How long after drinking before breastfeeding?

I just attended my breastfeeding class last week and they told us that first of all, it will only take one or two drinks to have her feeling loopy after having not drank for 9 months...secondly, the general rule is 3 for 1: you have to wait and pump 3 hours for every drink ie: if you have one drink wait 3 three hours and pump and dump...two drinks wait another 3 hours and pump and dump again...so what this means is that your wife needs to have pumped a few times and stored it prior to going out drinking. the other general rule is that if you are SURE you don't feel ANY effects of the alcohol it is probably OK.

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Your wife should wait 2-3 hours after drinking to feed. But from personal experience, 3-4 drinks will probably have her smashed. I had a beer (my first in almost a year) and was buzzed...before baby I would not have felt it. My non-breastfeeding friend had the same experience. Your wife may end up being a cheap date. www.kellymom.com has a more information about breastfeeding and alcohol. check it out.

Breastfeeding Alcohol How Long

I was just looking at your question since I expect that I'll be doing the same in about 5 months...I think I read more of the 3 hour rule...and pump and dump.

I vote the best answer to be the chick that saw a breastfeeding specialist at the hospital.

After 1-2 *normal* sized drinks, she can nurse immediately. After more than that, she needs to wait about 2-3 hours. There is no need to "pump and dump" (unless for *her* comfort)--when the milk leaves her body, it *leaves* her body!! (Her breasts *are* still attached, right?) If she's sober enough to drive, she can nurse.

I am adding a link to Dr. Thomas Hale's Web site (see sources section below). Dr. Hale is the world's foremost expert on drugs and breastfeeding; you can take his word before that of anyone else in the world, let alone a stranger here. You may need to sign in as "guest" to use the site, but you don't have to give any personal information.

The amount of alcohol that passes into breastmilk is relatively small. As a general rule, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. There is not necessarily a need to pump and dump...the amount of alcohol in the milk will gradually decrease without having to pump. However, your wife might want to keep it down to something more like 1-2 drinks rather than 3-4.

Here's a link for you with lots of information:

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.h...

If she is breast feeding, she needs to make sure she pumps enough out for at least a days worth before going out and drinking. Then pump out for the remainder of that day and the next to make sure the baby won't get any contact with the alcohol.

This is like asking if you wait for 3 hours before going pee, will your urine test still come back positive? Yes, and the alcohol can still be in the milk for several hours.

Safer bet is to pump some before you go out and have it ready for bottle feeding until the alcohol is out of mom's system.

From the LLL (La Leche League) book of Breastfeeding...

IF you don't feel it, then you can nurse. I had a few beers one night while BF'ing my son, and I didn't fell woozy or sick or like I had a buzz...and it was safe to nurse...IF she doesn't want to OR feels a buzz, pump but DON"T dump!! Just label the bag, and freeze it!!