Can I drink and breastfeed?

Rant begins.

As a lactation consultant whose business phone number comes up on Google 24/7, I would selfishly rather that you not drink, smoke or get high during the holidays...because then you call me.

You see, I get calls and texts every single year the morning after Thanksgiving, on Christmas morning and on New Year's morning from moms or concerned family members. These calls wake me up, or come in as I'm sitting down with my kiddos around the tree. They come to my business phone (which is linked to my personal cell phone that never shuts off because, well, babies) from new moms (or from mother-in-laws demonizing their imbibing DILs) asking if a "a friends" baby can still breastfeed after she has had a "half a glass of wine", or after having had "just a few puffs from a cigarette", or after having "not inhaled after having just one puff". Mmmm hmmmm.

Most of these are sweet yet remorseful moms (or MILs looking to get dirt on your amazing DIL) in all-out google/panic-mode, and sadly this is the one morning (ok, three mornings) per year, so you just might be one of these mamas, please (pretty please), read on...

(rant over, btw)

Tips for Preparing to Party

• Breastfeed your baby just before you take your first drink or smoke, as opposed to taking a drink or smoke right as you're about to breastfeed in order give more time between your drink/cigarette and your feed for your body to eliminate the alcohol or cigarette toxins; smoking moms can take an extra shirt to change in to after smoking but before holding their baby, and they can smoke outside and away from their baby
• If you know in advance that you plan on drinking heavily, take bottles of previously expressed milk or formula (if you use it) on hand and make sure that whoever you are with is sober enough to care for your baby if your baby is with you and you are too intoxicated to care for them.
• Don't bother "pumping and dumping" since alcohol will leave your breastmilk when it leaves your blood stream depending on your metabolism. Pumping and dumping will not sober you any faster (so save your money on breastmilk alcohol test strips because your brain will let you know if you have sobered up).
• In cases where drinking isn't an option for you, consider taking your own non-alcoholic beer or sparkling drink to the gathering so that you can still participate in the toast, bottle uncorking, etc....although anything you normally drink can be a stand in for this.
• Make sure to stay hydrated when drinking since dehydration from drinking can affect your milk supply
• Intoxicated parents should NEVER CO-SLEEP with their baby; if you are spending the night at someone else's home with your baby for festivities, make sure you have safe sleeping arrangements for your baby
• Avoid drinking during the first few weeks after delivery since it is believed that newborns and young babies metabolize alcohol at half of the rate that adults do​

With so much love for you and your little gobbler...

laura m gruber
owner
BreastfeedingHousecalls.com