I plan on breastfeeding but I want to have a few beers after hes born?

My baby should be here in a few weeks and my birthday is a couple weeks later. I plan to breatfeed but dont want it to have an affect on my baby. Would it be ok to pump my breast beforehand and have bottles ready to feed him later. Want the alcohol eventually get out of my system to where its not in my breastmilk or will it stay in there? If this is a bad idea I will not drink but I was just curious to know.

Alcohol clears the breast milk in about the same amount of time it takes to clear the blood stream.
If you are planning to drink heavily (more than 2 drinks), you may want to give it 6-8 hours to clear your system.

Contrary to popular belief, do not pump the milk out after you have had a few drinks, it will not help decrease the amount of alcohol in your system.

Make sure you have a back up feeding plan in place for the baby during that time & if you have a "buzz" make sure someone will be caring for your baby as you wouldn't want any drunk accidents to happen during the time it takes you to sober up.

I would not drink any alcohol until your baby is on a feeding schedule which is normally around 3 to 4 months of age. Some days babies want to eat more than others so you will not really know how much your baby is going to eat that day especially if your baby is going through a growth spurt.

If you are going to drink anyway regardless on what we say then I do suggest making sure you have a good amount of bottles in the freezer for that day and pump and dump all your milk. Usually for every beer you drink it is 2 to 3 hours to get out of your milk so you have to pump and dump that amount.

It's also not a good idea because your baby can get nipple confusion with being on a bottle for a few times. The baby may forget how to latch back on to you so you have to be careful about that.

Good Luck on your upcoming arrival!!!

Alcohol may decrease your milk supply, so be aware of that.

all the guidelines about alcohol and breastfeeding are here. everything you need to know! : http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle...

Also, its a good idea to wait until your baby is a couple months old at least, and is very used to nursing. You dont want to give the baby a bottle too early and cause nipple confusion.

If it were me personally I would not do it. Eventually something from the alcohol will go to your baby whether it is good or bad. I think that it is a bad idea. Just the thought of drinking while still breastfeeding my little bundle of joy, would be enough for me to say no. Alcohol is not worth it.

It's perfectly fine to drink in moderation while breast feeding. The rule of thumb is that if you are sober enough to drive you are sober enough to nurse. Having one beer will not effect breast milk. Just wait until you are no longer buzzed before nursing. You do not need to pump and dump or anything along those lines. Alcohol leaves the breastmilk the same way it does your blood.

Here is a link: http://kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alc...

Too funny that I am getting thumbs down for this answer. Obviously it is from people who do not breast feed. Read the link people...

My mother is a nurse practitioner and she said it was fine for me to have a few beers. It will work its way out of your system (you dont have to pump out the "alcohol milk") She said rule of thumb is about 3 hours per beer. So if you have 2 beers, wait 6 hours after your last one before nursing.

Of course you can still have a few drinks...just pump the milk and then toss it. Give the baby milk you have stored away or some formula. You deserve it!!

bad idea, sorry. baby first

bad idea...

ok, so here is the deal...I found some things for you to look at..

"Some health care providers feel it is best to avoid all alcohol while nursing. Some feel that occasional moderate drinking is okay and some feel that if any alcohol is consumed, you should pump and dump for 24 hours."
"Alcohol clears the breast milk in about the same amount of time it takes to clear the blood stream. If you are planning to drink heavily (more than 2 drinks), you may want to give it 6-8 hours to clear your system," Ryan says.

But Denise G Hewson, RN, IBCLC at the Breastfeeding.com web site has a different view. "By the time you are no longer feeling "tipsy" it is okay to feed your baby. Alcohol does not go into your milk and stay there. It goes in and comes out. If you feel ok, then most of the alcohol is out of your milk. If you have any doubt, pump and dump one time and that should be fine."

But the American Academy of Pediatricians has a still different view: While you are nursing, avoid drinking alcohol because it can pass through your milk to your baby. If you choose to drink alcohol, drink it just after you nurse rather than just before.


Moderation is Key
Although these experts disagree about the length of time between drinking and breastfeeding, one thing they all agree about is that mothers who drink while breastfeeding should only do so moderately and "moderate" means no more than two drinks per day.

no beers, no chocolate, no pickles, no spicy stuff...

it comes out in the milk, I learned the hard way...my daughter did not like pickled milk at all!!haha...