Breastfeeding and Wine

[claire797]

Does anyone every have a glass of wine before breastfeeding? I'll admit, I have but I still feel a little guilty about it. According to the research I've done, it's okay if you only have one glass, drink it with food, then wait about 2 to 3 hours to feed again. I went 9 months without drinking any, but now I find a glass every once in a while helps me relax. Still, I have mixed feelings about it when I do. What do you all think?

[KristaMB]

Here's what it says about alcohol in a book sombody gave me by the La Leche League called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." (The alcohol part is the only part I've read...:))

"An anxious overtired mother may sometimes find that an occasional glass of wine or beer helps her to feel relaxed. Of course, as mother becomes less tense so does her baby.

The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother ingests. When the mother drinks moderately (two drink or less per day), the amount of alcohol her baby receives has not shown to be harmful...

At times, the use of alcohol has been suggested as a way to encourage the mother's let-down reflex. In some cases.....large amounts of alcohol can inhibit milk ejection."

In "What To Expect The First Year" it basically says the same thing about one or two drinks.

But, in "The Complete and Authoritative Guide: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child" published by the American Academy of Pediatrics it says, " Do not smoke, consume alcohol, or use illegal drugs, as all contain substances that can interfere with let-down, affect the content of breastmilk, and be harmful to the baby."

My personal feeling is that an occasional glass of wine is okay.

~Krista

[mb]

i've tried to limit my intake of not-so-good stuff while nursing. i never drink coffee anymore (i think i've had decaf 2-3 times since i became pregnant!) and alcohol has been a no-no also. however, now that i'm nursing (vs being pregnant) i feel a little safer about having a glass of wine. i guess because i figure there is no more chance of fetal alcohol syndrome, etc. while we were on our cruise, i had a glass of wine with dinner each night, and everything was ok. i was actually hoping it would make amanda sleepy, but it didn't seem to have any effect on her :o

i can't say i didn't feel a tiny bit guilty, but it was a small amount, so i'm not too concerned. i may also have a bit on thanksgiving with dinner too. but as a rule, i try to avoid that stuff.

HOWEVER, even though i avoid coffee/tea, i can't seem to hide from chocolate...:rolleyes:

marisa :)

[KelLeg]

I drank while I nursed (two kids for about 6 mos. each). I didn't "tie one on" or anything. Just a glass of wine here or there. I didn't do caffeine, mainly b/c I switched to caffeine-free soda when PG and never went back. Plus, I'm not a coffee drinker. I didn't avoid chocolate, though (but, I'm not a chocolate addict!).

[Robyncz]

I nursed my first daughter for 10 months, right up until I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter (ahem!). I am now breastfeeding number 2 who is currently 6 months old. My OB, my pediatrician, and my lactation consultant have all assured me that an occasional glass of wine is not going to hurt the baby, and I believe them. The problem is that everyone can have a different concept of what "occasional" or "moderate" might mean. Personally, I'll have a glass of wine maybe once every couple of weeks when I'm out with my girlfriends.

Now, caffeine is a different story. Like KelLeg, I switched to caffeine-free soda while I was pregnant the first time, and I never went back. I didn't drink any coffee while I was pregnant, but now I do indulge in a cup, probably every other day. I do feel a eensy bit guilty about that, but I've watched the baby carefully, and it doesn't seem to affect her one way or another. Hope I'm right. . .

[Robyncz]

Hey Claire, I'm in Austin, too. I actually spoke to a new mom named Claire a couple of months ago about some breast feeding problems. A lactation consultant hooked us up. Could that have been you? Not that I think you're the only breastfeeding new mom named Claire in all of Austin, but wouldn't that be funny!?!

Robyn

[shoyski]

I found this on Parents.com

Raise a Glass Cautiously
One beer or glass of wine probably won't cause harm, but think twice before drinking more heavily. The alcohol will accumulate in your baby's bloodstream, causing sleepiness and other changes -- or even intoxication, Dr. Gartner warns. If you're going out for cocktails, pump and freeze milk beforehand, then pump and dump milk afterward to keep up your supply. You can usually resume breast-feeding by morning.

People often say that sipping wine before nursing helps bring down your milk, but it actually has the opposite effect. Alcohol reduces the body's levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production. "A baby will suckle more avidly because he has to work harder, but still gets less milk," says Carol Huotari, a board-certified lactation consultant and manager of the Center for Breastfeeding Information at La Leche League International, in Schaumburg, Illinois. Regular drinking can also lead to reduced weight gain in infants.

[claire797]

Looks like there's still no real answer. I'll probably continue to have an occasional 4 oz glass of wine with food.

From all the reading, it looks like the worst that can happen is that gross motor skills are slightly impaired over time....and this happened to mothers who drank and breastfed regularly or drank large amounts. Furthermore, one of the doctors said it's even healthier for a mother who drinks SEVERAL glasses of wine a day to continue breastfeeding rather than formula feed. Which to me equates with "alcohol milk" is still healthier than formula. Hmmmm. I wonder about that.

Not that I want to dose her up with alcohol, but it seems the amount she gets from me *worst case* would just make her a little sleepy....and I haven't even (like Marissa) noticed that effect.

I wonder what those wine-drinking Europeans are doing....

[MrsReber]

I, too, have an occasional drink now and then, but only one "serving" at a time, whether it be a beer or a glass of wine. I don't think it's harmful at all if you're not drinking two glasses a day. Also, the nurse at the hospital told me that malt beverages (specifically beer) help to stimulate milk production. Anyone else hear this? My SIL told me that having one beer a day is a good thing. I'm not a big beer drinker, but I'd have one maybe every couple of weeks in the summer. Claire, I think you and baby will be just fine.

[kbucky]

I nursed our little girl for 13 mos, and felt comfortable drinking a glass of wine when I could get it! I remember going to a La Leche meeting once and the leader said that LLL's official position on drinking and nursing was that if you are sober enough to actually nurse your baby, then the amount of alcohol passing to breast milk was not going to be an issue. So if that nursing mom is just passed out drunk, no breastfeeding for her! Hmmmm...I can't seem to find that exact position on the La Leche web page....

I did do a little search there, and found this interesting article... http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVAprMay97p30.html I never considered that the taste of alcohol in breast milk would affect how much the baby would drink...a study quoted in the article indicated that 'alcohol-flavored' breast milk would initially stimulate the baby to suck vigorously, but then the baby would not consume as much as usual. That's a real bummer for keeping up milk supply. The article also mentions that alcohol clears from breastmilk at the same rate as it clears from the blood...it does not accumulate. So most of the time if you just wait a couple hours after that wine, baby won't get any at all.

[claire797]

Originally posted by kbucky
I remember going to a La Leche meeting once and the leader said that LLL's official position on drinking and nursing was that if you are sober enough to actually nurse your baby, then the amount of alcohol passing to breast milk was not going to be an issue. So if that nursing mom is just passed out drunk, no breastfeeding for her.

That's pretty funny! I think La Leche's position is that even alcohol is better than formula. I've been to a couple of meetings (which were very helpful) and it was suggested that I send all the free formula samples I've been getting back to the formula companies. La Leche hates formula.


Also, I've read all that stuff about how the malt in beer helps let-down. Too bad I hate beer! I wish there was research to show that wine helped let-down but I think it's a catch 22. It helps you relax (which is good for milk let-down) but then chemically inhibits prolactin or something.