. in a nutshell, he is a breastfeeding expert and says alcohol is OK. (of course you obviously know to not get drunk to the point where you can't care for yourself or your baby.) there are other breastfeeding myths in those articles if you or any other moms reading this want to check it out. it is very informative. i can't believe some of the rude comments you got on here and i hope they didn't get you down!! if you want, feel free to email me... ____@____.com

I had a great doctor with my 3 kids and that was topic of conversation on more than one occasion. While pregnant or breast feeding (which I did with 2, the 3rd I couldn't) you are able to have a glass of wine/beer with dinner every night if you chose and things will be fine. So go ahead and have your wine or beer and your body knows what to do and filter it. I did and my kids are fine.

A.,
My wife and I have been experiencing the same feelings on this issue.
We sought the advice of our peditrician and lactation consultant. It is my understanding a glass of wine or beer will pass through the system in 2 hours and can promote milk production. So we believe your are safe if you don't feed or pump if you wait 2 hours.
I think you should talk this over with your doctor and consultant too.
As far as guilt, well, remember there are many cultures in this world which don't have such puritan attitudes toward alcohol. I think in America we have this unobtainable goal of making the world absolutely safe. Ultimately, you have to find your own safety level and remember most things in moderation are not harmful.

Hi A.,
I wouldn't do it. I don't think anyone really knows for sure how it all works. I have heard and read so many things which all contridict eachoter. Why not feed the baby formula and have the glass of wine or beer at dinner.

No! you are not a horrible mom! I say it is OK. When I was breastfeeding my second son, I was told to drink a beer a day for milk production, but that was 28 years ago. I do not think that it is recommended these days, but my advice to you would be to ask an expert.

There are experts on brestfeeding in the hospital. Call the hospital where you had your baby, and ask one of them.

D.

I drank a little too while I breastfed because my doctor told me it was fine to do so in small moderation. We never had any effects from it. My daughter is almost 2 and doing wonderful. I would feed her, then have a drink with food, wait 3 or more hours and then feed her again. She's healthy, normal and a joy to be around. So enjoy a little wine or beer!

As long as it's only ONE glass of wine (I think 6oz, maybe 8oz), especially reds because of their known heart health benefits, OR ONE (12oz beer), then it’s fine. It actually helps you to produce MORE milk, and to let down easier.

The only reasons I'd give you to stop post-hast would be if you are feeling Postpartum Depression, or you or your family have a history of alcohol dependency. If these reign as a factor, DO NOT continue! This behavior could lead to alcoholism if you have a history that leaves predisposed to the condition, and can sink you further into a depression if you’re already suffering. A good measure to know whether you’re beginning to become dependent on it is this: Do you think about when your next opportunity to have a drink is? If you are timing your day EVER by “your next drink”, you ARE addicted and should IMMEDIATELY seek help.

So long as depression and addiction aren’t issues to be concerned with, then ONE drink a day is fine. Just be sure that you’re honest with yourself and listen to your friends and family if they’re concerned. Alcoholics never believe that THEY have a problem. It’s always “that other guy” that has the problem, they are JUST FINE!

Hope it helps~ J.

If a glass of wine caused problems, I think the whole of Europe may be retarded!! My grandmother told me that a glass of beer helps milk production!! Just be sure that it is truly only one glass/day, esp in the evening (it may help him sleep better!!!) and use your best judgment. You want what is best for your baby, and you would not do anything that you really felt was wrong.

Why not just pump right BEFORE you are going to drink, then have your glass of wine. That way if your baby is ready to eat after you've had a drink, then you can just feed him breast milk from the bottle. That's what I did. :)

Ditch the guilt! One glass of wine or a beer isn't enough to worry about. The only thing I was told by my kids pediatrician is that the tanin in red wine can cause tummy aches for the baby. And don't worry about having to "pump & dump" it is true that the alchohol works through in about 1/2 an hour. Don't be afraid to ask your Dr. about this, chances are they've been asked it before, they won't think you're horrible!