Pumpin' and Dumpin'

[melon]

No judging, please. I am totally OK with this! Just looking for info...
So, for the first time in about 18 months, I went out and got loaded. LOL. It was fabulous.
I still felt a bit buzzy when I got home, and I pumped out about 6 oz. and dumped it.
Then I nursed him for just a few minutes to get him back to sleep...He had just woken up and was exhausted. DH said I should have given him a bottle. Honestly, I'm not sure he'd take a bottle from me--i think it would just piss him off, rather than put him back to sleep! I've only given him a bottle once, and it was months ago (He's almost 8 mo now).
Just wondering if anyone can tell me how long alcohol stays in the system. Was that milk he got safe? Was my milk the next morning safe, even though i was hungover?
I know that a drink or 2 doesn't affect the milk, but this was more than that!
TIA!

[GreenGranolaMama]

I don't know how long alcohol stays in the milk/ your body, but personally if I was completely obliterated the night before, I would give it a little time...this is just what I would do personally, maybe others would go less/ longer... I don't really drink, but I did have to do a one dose course of antibiotics a month ago and was told to do 24 hours with no breastfeeding/ pumping and dumping.

I know that if you only have a couple of drinks, it's no biggie. I think I read that if you are no longer feeling tipsy, you are good to breastfeed...

[ZoraP]

I wouldn't worry at all; in fact, I don't think pumping and dumping is necessary either. The alcohol content of your milk is equal to or less than that of your blood (0.05% or so, probably). That's almost nothing. Also, your milk doesn't retain the alcohol; when you feel sober again your milk is, too. I read a study with some of this info recently, will try to find it and post it.

[kathleen_mary]

My midwife said it's like blood alcohol, so if you feel buzzed or drunk, your milk has alcohol in it, but then similar to blood levels going down, it will go down in your milk. They say there's no need to "pump and dump" but of course if you went out and got rocked and it would be a long time before the alcohol dissipated, you would not want to contend with engorgement the next day, along with your hangover, so that was a good choice.


Article on alcohol and nursing

[Rico'sAlice]

I was pretty careful when he was a newborn, but once he was several months old I stopped worrying about drinking and nursing. The real danger is from being unable to hold onto the baby, rolling over on them, etc. If I was sobered up enough to safely handle the baby then I didn't worry about alcohol in the milk.

[Awaken]

personally, I wouldn't worry about it, either, and wouldn't pump and dump, but that's just me. I don't have time at the moment, but look up articles on www.kellymom.com and www.llli.org and you will see that alcohol is not prohibited with nursing, and the alcohol is out of your bloodstream and milk within a few hours. And the dose your baby gets even if you do nurse soon after, is really not that big, AND it's not like he's getting that small dose on a regular basis- once in a while wouldn't worry me. But again, that's just me- you have to do what you're comfortable with!

[Phridae]

I also wouldnt worry about it too much.

But kudos to you to pumping while drunk!

[Pat899]

you don't need to empty your breasts of the "bad" milk.

Once you are sober the milk is fine. You don't dump out your achol affected blood do you?

So pumping and dumping is completly unnecessary.

[melon]

Originally Posted by Phridae

I also wouldnt worry about it too much.

But kudos to you to pumping while drunk!

haha it was NO fun.

you don't need to empty your breasts of the "bad" milk.

Once you are sober the milk is fine. You don't dump out your achol affected blood do you?

So pumping and dumping is completly unnecessary.

oh, i HAD to empty them somehow! lol


Thanks for all the info. I feel like I did the right thing.

[Masel]

A good mama gives herself these opportunities to unwind. That's the right thing too.

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by Phridae

But kudos to you to pumping while drunk!

[Biscuits & Gravy]

When DS1 was little I remember going to a concert w/ DH. I wouldn't say I was drunk when we got home, but I was damn buzzed. I pumped for relief because DS was sleeping, and put it in the fridge. When I opened it up in the morning I could smell alcohol. I did not send that milk to daycare. Drunk pumping is definitely interesting!