Breastfeeding and consuming alcohol is tacky? - Page 3

[MammaG]

Count me into the tacky club.

We pretty much always have a glass of wine with dinner. Just like PP, I try to nurse baby while I have most of my wine before I eat.... I only need one hand for the glass, baby's quiet so I can catch up with DH (well, over the 6 & 4 year-olds!), and then I can put baby in his high-chair already satisfied and he'll be happy playing with some bits from our dinner while I eat with two hands.

I'm less OK with a cocktail, but this is because I'm no longer in the habit of drinking the stronger stuff so my body doesn't process it as well any more. My blood-alcohol level goes up further and faster if I have a scotch or a mixed drink, so I only do that very occasionally and I try to nurse the baby just before.

Also keep in mind that as your baby grows bigger, the already tiny amounts of alcohol that he gets via BM are affecting him less because his organs are maturing and processing such things better, plus he weighs more.

[pumpkinhead]

Originally Posted by corysmilk

My experience is different. the mom I knew heard that one drink was ok while pg. so she drank a bottle. She was told breastfeeding and nursing was ok. so she drank all day most days. when the baby was put on formula it finally stopped crying all DAY.

This woman I am taking about was diagnoised with FAS about 6 months ago. And she doesn't comprhend the one drink once in a while. Now she has given this to both of her children. and I mean really she didn't get it. one drink is not drinking a bottle??? but this is just my expreince.
and from this I think to my self, if no one knows how much alcohol is safe then why do it?

Re: The bold.

Respectfully do we really have to stop doing everything that might potentially maybe be bad for our babies so that we can nurse them? Do we really have to sacrifice every single thing that we enjoy to be mothers? There are things we simply cannot do because we are aware that they are absolutely bad for our children and we sacrifice these things happily but we can't do this with every single thing or we'd be living in un-petroleum silicone bubbles consuming nothing but distilled water organic quinoa.

[corysmilk]

Originally Posted by pumpkinhead

Re: The bold.

Respectfully do we really have to stop doing everything that might potentially maybe be bad for our babies so that we can nurse them? Do we really have to sacrifice every single thing that we enjoy to be mothers? There are things we simply cannot do because we are aware that they are absolutely bad for our children and we sacrifice these things happily but we can't do this with every single thing or we'd be living in un-petroleum silicone bubbles consuming nothing but distilled water organic quinoa.

you can have your opinion, and I have mine.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by corysmilk

you can have your opinion, and I have mine.

And both opinions are welcome to be represented on the boards. Just a friendly reminder that these conversations often end up heated-- which is fine-- and cross over into UAVs-- which is not fine. Let's try to keep this one civil, please.

[ancoda]

I think the friend was the tacky one for saying what she said. Having a drink of alcohol from time to time is not going to affect your baby.

I do find it really interesting how most of the people on here are so careful at avoiding eating or drinking too much sugar, preservatives, and all kind of other things they don't want to get into their milk while breastfeeding, but get so much on the defensive when people mention they shouldn't drink alcohol.

[kriket]

I think drinking while pregnant is tacky. Drinking WHILE nursing is also tacky, (for fear of spilling some on babies head ) Drinking while lactating is not tacky. Going out for a beer or two (or even three) is what normal people do. Getting poo faced then running in to the nursery and smothering your baby with your breast because you pass out is very tacky. I think the age of the baby come into play too.

I think when "those people" say something to a mom they know is nursing have their minds on those cases of mom who harm their babies from bad parenting related to alcohol.

The appropriate response to nosy Nancy at the bonfire would be a rude hand gesture.

[pumpkinhead]

Originally Posted by corysmilk

you can have your opinion, and I have mine.

Again with respect it really wasn't an opinion but a question.

I do think that if we are going to encourage more mothers to breastfeed we need to not make it seem so restrictive because honestly it doesn't always have to be. i do know more than one mother who choose not to BF because they didn't want to be so tied down and they wanted to be able to have a drink without guilt if they wanted to.

We are aware that we don't have to pump and dump if we want to have a drink or two. We know that the concentration of alcohol in our blood is the same in our milk. So knowing that why would we tell women that they absolutely cannot imbibe while nursing?

i do understand the need to be conservative here. There are plenty who will see "mild to moderate" and think "Yay! Bender!" but they're not the majority.

Personally i didn't drink while pregnant because i'm not comfortable doing so. i did have the occasional drink while nursing because i felt like i could control the amount of alcohol my child was getting by timing my nursing sessions to coincide with my consumption of alcohol. i'm personally comfortable with that.

i don't mean to turn this into something heated. i'm certainly not angry nor offended.

[Julia'sMom]

I'll just say that the lactation consultants at the hospital actually recommended I drink beer to increase my supply. This was with 1 week old twins. :

[GoBecGo]

I had a third of a beer the night of DD's 3rd day on earth. I was wired to the moon from the labour and not able to rest and i knew i NEEDED sleep. My wired-ness was spilling into anxiety attacks (which if you knew me you would know is unspeakably out of character) and the insomnia was making it worse. So i had some beer, got a good sleep and felt much much better. Since then i've occasionally had half a beer (raspberry beer is LUSH) if i've felt like it, maybe twice, so i might have had just over a beer since she was born (16weeks ago).

I think that moderation is key. I don't have half a beer to be pure, it's just that i drink so infrequently that a whole beer makes me tipsy, and i don't want to be tipsy and looking after the baby.

[Shana R]

Within reason, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a glass of wine, a beer, or even a cocktail while breastfeeding... if you are comfortable with it yourself. After my homebirth, my midwife recommended to me to have a beer or two every night to help bring in my milk and keep my milk supply up.

DH and I go out for dinner fairly often. I didn't drink at all when pregnant, beyond a few sips here and there, but I do have a beer or glass of wine (or even two! oh my!) while lactating, and I see no problem with it. However, I have received some odd looks if I drink alcohol WHILE breastfeeding. Just like all the other odd looks you might get while NIP, I shrug it off, and sometimes even look them straight in the eye and smile.

If you aren't comfortable with drinking a little wine or beer while breastfeeding, then you don't have to do it. There is no pressure! But there is nothing wrong with it, either.

[AmaraMonillas]

Originally Posted by ancoda

I think the friend was the tacky one for saying what she said. Having a drink of alcohol from time to time is not going to affect your baby.

I do find it really interesting how most of the people on here are so careful at avoiding eating or drinking too much sugar, preservatives, and all kind of other things they don't want to get into their milk while breastfeeding, but get so much on the defensive when people mention they shouldn't drink alcohol.

I think there are many of us here who are aware, and intentional about limiting our consumption of sugar, preservatives, etc. because we recognize that in excess they are detrimental to our health. Most of us probably do indulge in moderation... like with alcohol. It is another enjoyable substance that isn't especially beneficial, but as adults we should be able to partake without comment from others. The difference is our society has completely accepted incorporating these other potentially harmful substances (sugar etc) into our diets in amounts that could be considered bingeing. No one here is condoning bingeing on alcohol.

[pumpkinhead]

Originally Posted by ancoda

I think the friend was the tacky one for saying what she said. Having a drink of alcohol from time to time is not going to affect your baby.

I do find it really interesting how most of the people on here are so careful at avoiding eating or drinking too much sugar, preservatives, and all kind of other things they don't want to get into their milk while breastfeeding, but get so much on the defensive when people mention they shouldn't drink alcohol.

I think one important difference is that frequently, when women choose not to breastfeed, the belief that they are not "allowed" to drink while doing so is a factor in that descision. So, as breastfeeding advocates, I do think it is important to dispell that myth.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by pumpkinhead

I think one important difference is that frequently, when women choose not to breastfeed, the belief that they are not "allowed" to drink while doing so is a factor in that descision. So, as breastfeeding advocates, I do think it is important to dispell that myth.

I believe that is the point. I also agree with the pp who said that we are adults and choose to monitor "extra fun foods" as competent people.

[taffyapple]

Originally Posted by corysmilk

i agree with you.
I am, personally not going to drink while pg or nursing because no one can tell me how much is safe. I don't want to take that chance. so I don't. that is my opinion, and that story is a real eye opener, to me and many others that I know.

I totally agree.

[EdnaMarie]

It is safe to drink while breastfeeding. The amount of alcohol in there is minute and has not been shown to affect baby. It's not even a percent of what your blood alcohol is.

Join us at the lactivist lushes tribe.

I do find it really interesting how most of the people on here are so careful at avoiding eating or drinking too much sugar, preservatives, and all kind of other things they don't want to get into their milk while breastfeeding, but get so much on the defensive when people mention they shouldn't drink alcohol.

Well, alcohol has health benefits that Pop Tarts just don't. I mean, in moderation, obviously. I am not at all in favor of drunkenness. That said, I do drink organic wine. Some things, like certain pesticides, pass through breastmilk in larger quantities than other things.