Don't breastfeed for 24 hours after a drink

[Rosehip]

On the heels of the "drunken breastfeeding" mom, Fox & Friends weekend had a physician, Dr. Svetlana Kogan (an internist), on this morning who told the anchor that NO amount of alcohol is ever ok when nursing, and that a mother should not breastfeed for 24 hours after her last sip, and that formula is preferable in the interim. It really got me riled. The anchor suggested this was a bit extreme, and said that it differed from what her doctor said. I don't see a video up yet, but I imagine it will be soon.

I emailed the show & asked them to get a physician w/BFing-specific expertise and credentials on to provide accurate information, and sent them the link to the Academy of BFing Medicine. I also emailed the Academy to let them know about the segment.

Perhaps if F&F received other emails, they'd get someone more reasonable on?

[1littlebit]

o for goodness sake. they could have spent that five minutes showing the clip of glenn beck crying that i keep seeing in the movie theatre. equally disturbing but at least he doesn't have a medical degree.

[Sandstress]

The anchor suggested this was a bit extreme, and said that it differed from what her doctor said.

I find it funny that even the fox and friends anchor recognized this as bunk.

[Rosehip]

Originally Posted by Sandstress

I find it funny that even the fox and friends anchor recognized this as bunk.

Oh she absolutely did. It seems like she BF her kids, and clearly realized that such an extreme stance would be a real disincentive to BFing. She was trying, in vain, to get a big-picture answer out of the doctor about how to handle this practically speaking - give formula? NEVER, EVER drink? Pump & dump? I was also thinking - BOY, do we have a recipe for plugged ducts & mastitis here or what?!

Also, I think that one issue here is that in some cultures/circles, drinking is pretty much a non-issue. Drinking is frowned upon or just not common for either cultural or religious reasons. But in many, many cultures, alcohol is an important part of socializing, celebrating, and even religious rites, and to essentially say "You can drink OR breastfeed" is definitely going to steer some women to go straight to formula.

[spicyrock]

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video0...om/foxfriends/

I think that is the link. You have to scroll down a little and pick the "breasfeeding and drinking" segment...

[SpiderMum]

Ugh...this makes me want to take a nice shot of tequila right now.

I'm BREASTFEEDING not dead to the world!

[NewMama2007]

LOL. Just buy some of those milk screening things at the pharmacy!

In my CLC course, they told us that if the mom is feeling the effects of the alcohol, she shouldn't nurse. If she doesn't feel it, she can nurse. So my one half glass of wine (don't get me wrong - it will be a full glass when LO sleeps for longer stretches) after a nursing is doing NOTHING to my baby. TYVM.

How in the world would alcohol remain in your body for 24 hours? That's quite a bender. Reminds me of college...

[KristyDi]

OK the "expert" was obviously absurd, but what struck me was the AAP statement. Does that really say alcohol is concentrated in breast milk?


I thought it the level of alcohol in the milk is the same as the blood level or am I misunderstanding the meaning of concentrated here?

[Ruthla]

Maybe he really meant you shouldn't put beer into an SNS while breastfeeding... Quite honestly, that's about the only way I can imagine an infant getting drunk from breastfeeding alone.

There are definite dangers to an infant being cared for by a drunk person, but the alcohol content of breastmilk is NOT one of those dangers.

[krystyn33]

Here's the LLL FAQ sheet on breastfeeding and alcohol

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html

[claddaghmom]

Well while you're at it...don't get caught in the acid rain, don't drink tap water, don't eat regular meat from the store, don't wash your clothes w/ regular detergent, don't vaccinate.


oops Now you're a hippy!

[mamazee]

I am no longer surprised more women don't breastfeed, and I'm becoming more and more surprised that any women at all breastfeed. It's very frustrating seeing breastfeeding made out to be this delicate condition where your baby will be adversely effected by anything that can happen in your life. People can breastfeed and live their lives as normal. That's the best message to get out to increase the numbers of breastfeeding mothers. It isn't something where you have to live in a bubble and never take any medication, be more careful than usual about your diet, never have alcohol, etc. But that's what women think it is. Not women my age (41), and moms didn't seem to think this so much when #1 was a baby. But I am SO seeing it now that I have a bf baby again. Moms say, "Oh, you can take medicine for a headache when your breastfeeding?" YEAH I am not going to suffer with headaches continually while I'm bf. I'd choose formula over that, too. I can't drink because of the headaches, but I know a lot of women who didn't bf or weaned early over that issue too. Or who weaned because they weren't eating well. One mom wasn't sleeping well (uh, she has a new baby!) and weaned because she heard that her milk wouldn't be nutritious enough if she wasn't well rested. Where has all this come from in the past few years? Because it's either a new thing or it's picking up steam.

[2lilsweetfoxes]

Originally Posted by mamazee

I am no longer surprised more women don't breastfeed, and I'm becoming more and more surprised that any women at all breastfeed. It's very frustrating seeing breastfeeding made out to be this delicate condition where your baby will be adversely effected by anything that can happen in your life. People can breastfeed and live their lives as normal. That's the best message to get out to increase the numbers of breastfeeding mothers. It isn't something where you have to live in a bubble and never take any medication, be more careful than usual about your diet, never have alcohol, etc. But that's what women think it is. Not women my age (41), and moms didn't seem to think this so much when #1 was a baby. But I am SO seeing it now that I have a bf baby again. Moms say, "Oh, you can take medicine for a headache when your breastfeeding?" YEAH I am not going to suffer with headaches continually while I'm bf. I'd choose formula over that, too. I can't drink because of the headaches, but I know a lot of women who didn't bf or weaned early over that issue too. Or who weaned because they weren't eating well. One mom wasn't sleeping well (uh, she has a new baby!) and weaned because she heard that her milk wouldn't be nutritious enough if she wasn't well rested. Where has all this come from in the past few years? Because it's either a new thing or it's picking up steam.

My thought is just as the internet has been good for spreading the good things and info about breastfeeding and all that, it also has been used to spread the myths and the "you can't do x and breastfeed" or "my doctor said that you can't do y and breastfeed". Or that it is made out to be so hard and you have to give up your life. If so, yeah, pass the formula-filled bottle.

[mamazee]

Some of it sounds like it could have come out of a formula company marketing meeting. "Yeah, breastfeeding is best. And if you REALLY want to do what's best, you won't drink, or eat junk food, or get dental work done, or take any kind of medicine including OTC, etc., if you're going to breastfeed. Otherwise, you might as well formula feed." Or even in some cases the thought seems to be that you SHOULD. The trace amount of alcohol in breastmilk is worse than the trace amounts of chemicals in formula? Or in my body anyway - I don't eat a perfect organic diet and undoubtably have trace amounts of chemicals in my milk regardless, and probably chemicals that are worse than alcohol, which as far as chemical substances go isn't that bad.

[nudhistbudhist]

I'm so glad I dont have TV My husband gets mad that I yell at the radio! Imagine if I had TV!!!

Good thing I have MDC. Otherwise I never would have heard about that stupid youtube video about "Jesus might have been bottle fed, we just dont know"

[hollycat]

just feels like more ways to control women.

[Megan73]

Mamazee is right. No wonder women think breastfeeding is too hard.
I was talking to a pregnant colleague who seemed lukewarm about breastfeeding – she said "maybe I'll try it for a few months."
In another conversation I realized that she thought you couldn't drink any alcohol or coffee, take a Tylenol or eat all kinds of different foods while breastfeeding.
The problem is that people are getting all this misinformation – from so called experts to old wives tales – and none of the commonsense BTDT help from other mamas.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by nudhistbudhist

Otherwise I never would have heard about that stupid youtube video about "Jesus might have been bottle fed, we just dont know"

You don't think his mother put her disgusting breast in that innocent baby's mouth!?


ETA: What does that YouTube lady think was in Jesus' bottles?

[krystyn33]

It is a tricky line to walk. Yes, moms can breastfeed and eat poorly and the baby can be fine, but to be overzealous and gloss over potential consequences in the name of encouraging breastfeeding is not right either. A mom who eats nothing but fast food, chicken fingers, french fries, etc., is going to have repercussions--period, but producing milk for her baby will leach nutrition from her body's stores and could hasten the inevitable illness process.

Generally, mothers need to be responsible and care for their own well being in order to be able to nurture others. Moderate alcohol use--fine. Diet guidelines certainly needn't be as strict as during pregnancy (and yes there are a lot of silly myths out there which need to be broken), but encouraging a healthy, well rounded diet while breastfeeding (as LLL does) is not wrong. Having a baby is an enormous responsibilty--period, and I see no need to cater to the faulty mindset of those who want the job to be as easy as possible on themselves. Breastfeeding (and child rearing) is an effort, one full of obligations & putting the welfare of another person over your own comfort and ease at times--but SO SO worth it on many levels.

[Juvysen]

well, for what it's worth, I've read several books/articles on toxins in breastmilk... like pthalates and lead and PCBs... but they all say that breastfeeding is STILL better than formula, despite all that...