Breastfeeding Class

[Linnis]

Went to my first one today, out of about 20 women, two husbands came along. This first class was just the basics or at least I think so I didn't hear the end of it.

This woman says alcohol is okay when breastfeeding even if it goes to the breastmilk. Her exact words were when I asked about it's safety(not that I'd drink either way) was "Ohwell even if it does go to your baby, it'll just help him sleep longer." that was her reply to babies being sleepy because of painmeds and how it effects the start of the breastfeeding relationship.

Gee, thanks but I don't want to give my baby alcohol and be thankful he passes out as a result.

The last half of the class, while the teacher spoke only the very front row heard her. This woman brought her 2 girls, probably 3 or 4 years old...they screamed the last twenty minutes of the class. Instead of leaving to calm her kids down & coming back, she kept yelling at them which only added to us not being able to hear. Not fun....good thing I've already been doing reading on my own.

I do hope this doesn't happen next time or DH and I want to switch classes. Two or 3 other parents had to bring kids and they brought books and toys. Hopefully her kids were just having an off day.

When it gets to the point she'll be using the dolls to teach different holding etc I want to be able to hear.

 

[Leanna]

is this the Leche League? I am going to join the LLL soon..... if its not the LLL maybe you should switch

 

[rainbowbright]

Drinking alcohol while prenant was my biggest concern when I had my first (being 23 then) and my doctor said you can drink, you just need to pump and dump aftwerwards.

 

[Athene]

Drinking alcohol while prenant was my biggest concern when I had my first (being 23 then) and my doctor said you can drink, you just need to pump and dump aftwerwards.

You don't actually need to pump and dump unless you really want too. Here's what my midwife told me, breastfeed directly before having a drink and then don't breastfeed again for 2 to 3 hours, by this time the alcohol should have left the breastmilk (varies from person to person). And have no more then 1 to 2 units a week.

 

[RoseofLima]

I am always so horridly tired when I have a new baby- I can't imagine even wanting to drink!

Linnis-- I am sorry- that class sounds horrible and nightmarish! I second the LLL recommendation...and if you don't get the info you need, you can always ask a leader afterwards. Some areas have couples meetings- where moms and dads can both attend. One of the things about an LLL meeting is that you get to see real actual moms breastfeeding their real actual babies. I think that in itself is very helpful. Also I like that lots of the women are there because they has struggles with nursing- and that can build your confidence if things don't start of idyllic.

 

[giddybiscuit]

You don't actually need to pump and dump unless you really want too. Here's what my midwife told me, breastfeed directly before having a drink and then don't breastfeed again for 2 to 3 hours, by this time the alcohol should have left the breastmilk (varies from person to person). And have no more then 1 to 2 units a week.

Yep. And I have read that if you're sober enough to drive, you're sober enough to breastfeed.

 

[Linnis]

I still feel any amount to the baby is not acceptable, let alone enough to make the baby sleepy.

I'm going to try another breastfeeding class, see if we like another one better.

 

[bliz]

LLL groups can vary greatly. I once ended up in one that was almost a man-hating-girls club. Some are filled with only SAHM, while others with working women. If you did not loike this group, and I would not blame you, try another!

 

[giddybiscuit]

Some are filled with only SAHM, while others with working women.

Yes, and I have never been to a LLL meeting myself, but I hear that the ones held in the evening are primarily made up of women with jobs outside the home, while the morning meetings have more SAHMs. Which makes sense to me.

 

[busybusymomma]

I hope the other class is better.

 

[Leanna]

Maybe the class will get better though, sit near the front next time so that the lady will be behind you. I think it is so great that you are taking a class in advance like this

 

[jgonz]

Yikes, that class sounds... well... yikes.

I hope you can find a good class, or a LLL group that you like. LLL is supposed to be a mix of moms, from different backgrounds, different parenting styles, different needs, some working some not, etc.

Me (or any other experienced mom or LLL leader online) can always answer questions for you, but it's always better to have a Real Life support group set up for when you have your baby and may need hands on help. (I say "may" because some babies nurse like champs right from birth, while others take longer, and some just down right have to be Taught how to nurse.)

 

[lin1235]

alcohol "helps the baby sleep"??? I would be very worried! From what I've read, it's true that babies who drink breastmilk with alcohol in it tends to sleep more deeply, and they also sleep shorter and wake up more irritable. That's not something I want to do to my baby!

I do look forward to when I can have a glass of wine again, but I would rather wait until I stop breastfeeding than take the chance of harming my baby!

 

[Linnis]

The problem is most of the classes are at night after the buses stop running. I asked DH about them and he said he'd see if he could find us rides from friends to go.

I'll sit near the front next time and hopefully what I hear will be better than what I did last time.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Alcohol is in the breastmilk at the same concentration as it is in the blood (as you sober up, alcohol leaves the milk just as readily as it arrived). That is very significantly down on the concentration in an actual glass of wine.

If you think that the alcohol in wine has a concentration of 12%. Drinking a whole bottle in a short amount of time (say an hour) would lead to a concentration in your blood of around 0.1% (just over the UK drink-drive limit of 0.08%). Then again, the baby doesn't usually drink 750ml in this amount of time.

It's obviously a personal choice as to whether you drink or not, and you can factor up or down my calculations. Bottom line is that it is still a small amount of alcohol that the baby would be exposed to and his liver is well able to cope with this.

I think the bf counsellor is wrong to say that the alcohol is directly responsible for making a baby sleep longer - studies are not clear on this, with the scales being tipped in the direction of the baby not sleeping as long, but with most saying it makes not one iota of difference.

One of the benefits of having an early evening drink it can reduce the liklihood of colic - calm mother, calm baby - and that may be what leads to a more peaceful sleep. It is also thought to help with milk supply when it starts to sap in that early evening time.

 

[Cright]

If you think that the alcohol in wine has a concentration of 12%. Drinking a whole bottle in a short amount of time (say an hour) would lead to a concentration in your blood of around 0.1% (just over the UK drink-drive limit of 0.08%). Then again, the baby doesn't usually drink 750ml in this amount of time.

It's obviously a personal choice as to whether you drink or not, and you can factor up or down my calculations. Bottom line is that it is still a small amount of alcohol that the baby would be exposed to and his liver is well able to cope with this.

I think the bf counsellor is wrong to say that the alcohol is directly responsible for making a baby sleep longer - studies are not clear on this, with the scales being tipped in the direction of the baby not sleeping as long, but with most saying it makes not one iota of difference.

One of the benefits of having an early evening drink it can reduce the liklihood of colic - calm mother, calm baby - and that may be what leads to a more peaceful sleep. It is also thought to help with milk supply when it starts to sap in that early evening time.

Your 1st paragraph is based souly on an estimate. If I drink a glass of wine or what have you (not being a drinker) my blood alcohol rises MUCH faster than someone who say drinks of wine a week.

I actually can get tipsy on 1 to 1 1/2 drinks. I would be above the legal limit I'm sure, and I'm a pretty big girl.

Your 2nd paragraph states that the small amount of alcohol baby gets can be broken down by his liver and that baby can cope. This really depends. A baby's liver is NOT fully mature at birth. This is why so many babies are born jaundice. The liver doesn't fully break down billiruben until after birth. So in a newborn, it may not be able to cope. After the first 3 months, it SHOULD be able to cope.. by why take the chance of hardship on an organ that just finished it's maturation.

I'd like to see some type of study, professional journal or article supporting your 3rd paragraph. LLL is one of my most trusted sources and says that "most" are unsure, not that most say it's okay.

LLL also says that studies do not show benefits, I haven't found reputable sources that say that it reduces colic.

I don't believe in wine being used as medicine. It's old wives tales that say to have a glass of red wine for this or that ailment. More often than not they are a Band-Aid not a cure.

With all this said, I have no problems with the mom who feeds baby, then heads out of baby's site to have a (ONE) drink, and waits a few hours to feed baby again... especially after the 3 month mark. However, I don't advocate for it at all. Most mom's haven't drank since pre-pregnancy, her hormones are still settling, and if she's breast feeding she's got a huge responsibility of making sure her child is taken care of properly. Once tipsy peoples impulses change and they react differently. I find it irresponsible once it passes a fine line.