Pump and dump question « Back to Group Discussions

[amysue]

Does anyone know for sure how long after I eat something spicy, or if I were to have a drink, I would need to pump and dump the milk? 

The spicy food happens way more often than the other!  Today I met friends for lunch at a Mexican resturant.  I had downed half a bowl of salsa before I realized it. . . :(

[Carlin]

According to kellymom and every reliable source of information I've seen, there's no need to pump and dump for either. The rule of thumb for alcohol is that if you can safely drive you can safely nurse. If you need to pump for your own comfort, you can of course, but alcohol will metabolize out of your breast milk at the same speed whether you pump or not. To be totally on the safe side I think they recommend waiting two hours after having a couple drinks.

As far as spicy food goes, unless your baby is sensitive to something you are eating there's no need to pump and dump at all. It shouldn't cause any problems.

[WindyCityMom]

Why would you pump and dump for spicy food? Just curious.


Drinking- I don't drink, but I remember reading that your breastmilk alcohol content is the equivalent of your blood alcohol content. So a blood level of .08 is a bm level of .08%. Your milk would be less than 1% alcohol. a beer is about 12-13% alcohol, I think.

Still, I'd use caution with a newborn or a premature baby for a few months because of their immature liver. an older baby, id not pump and dump after only 1 beer.

[MamanFrancaise]

Good to know! I am going to have a glass of wine tonight then!

[Monkey Keeper]

If I am going to have a drink, I usually drink it *while* nursing...that way I usually have a while to metabolize the alcohol before needing to nurse again.  

According to LLLI and a few other sources, alcohol level peaks 30-60 minutes after ingestion. So that may impact your timing.

[MadiMamacita]

Originally Posted by WindyCityMom 

Why would you pump and dump for spicy food? Just curious.


Drinking- I don't drink, but I remember reading that your breastmilk alcohol content is the equivalent of your blood alcohol content. So a blood level of .08 is a bm level of .08%. Your milk would be less than 1% alcohol. a beer is about 12-13% alcohol, I think.

Still, I'd use caution with a newborn or a premature baby for a few months because of their immature liver. an older baby, id not pump and dump after only 1 beer.

I think I remember reading that your milk alcohol level is a percentage of your blood alcohol level, so if your BAL is .08 your MAL would be .008%.. i will look for a source on that

[WindyCityMom]

Originally Posted by MadiMamacita 


I think I remember reading that your milk alcohol level is a percentage of your blood alcohol level, so if your BAL is .08 your MAL would be .008%.. i will look for a source on that

Interesting!  Once I'm able to type with both hands I'll look into it also.  

[MadiMamacita]

ok i found what i was thinking about..

"if a mother has a blood-alcohol content of .08% (legally drunk in many areas); her breastmilk will be .08% alcohol. Unfortunately, some people get confused and think that the baby's blood-alcohol content will then be .08% as well, but that isn't the case at all."
so BAL and MAL are roughly the same, but that doesn't mean baby will be legally drunk.. baby will only get under 1% alcohol in the milk which would be a very small percentage of babies bal. i'm going to look up a bal calculater.

[MadiMamacita]

ok i ran a calculation assuming a male 11 lb baby with 6 oz of breastmilk if the mother were at .08. it said :-- neglible amount -- %


http://www.csgnetwork.com/bloodalcolevelcalc.html

[Carson]

And most beers are 4.5%. Olnly those rare 'super beers' have that high of an alcohol content.

I can see wanting to pump and dump after spicy food if it irritates your LOs stomach. Some babies are sensitive.

[crystal_buffaloe]

@AmySue's baby was a preemie, though, so I can see wanting to be extra cautious.

Here is when I have pumped & dumped -- if DH & I have gone out on a date or to a party & MIL watched the baby and she just had a bottle. I'd pump when I got home to maintain my supply and avoid enorgement, but I didn't really want alcohol-content milk in the fridge/freezer, even if I'd have nursed in the same situation, you know?

I'm 100% comfortable nursing after 1 glass of wine/beer.

This is from Dr. Jack Newman:

A mother should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding. Not true! Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for breastfeeding mothers.

Link: http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-MB2