Do you drink alcohol when b/f?

[MummaSue]

.... and if so, how much do you have?

I freak even at a glass of wine! I'm so paranoid about it.


Sue xx

[meow]

I didn't drink for the first 3 months then I slowly started to have a little bit. Generally straight after a feed and in small amounts means your blood alcohol % will be low before you feed again. I had a maniacal evening cluster feeder though so I ended up giving up on 'straight after a feed' and just consuming a small amout through the evening.

[wysiwyg]

Not for first 8 weeks then maybe 1 glass a week timed straight after a feed to give longest gap. I don't tend to drink apart from with food and quite rarely at home, so would just really depend on if we were eating out or not. Have you read the ABA leaflet on Alcohol and Breastfeeding (is on their website) I think the info there is pretty balanced.

[Vixstar]

Never! My Mum was an alcoholic and I just cannot bring myself to drink when ttc, pregnant or bf...........for a lover of a drinky pooh, that is one h*** of a drought!

[Calluna]

I haven't had a drop since we started TTC (so about 27 months) and my goodness I wish I could have a drink or two some nights but I'm worried DS will wake up when he normally wouldn't for what ever reason so I'm too scared to have any. I've got about 4 bottles in the cupboard going to waste too I hope they're still ok when I can finally drink again...

[briggsy's girl]

i rarely drank while ttc and then not at all while pregnant (so it was a looong time) - didn't really drink while BF until a couple of months ago. it wasn't so much about alcohol getting to the baby (have read all the stuff on ABA about alcohol), and i don't drink wine (which has a much higher alcohol concentration doesn't it?) - anyway, i started having a beer every now and again with DH, and will now have a vodka and mixer when the mood takes me. i tend to worry more about the sugar content keeping DD awake than the alcohol!

[boomba]

I stopped drinking before we fell pg with our fist DS...I liked a drink now and then but knew I didnt need it...I dont drink now cause I would hate to upset DS2 since he is still BF and wouldnt like the morning after with the kids...I couldnt imagine nursing a hangobver and trying to wrangle my 2 lol :P

But I did have 3 sips when Dh went out for dinner a few months back and was off my tree Light weight lol

[~Kim~]

Not often for health reasons, but if they didn't exist then yes I would.

[~me~]

Yes I do in moderation. Never to excess.
It has never effected DD. I have a glass while getting dinner ready then sometimes another with dinner. This is not everynight, it depends on how my day has been
I am pretty sure someone posted a thread here quite a while ago that the amount of alchohol that would pass through to your breast milk is minimal, as in you would have to drink a whole bottle for a pecentage to get through. I look it more from a safety point of view..as in how it it going to effect my ability to function.

[Laranna]

I started to have a glass or two of wine in the evening after DS's last feed when he was about 9-10 months and sleeping through the night.

At the moment, I haven't had any with DD as she's such a frequent feeder especially in the evenings. However, I am planning to have a glass of champagne when DH & I go out for lunch for our anniversary on Sunday, so that will be the first drink since I fell pregnant with DD.

[rufalina]

Yes I regularly drink (have drunk) alcohol while breastfeeding. I’ll happily have a glass of wine with dinner and another one after.

Yep me three... But I did avoid red wine with DS1 as it did hurt him with the reflux, so just from habit I didn't drink with with DS2 either...

But I can totally understand why people dont and happily respect that. It is a totally personal choice, one which I made after doing my research, and one I was comfortable with.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Yes i do, if i do it's normally after DD2's last feed, i have it straight away and the she goes to bed and i enjoy it slowly... i only allow myself 1 glass though.. wine... mmm *drool*

[human bean]

I waited until we got past 12 weeks, and on the odd occasion have a small glass of wine right after her bed time feed, with dinner. She normally doesn't wake until after midnight so I feel comfortable doing so, it's about a 5hr gap. The first drink I did have I felt pretty stonkered and slept sooooo well ha ha

[Campari]

Yep, I have a glass of wine on a friday & saturday evening with DH. I've occasionally had 2 glasses, but I drink really slowly and I also gulp down the water too. We had a party here one night and I had a few more drinks, and used EBM for a feed. But generally I feel its OK to have one or two well-timed drinks every now and then. I breastfed DD for 18 months doing the same thing, and I am happy with that. The thought of a hangover with a baby and toddler is enough of a deterrent for drinking too much anyway

[Smoke Jaguar]

Yep During pg I would drink a pot of beer about once a week or less, and wine about the same.
Since the birth I might drink once a week or not - and when I do it's not much; a glass and a bit, tops. Moderation, or less than moderation is the way I play it

[MummaSue]

Wow, thanks so much for the responses guys!!

I didn't touch a drop when pregnant. Had a few glasses of red wine (on the orders of my FS) when we were doing IVF. Just not sure about it when b/f. I think I may be ready to have some wine, so might try a wee glass with dinner sometime.

Thanks again
Sue xxx

[deletedit]

Yes, just not often and is is most likely to be a glass of wine while visiting other people for dinner, or the occasional one after dinner at home. Same when I was pregnant.

9 months pregnant + 1 year breastfeeding is a long time to go without ...

[AwesomeFoursome]

I haven't had any since a couple of months before I got pregnant with DS (so about 3 & half years). I've been breastfeeding or pregnant since. It doesn't bother me too much. I will however be having drink when this next bub is about 7mths old for my 30th.