Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Breastfeeding And Alcohol

Guhlia

By Guhlia
in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff

Recommended Posts

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted

Ok, I got invited to go on a girl's night out and I'd really like to have a few drinks or so. Does anyone know how long I need to pump and dump to avoid getting alcohol in my baby's system? I know I should just call my lactation consultant and ask, but I feel kind of embarrassed about wanting to go out drinking when I have a two month old. I feel comfortable with you guys, so I thought maybe someone would know.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Can you go out with the girls and not drink? That would be best but when I was breastfeeding my son his pediatrician allowed me one glass of wine while I was breastfeeding to relax. I was told not to drink more than that. How long it would take for the alcohol to leave your system has a lot of variables to it, like your weight, sex, condition of your liver and kidneys, how much you drank, how fast you drank, how much you ate, etc. Could you go along and be designated driver and at most have just one glass of wine?

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

I drank when I breastfed with all five of my kids .... I know it's not the ideal, but it's not the same as drinking while pregnant, either.

I'm not a heavy drinker, so it wasn't like I was getting loaded. :) It was a couple drinks every once in a while.

I didn't pump and skip a feeding when I did it ....

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author

Thanks guys. I definitely don't want to be the designated driver. I'm willing to pump and dump for as long as I have to to make it 100% safe for the baby. Anyone have any clue how long if I have 3 drinks? What about 4? What about 5? I'm approximately 140 lbs, 5'3" and we'll probably only be at the bar for 3 hours so I'm assuming it will be spread out over 3 hours.

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

Angie,

Here is an article/table to show how long it takes to clear alcohol out of your system for breastfeeding mothers. Get your glasses, the print size in the table is tiny!

Open Original Shared Link

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

If you have three drinks I really wouldn't worry about it, but if you're not comfortable breastfeeding after drinking dump your milk while drinking and four hours or so after you stop. The peak amount of alcohol is in your milk four hours after drinking.

Go out and have a GREAT time! :D

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author

Janet, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I wasn't having any luck finding it through google though. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thanks to everyone else too who replied. :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

You've probably already had your Mom's Night Out, but I just wanted to point out that if you're going to "pump and dump," you should pump before you leave, too, so that the baby gets your milk and not formula.

Your baby might be able to tolerate formula just fine. But I was told by a neonatal nurse that nearly every nursing baby she ever had to give formula to had colicky reactions to the switch.

That could be a rather heavy price to pay just for a couple of drinks!

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author

I have a week's worth of frozen breastmilk in the freezer that we rotate out so my husband can feed her a bottle at night. Last time, with Tori, I ended up in the throes of Celiac while breastfeeding. I ended up in the hospital rather unexpectedly and we didn't have any reserve breastmilk. We had to throw poor Tori onto formula with no weaning period. She didn't handle it well at all, even Alimentum gave her bloody diarrhea, and we ended up having to give her Neocate until she was almost a year old. I was so sick that I couldn't even muster up the energy to pump while I was in the hospital, so my milk dried up. I was in the hospital for a week. It was horrible. So.... Needless to say I'm rather paranoid and have made sure that I have plenty of breastmilk on reserve. I pump once daily now so that we can keep the reserve in the freezer fresh. I never, ever want to have to throw this one onto formula like we did with Tori. That was just entirely too stressful for all of us.

ruthla Contributor
ruthla
Posted
Ok, I got invited to go on a girl's night out and I'd really like to have a few drinks or so. Does anyone know how long I need to pump and dump to avoid getting alcohol in my baby's system? I know I should just call my lactation consultant and ask, but I feel kind of embarrassed about wanting to go out drinking when I have a two month old. I feel comfortable with you guys, so I thought maybe someone would know.

No need to pump and dump, as long as you don't "get wasted." If you're sober enough to drive safely and safely care for your baby, you're sober enough to nurse. If you do get drunk, you're fine to nurse again as soon as you're sober enough to drive.

The only reason to pump and dump is if you need to avoid nursing for several hours (longer than the baby normally goes between feedings) you may want to pump just to keep up supply and avoid engorgement. Your milk alcohol level will go down as your blood alcohol level goes down.

OK, now I read the rest of the thread and feel like an idiot for responding after reading only the first post.

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author

Ruth, don't feel stupid. I'm glad you replied because it reminded me of something else I wanted to ask... If I don't pump and dump, but just wait the amount of time on the chart, will my milk still have alcohol in it? Or does it go away as time goes on.

Also, if I do pump, then store the milk, will the alcohol level decrease? Does that make sense?

Sorry for all the dumb questions... I just don't know how this whole thing works and I'll really like to be able to go out with my friends every once in a while. God knows I don't take enough time for myself. It would be really nice to get out and let loose occasionally.

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

I know it won't decrease once you've pumped and stored it.

The article that I linked (and ruthla :P ) both say you don't have to pump and dump unless you need to because you are uncomfortably full. The alcohol in your breast milk (while it is STILL IN your breast) will diffuse back into your blood stream. As your alcohol level goes down, so does the breast milk alcohol level.

bakingbarb Enthusiast
bakingbarb
Posted

I'm so glad I read this thread. We have a friend whose Grandson is going through some terrible food allergies and the Drs want to put him on all kinds of drugs. He is just turned 1!

I saw the Neocate and am going to pass that on to her. I won' t get into the rest of it here but it relates to me saying STUPID DR

Oh and when I go out and drink I also drink glass of water per alcoholic beverage. It helps your body flush it out and keeps you hydrated.

ruthla Contributor
ruthla
Posted

No, the alcohol in the milk won't decrease when it's been pumped and stored, but you may be less concerned about the alcohol intake of an older baby, or you may be willing to use it if you're down to the last bottle of frozen milk, mom isn't available, and you're not sure how the baby will tolerate formula. So, if you don't want to pump and dump, you can pump and carefully label.

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author
No, the alcohol in the milk won't decrease when it's been pumped and stored, but you may be less concerned about the alcohol intake of an older baby, or you may be willing to use it if you're down to the last bottle of frozen milk, mom isn't available, and you're not sure how the baby will tolerate formula. So, if you don't want to pump and dump, you can pump and carefully label.

I'm currently producing 4-6 more ounces a day than what I actually need because I'm currently giving my other daughter breastmilk to supplement her diet since she's on a gluten challenge. Long story... She's 3-1/2. Would it be safe for her to have milk pumped after drinking? I'm assuming it wouldn't be, but it never hurts to ask. That way I wouldn't have to skip any of her breastmilk (which is what I would do if I pumped and dumped).

Glutenfreefamily Enthusiast
Glutenfreefamily
Posted

Non educated opinion here but, I would be concerned about a 3.5 year old since if they do get intoxicated slightly from it they might fall and hurt themselves. Im usually an overly paranoid parent anyway so take it with a grain of salt :)

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

It just seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to just for a few drinks. Is it really worth it??

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted
  • Author

It was absolutely worth it! I had a fabulous time and I feel like a new woman today. I really needed to get out and let loose. I don't do that often enough.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Celiac.com Sponsored Post
      0

      An Inclusive Valentine's Day: Easy Tips for a Celebration Everyone Can Enjoy

    2. trents
      - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    3. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    5. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,338
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Erica Johnson
    Newest Member
    Erica Johnson
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.