Is It Ok to Drink If Your Breast Feeding?

My doctor told me that the alcohol will only be in your breastmilk while it is in your system. If you can feel the effects, so will your baby. If you wait 2-3 hours after a drink before feeding baby, you should be ok. This is for people who don't drink daily, but just a few times a month. Daily drinker's bodies will metabolize the alcohol differently. SO- I wouldn't drink daily. If you have a girls night out, it should be fine. Just don't nurse the baby until the alcohol is completely out of your system. And it doesn't get stored in your breastmilk, so there is no need to pump and dump the first milk after you drink. (Although I still did because I am neurotic. :)

Here is a link to kellymom, which is usually very accurate and up to date:
http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html

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It is probably best if you do NOT drink at all while breastfeeding. It will reduce your milk supply, is bad for your baby and you. If you had the drink and it was just a one time thing, after 24hrs seem like it would be fine.

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Alcohol stays in your breastmilk as long as it stays in your bloodstream. If you had 4 drinks and a shot, you should be fine to breastfeed the next morning, depending on what time you stopped drinking.
If you just have one drink, it's not necessary to pump and dump. You can breastfeed just fine. I was always told if I wanted to have a drink, do it right after I finished nursing or with dinner.
And don't feel bad because you had a few drinks. It's not a bad thing! Mommies (even breastfeeding Mommies) need some time away.

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Just wanted to comment that at HEB or maybe Babies R Us also you can get a box of stick tests to check the alcohol level in your breast milk.

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I think it's one hour per drink. That's about how long it takes your body to metabolize the alcohol.

Good for you for having such a supply that your son gets your breastmilk even if you need a night away!

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Try getting Milkscreen, it is a test that you can use to test the alcohol level in your breastmilk. Then you can pump, test the milk, and still feed it to your son if it comes out at an acceptable level. It really comes in handy as an extra precaution if you are the occasional drinker like me and just stress about when exactly you can nurse again. I've found that my milk is fine the next morning, in general I give myself 8 hours if I've had a few drinks just as a rule of thumb. I have read that if you're not feeling the effects of alcohol anymore then its not in your milk. But again, Milkscreen is great, its sold at Babies R'us and online, also at Walgreens they say but I didn't find it there.

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Good for you for being cautious, but you don't have to worry too much at this age. When I donated breastmilk they allowed 2 drinks a day. I'd say you're fine as long as you're not intoxicated while pumping or nursing.

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It depends on what you are drinking. They say one beer a day is actually good for your milk supply. A glass of wine isn't bad every once in awhile (just like while pregnant). A shot of hard liquor has the same alcohol level as a whole beer or a glass of wine, so just think of it that way.

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Do not drink while breast feeding. Especially 4 of anything. I encourage you to be responsible, and mentally prepared for anything when you are a parent. 3, 4 drinks and shots will not make you prepared at all to have a child in your care.
If you wonder if this is really true, look at how you spelled "drink" and "breast" in your title.
Be a healthy parent---drink in moderation after the breast feeding stage.

Hey, not judging. You mispelled several words and are talking about 4 beers and shots of liquor. Just working with the info presented to me. You asked for help, remember? Sorry if you are defensive.....

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

Drinking is probably not the best idea, however, giving it 24 hours was probably plenty.

I have read that the best time to have a drink is right AFTER a feeding, so your body has time to metabolize it before the next feeding. Basically, as someone else said, if you are feeling the effects of the alcohol, then baby will too. I also read that you do not need to pump and dump because the alcohol metabolizes and would not be present in the milk after a few hours (but I have not thouroughly researched this).

The alcohol goes through your breastmilk the same way it goes through the rest of your body. As long as you're feeling the effects of the alcohol, it's getting through the milk.

I have heard an average of about one hour per drink.

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

My doctors actually told me that having a glass of beer or wine wouldn't hurt me or my baby and beer for whatever reason can help with your milk supply. Not to mention relaxing you a bit if you're a nervous nurser.
That said, if you over indulge, and perhaps you did, it sounds like you did the right thing by pumping and tossing and giving your baby breast milk that hadn't been tainted in any way. I never drank that much so I don't know exactly how long it takes alcohol to metabolize, but 24 hours is a good start.
My neice didn't drink during her entire pregnancy or for 18 months after her baby was born. She had a glass of wine at a holiday dinner and she was RIPPED. She felt so guilty. Everyone's bodies work differently and moderation is definitely key when nursing, if not abstinance all together.
I think you and your baby should be fine. Just save partying for when you're done nursing and you've got a babysitter.

Getting intoxicated every night: not good for any mom, nursing or not. But a few drinks, sure it's fine. Good for you for pumping for a full day but I think it's not necessary.

Not really sure about the exact amount of time you should pump and dump after a few drinks but they do have a product that can test your milk. I forget who makes them but they are like little dip sticks that you dip in the milk and it will tell you based on the color that appears on the stick if your milk has traces of alcohol. You can get them at Target, Babies R Us and Wal Mart (I think).