(Sorry that it is long but my questions are stated in numbered form below, for ease of reference. I am desperate for some expert advice so please read my unique story and offer me your professional assistance)

I wanted to exclusively breastfeed when I read up and attended ante-natal classes. So when my baby was born 4 and half months ago, within half an hour of normal delivery, I put her to the breast and started breastfeeding.

I had absolutely no problems with her latching on and she took to it as if a natural. The hospital, however did not ask me whether I was exclusively breastfeeding and fed her formula milk. I was upset and that was the last of it. From then on I breastfed but only once do I remember her sleeping for about 4 hours before requiring the next feed.

Thereafter, she fed for about 30-45min at a time, slept for only 20-30min and then woke up hungry again. Even though my nipples were sore I still wanted to continue as I know the value of this milk. I also regularly took my vitamins and supplements whilst pregnant so I knew that I was healthy and was going to pass this on to my baby via my breastmilk.

This pattern went on for 4 days. On the 4th day, my husband could not take the fact that she was waking up every 20-30min for a feed that also lasted between 20-45min. It was also taxing on me and I could not do anything for myself. She was also getting irritable and angry as she was constantly hungry. I read up that it takes a few days for the milk to come in, etc so told my husband to be patient and accept her crying and waking up every now and then.

But on the evening of the 4th day, he asked me to express my milk to see how much I was giving her. I did that with a very good breast pump and not even 10ml was expressed. I didn't express for 30min as the instructions suggested because I just didn't have the time or patience to do this. When my husband saw this, he didn't even stop to ask me anything but simply stepped out and bought her formula which he insisted I give her when he got back home. With tears in my eyes, I fed her the formula. She thought it was the breast and sucked on it differently but after a while she got used to it.

I was so upset. I felt that I could have continued with that pattern but also felt deep inside that it was crazy to continue like that. I can understand that with breastfeeding you have to be prepared to feed frequently but what does frequently mean? Surely not every 20-45min? I also knew that my baby was highly irritable and angry at this situation and that's what my husband kept telling me... that it was not fair on her or me to continue in this manner.

What I did do though was to continue breastfeeding. So the pattern was breastmilk first (about 10min of it) and then formula. My baby also had a healthy appetite and by the 2nd-3rd week, she was already on about 75ml of formula milk. This continued daily and whenever I had alcohol over the weekend, I did not feed for the entire weekend.

I started feeding once a day from about 3 months and a week as I wanted baby to get used to me not being around when I came back to work at 4 months. She also got used to this and soon after she would drink for about 20seconds at the breast and then start looking around. She also wouldn't suck very strongly and as a result, get very little milk. I couldn't even feed her for 5min as after a few sucks, she would start getting irritated and cry because she wanted the bottle which was easier flowing milk.

So, my questions based on what I have mentioned above are:

1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?

3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).

4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a Friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?

I really would like all my questions answered please as I feel so despondent and want to know from experts on the best advice they have. I searched so many sites but could not find a problem like this that others experienced. I'm sorry that its long but I needed to explain the whole story so you could answer in context and be fully aware of the entire situation.

Thank you so much for this site as this is also the only site that was so user friendly and quick!

I am not a breastfeeding expert, but I will give you my experience.

1. Breastfeeding is far more tricky and a lot less natural then most people talk about for a layperson. When breastfeeding my daughter, it was extremely painful and I was actually bleeding as well as milking in the beginning. It's a learning process by both parties but a Lactation Consultant could have benefitted your ability to continue. It is a shame that on the Labor & Delivery floor you were not given this information.

2. Any breast milk is beneficial to an infant, but at once a day your milk is drying up and surely the infant is not receiving much benefit. Are you pumping as well. The more you feed and pump the more milk you will produce. You need to pump more often and try and work up the volume of milk that you are producing. If you put the infant to breast will little to nothing to offer, you are going to have an unhappy infant. Pump and let us know how much you can produce.

3. If your doctor was concerned, they would let you know. Many healthy children are raised on formula and while it was not your ideal choice. It is a viable option to breastfeeding and you child will not suffer any consequences from this.

4. If you are not willing to continue not drinking until you are done breastfeeding, then don't worry about breastfeeding and continue to formula feed. Alcohol is secreted in breast milk and the benefits of breastfeeding are lost if you are drinking. The long lapses you are creating by not breastfeeding are causing your breast not to produce milk. Instead of not breastfeeding for the following two days, try pumping for the following two days and pitching the breast milk. You body has to know to make breast milk and without a feeding child, your body doesn't know.

1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?

3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).

4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a Friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?



First let me start by saying I feel your pain. On every aspect of this question. More than there are words enough. And I am long winded. (hail whiskey) Okay not that I got that out of my system.
I don't know where you live, buthttp://www.llli.org/ AWESOME people, a group in a town near you kind of thing. I have been an avid supporter and member for going on 9 years now. For the EXACT reason you cited as your original frustration. These people helped me tremendously! If for no other reason than to feel better about this and to have the support I HIGHLY recommend these breast feeding experts and support people.

This is more than likely an issue of your milk not coming in fast enough. It's a very very common occurrence and not at all strange. Her eating for that length of time was her way of getting what she needed, but it was also helping your milk supply develop.
I would actually encourage you to try and feed for around 10 minutes on each side if you can. That amount of time will ensure that your baby gets all of the fat and most healthy parts of your milk.
But the most important thing you need to know is that any breast milk your baby receives is a good thing. Breast milk contains immunities that formula will never be able to replicate. For that on reason whatever amount of milk you can or choose to give her for the first six months is a good thing. Your baby will have a healthy and functional immune system by about 6 months, if that gives you an indicator for comfort ability about when a lot of women choose to stop breastfeeding. If you are having a hard time relaxing it can effect your milk, if you are stressed, or sick, or tired, anything can effect your milk. There are a lot of variants for your body, but it's important to keep in mind that trying because you want to is not a bad thing. You don't have to breastfeed just because other people do it, if you feel like it's becoming more trouble than it is worth, or if you feel as though it's more stressful than it is helpful, it is okay to call it quits for you and for your child. Don't feel bad for having tried. I fully breastfed my son till 5 months then he got breast, bottle, and cereal. My daughter was fully breastfed the first month, she developed breast milk jaundice I hand pumped for a couple of weeks and tried again till 6 months and it actually had adverse effects. We did months of testing and found out that she had a malabsorption issue. I had to give her formula, almost twice what a regular baby ate at each feeding. Talk about stress. My point being, you do what is best for your child, if she needs to eat she needs to eat.
What about pumping your milk? How has that gone for you? There are so many things I could tell you I don't actually think I can put it all in here. Like, it takes 2 weeks for any effort you put into pumping your milk to start showing in the amount of output you have in your breast milk. I have never been able to successfully use a pump, I sure wish I had, I hand processed every dang drop I got out of me and it took FOREVER each time.

As for the alcohol in your breast milk. LLLI | FAQ on Alcohol (http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html) This is a part of their FAQ, and I sure hope it's right because I have used those guidelines to drink for years when breastfeeding.


Here's my disclaimer:
A lot of opinions about breast feeding depend on the person, so any advice is great advice because each person's body is different. If you disagree, right on, express it nicely so I can learn too!

If I was unclear I apologize, it's an awful lot to cover in one post. Please let me know if you need something elaborated. Also the FAQ at LeLeche should be able to very easily answer any of these questions as well.

1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?

3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).

4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?



First let me start off by saying I feel your pain. On every aspect of this question. More than there are words enough. And I am long winded. (hail whiskey) Okay not that I got that out of my system.
I don't know where you live, buthttp://www.llli.org/ AWESOME people, a group in a town near you kind of thing. I have been an avid supporter and member for going on 9 years now. For the EXACT reason you cited as your original frustration. These people helped me tremendously! If for no other reason than to feel better about this and to have the support I HIGHLY recommend these breast feeding experts and support people.

This is more than likely an issue of your milk not coming in fast enough. It's a very very common occurrence and not at all strange. Her eating for that length of time was her way of getting what she needed, but it was also helping your milk supply develop.
I would actually encourage you to try and feed for around 10 minutes on each side if you can. That amount of time will ensure that your baby gets all of the fat and most healthy parts of your milk.
But the most important thing you need to know is that any breast milk your baby receives is a good thing. Breast milk contains immunities that formula will never be able to replicate. For that on reason whatever amount of milk you can or choose to give her for the first six months is a good thing. Your baby will have a healthy and functional immune system by about 6 months, if that gives you an indicator for comfort ability about when a lot of women choose to stop breastfeeding. If you are having a hard time relaxing it can effect your milk, if you are stressed, or sick, or tired, anything can effect your milk. There are a lot of variants for your body, but it's important to keep in mind that trying because you want to is not a bad thing. You don't have to breastfeed just because other people do it, if you feel like it's becoming more trouble than it is worth, or if you feel as though it's more stressful than it is helpful, it is okay to call it quits for you and for your child. Don't feel bad for having tried. I fully breastfed my son till 5 months then he got breast, bottle, and cereal. My daughter was fully breastfed the first month, she developed breast milk jaundice I hand pumped for a couple of weeks and tried again till 6 months and it actually had adverse effects. We did months of testing and found out that she had a malabsorption issue. I had to give her formula, almost twice what a regular baby ate at each feeding. talk about stress. My point being, you do what is best for your child, if she needs to eat she needs to eat.
What about pumping your milk? How has that gone for you? There are so many things i could tell you I don't actually think I can put it all in here. Like, it takes 2 weeks for any effort you put into pumping your milk to start showing in the amount of output you have in your breast milk. I have never been able to successfully use a pump, I sure wish I had, I hand processed every dang drop I got out of me and it took FOREVER each time.

As for the alcohol in your breast milk. LLLI | FAQ on Alcohol (http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html) This is a part of their FAQ, and I sure hope it's right because I have used those guidelines to drink for years when breastfeeding.


Here's my disclaimer:
A lot of opinions about breast feeding depend on the person, so any advice is great advice because each person's body is different. If you disagree, right on, express it nicely so I can learn too!

If I was unclear I apologize, it's an awful lot to cover in one post. Please let me know if you need something elaborated. Also the FAQ at LeLeche should be able to very easily answer any of these questions as well.


Thank you so much for your answer. I felt a lot better after reading it.

For me, it is not a question of wanting to breastfeed because others did it. It is more wanting to do what I know and feel is right. I read up a lot when I was pregnant and even though some of the books did state that it is not necessary, for me I knew it was necessary and that I had to do it. Even on the formula tin, it says that breastmilk is best for babies. So this much is true even if we want to deny it. Therefore, I wanted to exclusively breastfeed for 6 weeks and then introduce formula.

I am so glad that you mentioned that any amount of breastmilk is good enough as I sincerely want to continue. Every time I give her formula, I keep feeling that it is not as healthy as my milk and I hope I don't continue feeling like this for a long time as I do need to stop breastfeeding at some point!

My baby is definitely healthy and is a wonderful baby. She only cries when hungry or is battling to sleep... doesn't even cry when wet or messed! She sleeps through the night and even when she wakes up, she 'talks' and babbles to herself. She is reaching her milestones according to her doctor and he is not concerned at this stage.

Thank you so much for the website add on the FAQ about alcohol and breastfeeding. However, they mention some stats which I don't really understand and for the ones I do understand, I am still confused as to whether I am regarded as an excessive drinker or whether I am still okay. As I said, I can drink about 2 litres of wine over a weekend only and still have about 2-3 beers. I then abstain from alcohol on the Monday, if I drink on Tuesday and Wednesday it is about 2-3 glasses on Tuesday and maybe 1-2 glasses on Wednesday, I don't drink at all on Thursday and then Friday starts the pattern again. Does this amount of alcohol consumption class me as someone not suitable to breastfeed? As I also said initially, I wait for a minimum of a full day before feeding again. Sometimes I wait for 2-3 days before feeding so isn't this okay for my baby?

I also don't express my milk using a pump as it takes too long and I feel is not that effective. I hand express milk and I do this daily, sometimes twice a day. However, when I drink, I express it and discard it. I want to pump it and store it but I also want to find out the following:
Let's say I pump milk at 5pm on a Saturday. Let's say only about 10ml comes out and I store it in a sterilised container. My question is: If I pump about 3 hours later (8pm), can I take this milk and store it in the same container I stored the 10ml that I pumped at 5pm? The reason I am asking is because only a little bit comes out a time so in order for me to fill the container or at least give her 40ml daily, I want to know if I can mix milk that I pump hours later with the first lot pumped. If so, please tell me what the time span should be.
I know I can store this milk in a refrigerator for 24 hours but if I am pumping at different times and mixing them all together, does this 24 hour period decrease?

"Does this amount of alcohol consumption class me as someone not suitable to breastfeed? As I also said initially, I wait for a minimum of a full day before feeding again. Sometimes I wait for 2-3 days before feeding so isn't this okay for my baby?"

No, it does not classify you as someone not suitable to breastfeed. But you do need to keep in mind that whatever nutrients you ingest will be in your breast milk. The level of alcohol diminishes just like it would in your blood stream, though I personally would toss any milk I pump after drinking within 8 hours, and even then I would consider that an overly safe guideline. They say 6 hours after drinking, but I've always done 8. (Bear in mind I haven't breastfed in 7 years, even though I am about to in 3 months.) Waiting 2-3 days would mean your breast milk is just fine. Other than that I would pay attention to the levels of nutrients you are ingesting, but I would say you are fine. I like my beer, so I did a LOT of reading about this one when I went through it.


As for the milk storage. Fresh milk is the best milk, but for the amount you express I would suggest freezing your milk. You can add freshly pumped milk to frozen milk, but you need to cool it in the fridge first. If you are pumping three hours apart the milk can be stored together with no ill side effects. Do you use the milk you pump the same day or save it? I can understand not wanting to use a whole lot of containers for your milk, so I would suggest writing the time down that you pumped. Try not to store more than 3oz together at a time to make sure you use all of your milk. If she's still hungry you can always give her another ounce of formula later. To be more clear, the 24 hour period doesn't decrease, but it doesn't increase either, so yes, you can combine them, but make sure you put the time down that you added the first milk to the container. And keep storing like you did before, freezing when you did before.

Good luck!

I will try to answer your questions as concisely as possible. Now, remember that there are different schools of thought regarding breastfeeding, I am just referring to what I teach my new mothers in the hospital after



1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

Every 20-45 minutes is WAY too often to be breastfeeding. A breastfeeding baby should be put to the breast no more often than 2-3 hours. And yes, it did happen to me, the reason was lack of a good milk supply. This can happen for a number of reasons. One of them may possibly be the alcohol, as it actually can dehydrate you, which in turn, dries up your milk.



2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?
This is too little amount of milk, and thus, the baby is only getting the foremilk, not the aftermilk which is the most filling of the breastmilk. Nursing babies should nurse for a minimum of 15-30 minutes at each feeding. As the child gets older, the nursing will last longer and further between feedings.



3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).


I believe your baby got the benefits of breastfeeding as the essential immunities are in the colostrum, before your milk comes in.



4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?

This is okay only as long as you pump your milk and discard it. Otherwise the alcohol stays in the breastmilk.

The fact that the hospital gave the baby a bottle should be of no concern. It is common practice so that we can see if the baby's "pipes" are working. Esophagus, etc, and make sure that the baby has a good suck/swallow without regurgitating what has been fed. This is a test that is done while in the nursery to make sure everything is okay. Some hospitals feed sterile water, while others use formula.

Personally, as a Newborn Nursery Nurse, as well as a Labor and Delivery nurse (RN), it is my belief that you have done great and you should not feel despondent if you switch to formula. There are many women, including me who CANNOT breastfeed for personal reasons (I had a mastectomy, so it was impossible for me to breastfeed). As long as your baby is being fed and gaining weight appropriately all should be well. I am very concerned, however, about the amount of alcohol intake and breastfeeding. If you are going to drink alcohol at all, all breast milk must be expressed and discarded otherwise you are feeding your baby alcohol as well.

1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

This is not unusual in the early days... do you recall if her bowel movements had changed colour over that period? In the first couple of weeks you can expect very frequent feeds. This can help establish your milk supply and allow both you and baby to get comfortable with breastfeeding. Did your mature milk come in around day 4? Pumping is not a good measure of what you are producing. Some women find it very easy, others do not even though their baby is gaining weight well. A low amount expressed is a very common reason women stop nursing in the early weeks as they are thinking it shows that they aren't producing enough. Find a lactation counselor or consultant in your area who can help you out.

2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?

Any breastmilk is a benefit, but you can certainly try to extend the time she is on if you want to. It is wise of you to offer the breast first. If she doesn't stay on long because she is too hungry and the flow isn't fast enough, you can try hand expressing or pumping just a bit first to start let down for her. You could also put her to the breast first for as long as she will stay on, then offer a bit of formula to satisfy her initial hunger, and put her back to the breast for a while longer. Another help can be to use rhythm bottle feeding so she has to work a bit more for the formula... hold her a bit more upright and the bottle a bit more horizontal, let her take several sucks and remove, several sucks, remove, etc.. She may eventually take the breast a bit longer since the bottle will no longer be quite so easy. You could even go to a sippy cup for the formula in an effort to get her back more onto the breast.
As was said, you can also try expressing (after a feed) and storing your milk to use more of that in a bottle.

3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).

She will always get nutritional and immunological benefits from breastfeeding... this will continue as long as you nurse.

4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a Friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?

Alcohol does not store in your breastmilk... it has a relatively short half-life. With the occasional drink, you can nurse at the next feeding... some people will plan it so that they nurse first, have their drink, then will be able to nurse again in a few hours or so. That is fine. When you drink substantially more, you should wait a longer period... but it doesn't have to be days later.

One of the biggest factors with drinking would be your ability to care for the baby. If you are drinking to where you feel you are not able to safely handle the baby, then you should refrain from breastfeeding for several hours. When you are not breastfeeding due to having had some drinks, it would be wise to use a breast pump for the continued stimulation even if you are not expressing a large amount. It will vary from person to person, but you may find you produce less milk at a certain level of drinking... this in turn may be one reason why she doesn't nurse very long. Certainly if you are concerned about the amount you are producing and when you can nurse her, you could always cut back a bit on the number of drinks you have in a full week. It is widely known that excessive alcohol can have an effect on the child's development.

When it comes to breastmilk production... if you don't use it, you lose it. Frequency is key to keep a supply going. Putting her to the breast to suckle when she is quietly awake, even if not obviously hungry, can be helpful at building and keeping your supply going.

Alcohol does not store in your breastmilk.....it has a relatively short half-life.

Rarely do I disagree with you Doula, but recent studies have shown that it is retained in the breastmilk, unless it is expressed. While it may have a short half life, unless it is released from the body, it is retained. Such as the alcoholic who has to take a urine test. If they have not urinated since drinking, it will show in a ETOH test. Thus, the same with breastmilk. This is why I suggested expressing and discarding prior to nursing. Alcohol also dehydrates, therefore, a decrease in milk.

A mother should always remember that what she eats or drinks, she should consider that to be part of her infant's diet as well.

All I was saying is that if Mom wants to drink, that's all well and good, but express and discard before feeding baby. It's just playing it safe.

This is some of the info we pass along as well as what is in the Journal of Human Lactation from ILCA:

LLLI | FAQ on Alcohol (http://www.llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html)

http://www.bfmed.org/Media/Files/Documents/pdf/Press%20Releases/ABM%20response%20to%20FOX%20News%20Statment%20on%2 0Breastfeeding%20while%20Intoxicated%20(July%20200 9).pdf

First let me say I am sorry for the pain you are feeling for this. I had almost the same issue. But a little backwards, I was producing plenty of milk. Even more than nessisary because I was also pumping in between feedings because I was so FULL and it made me sore (called gorged breast I think)

However my duaghter was constantly hungry as well every 20-30 minutes. No matter how much she ate. And she would eat a lot. But never got full, nor did she gain weight.

So the doctor had me give him expressed milk, and he took one look at it and said 'this isn't milk'

And I looked at him like he was crazy! Lol

Then he said 'what I mean is, its almost as if its watered down. Like if you take a glass that had milk in it before, and still had a tiny bit of milk at the bottom, and then you add water to it, the water is cloudy and milky looking, but still just water' he said he had only seen that happen once before in 40 years of ob/gyn practice. Although I talked to my mother and found out she was the same and couldn't breastfeed either.

I'm going to answer your questions as best as I can. :) some of them I don't know, but I hope my answers along with all the other ladies answers on here will help give you peace of mind.



1. Do you believe that I should have continued exclusively breastfeeding even though she was demanding a feed every 20-45min? Has this happened to anyone as I don't see a question or comment like this posted on various sites I checked?

no. I don't think you should have. You did the right thing giving her formula and breastmilk. I did the same thing for 3 months and then stopped the breast milk all together. Remember that your baby girl was hungry, and not getting much to eat. You made the right choice.



2. I am still breastfeeding once a day, 3 times a week and each feed lasts 2-5min. Should I continue like this until about 7 months or do you feel that it is such a little amount of milk that it wouldn't help my baby in any case, so I should rather stop breastfeeding altogether?


I say its up to you. If you wish to continue go for it. :)



3. From everything I mentioned, do you still believe that my baby got the nutrients from whatever milk she did have even though I was formula feeding and breastfeeding so early in her life? (She was weighed at 15 weeks and was 6.3kg-little more than double of her birthweight (3.01kg)).

I believe she got a great deal of nutrients from the milk she did get. The colostrum alone is a great benefit, which is why I continued breastfeeding my duaghter even after finding out I was making water.




4. I love alcohol, it must be said! But when I was pregnant I didn't indulge and if I did, I had a sip of beer or a sip of a cider and that was probably about 5 times or less in the first 6 months. Thereafter I had nothing, not even the sip. So I was craving alcohol after she was born and about 9 days after she was born, I had about 5 glasses of champagne and 2 beers. However, I only breastfed about 2 days later. Whenever I have alcohol, I don't breastfeed until a full day after. I don't indulge in spirited drinks and stick to wines, beers, ciders, etc but I do have quite a bit of it. Example, on a Friday night I can drink close to a litre of wine and I can do the same on Saturday. On Sunday, I probably will have about 3 glasses of wine and maybe 2 beers. I then don't feed on a Monday and only feed from Tuesday morning. Is this okay?


I'm not sure if alcohol does go into your breastmilk or not, however I say play it safe. :)

However, you also want to consider this aspect of your life when considering continuing your breastfeeding. If you truly want to continue to drink your wine and beer, and you have any doubts or uncertainty of the health issues with your daughter, I say it can't hurt to take her off the breast so you can have your indulgence.

Rarely do I disagree with you Doula, but recent studies have shown that it is retained in the breastmilk, unless it is expressed. While it may have a short half life, unless it is released from the body, it is retained. Such as the alcoholic who has to take a urine test. If they have not urinated since drinking, it will show in a ETOH test. Thus, the same with breastmilk. This is why I suggested expressing and discarding prior to nursing. Alcohol also dehydrates, therefore, a decrease in milk.

A mother should always remember that what she eats or drinks, she should consider that to be part of her infant's diet as well.

All I was saying is that if Mom wants to drink, that's all well and good, but express and discard before feeding baby. It's just playing it safe.

Alcohol doesn't remain in breastmilk. Alcohol levels in breastmilk are at the same level as your blood alcohol level so as your blood alcohol level, drops, so does the level in your breastmilk. As soon as your blood alcohol level is at 0, so is the level of alcohol in your breastmilk.

Something else to remember about infant formula is that babies should not be routinely given infant formula at birth to 'test their pipes' - it is actually illegal in Australia to give an infant formula without signed consent from the parents and an outline of the risks of formula. You may find the following article interesting “Just One Bottle Won’t Hurt”---or Will It? (http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/supplement.asp)

DoulaLC has given you some great advice.

In regards to alcohol while breastfeeding, if you want to know how long it will take for there to be absolutely zero alcohol in your breastmilk, on average it takes roughly one hour for a healthy adult liver to process the alcohol in one standard drink. Alcohol leaves your breastmilk at the same rate it leaves your blood, so on average if you had one standard drink there would probably be zero alcohol in your breastmilk after roughly one hour. Many other variables are involved, though, which make it a very individual thing. Body size, whether you've eaten, etc.

If the question is, when is it safe to feed? Then here's something to consider, particularly if you're only planning on having one or two drinks. It is generally more risky to give your baby a bottle of formula than it is to feed breastmilk that has a small amount of alcohol in it. When it comes to alcohol consumption there has been quite a bit of research looking for ill effects in breastfeeding babies whose mothers drink and there is very little indication of any. The risks associated with use of infant formula in comparison to breastfeeding however, are well established. It is pretty clear that in weighing the risks, breastfeeding after having consumed alcohol is preferable to using infant formula.

An example of just how little alcohol the baby gets is this: say you drink so much that your blood alcohol level is 0.06... you would be very drunk but your milk would only be 0.06% alcohol which means that for every 100 mls of breastmilk, 0.06 of a ml will be alcohol... a very tiny amount.

Something else to remember about infant formula is that babies should not be routinely given infant formula at birth to 'test their pipes' - it is actually illegal in Australia to give an infant formula without signed consent from the parents and an outline of the risks of formula. You may find the following article interesting “Just One Bottle Won't Hurt”---or Will It? (http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/supplement.asp)

You may also be interested in this. We give sterile water and/or formula routinely post birth to test for dysphagia. Dysphagia is a term used to describe a feeding or swallowing problem that may involve the esophagus. As I do not live in Australia, it is still legal here for us to test for this and other disorders.

This is an interesting article.


Causes of Dysphagia

Any structural problem of the oral cavity (mouth), pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), or esophagus (tube to the stomach) has the potential to create a feeding problem. Cleft palate is an example of a structural problem that can cause feeding problems because the opening in the palate makes sucking difficult. Neurological disorders (such as those caused by prematurity, cerebral palsy, anoxic brain injury, or brain dysfunction) may affect the strength and motor coordination of the muscles that are important for feeding. Certain respiratory problems may make coordination of breathing and sucking difficult. Some children without a known medical condition have feeding difficulties.

Found here... Feeding and Swallowing Problems (Dysphagia), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/speech/diagnose/dysphagia.htm)

It also tests for pyloric stenosis, as well as Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)... Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Gastrointestinal Disorders in Neonates and Infants: Merck Manual Professional (http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec19/ch275/ch275e.html)

Feeding is the first thing done... if there are no symptoms we have a healthy baby. If there are symptoms, then steps are taken to identify and correct the problem.

It also aids in the detection of tracheoesophageal fistula in newborns.

I'm not here to argue with anyone, but here in the US the Standard of Care is to feed a baby either sterile water or formula (preferably sterile water due to risk of aspiration) as soon after birth as possible to detect any of these disorders and treat accordingly.



How does the doctor know this is what's wrong with my baby?
Most babies who have this condition have feeding problems right away. They may spit up a lot or have lots of bubbly mucus in their mouth. If your baby has a fistula, breathing may be hard. If your doctor thinks your baby has one of these conditions, an X-ray can help make the diagnosis.



What is esophageal atresia?
In babies who have esophageal atresia (say "ee-sof-ah-gee-all at-tree-see-ah"), the esophagus doesn't connect to the stomach. It just ends in a pouch, so nothing the baby swallows gets into the stomach

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/birth/345.html

**EDIT** We do put breastfeeding babies to the breast during the first hour after birth, best time to feed, but it is done under the nurses' supervision not only to aid the mother, but to chart suck/swallow techniques for the pediatrician. In these cases, no sterile water or formula is given.

I have never heard of this being done routinely in any country, including the USA, J_9. Why are infants not put to their mother's breast? Feeding problems always identify themselves quite early on and if any sort of dysphagia is present, it can be identified early.

In infants, dysphagia is mostly found along with a cleft palate, which is easily identifiable at birth without administering any fluids. It is very uncommon in otherwise healthy babies and I am at a loss as to why it is being routinely tested for at birth anywhere.

I am sure that you will not find it routine to give infant formula or sterile water across the USA? I am quite intrigued now to find out why this is being done. It is putting infants at significant risk.

Why are infants not put to their mother's breast?

Many areas in the US are still behind the times and the mothers refuse to breastfeed, no matter how much we as nurses try to encourage them.

I work in a relatively rural hospital with approx 1,000 births per year. I can count on both hands and one foot how many mothers attempt to breasfeed, and even fewer who continue within 24 hours after birth. It's a sad statistic I know. So, we have to resort to the sterile water. If the infant refuses the sterile water then we offer 2ml of formula, under the pediatricians guidance I must add.

As a mother who could not breastfeed... I had breast cancer at a young age, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, I was thankful that the doctors did do this for my 4th child who DID have a problem feeding.



I am sure that you will not find it routine to give infant formula or sterile water across the USA? I am quite intrigued now to find out why this is being done. It is putting infants at significant risk.

But it is routine if the mother is not a breastfeeding mother. Better to find the problem in the nursery while the pediatrician is there than have teen parents who know no different to ignore it and go to sleep. Yes, that is common in my "neck of the woods."

This is a very interesting topic, and I am sure we could learn a lot from each other. I am always up to learning new things, but to change a society as a whole is rather hard for one little 45 year old new nurse in a small rural community.

Many areas in the US are still behind the times and the mothers refuse to breastfeed, no matter how much we as nurses try to encourage them.

I work in a relatively rural hospital with approx 1,000 births per year. I can count on both hands and one foot how many mothers attempt to breasfeed, and even fewer who continue within 24 hours after birth. It's a sad statistic I know. So, we have to resort to the sterile water. If the infant refuses the sterile water then we offer 2ml of formula, under the pediatricians guidance I must add.

As a mother who could not breastfeed...I had breast cancer at a young age, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, I was thankful that the doctors did do this for my 4th child who DID have a problem feeding.
Thanks for your response J_9 - they are very worrying statistics. I also just read your edit that breastfed babies are not given formula/water routinely so it was a relief to hear that :). I thought you meant that ALL babies are routinely given formula/water at birth.

I am in Australia and, while more than 90% of women start breastfeeding, the rates drop significantly by about two weeks. Only around 18 per cent of mothers are still breastfeeding at six months, against 53 per cent in Sweden, 21 per cent in Britain and 20 per cent in the US. So it looks like we're having no problems convincing women to breastfeed - we seem to be failing after that, which is why lack of support and education is the biggest factor.

I am sorry to hear of your breast cancer. It is for reasons such as yours that infant formula is needed.

This is a very interesting topic, and I am sure we could learn a lot from each other. I am always up to learning new things, but to change a society as a whole is rather hard for one little 45 year old new nurse in a small rural community.
I agree that this is a very interesting topic :). I disagree about your point on change though :). I think there are great possibilities for you to educate and bring changes to breastfeeding rates in your hospital. I look forward to chatting some more about this but it is just after midnight here and I must get some sleep!

Enjoy the rest of your day and I look forward to more discussion :).

I thought you meant that ALL babies are routinely given formula/water at birth.


Oh, goodness no... only those that DoN'T breastfeed. Got to give them sustenance somehow. LOL



I am in Australia and, while more than 90% of women start out breastfeeding, the rates drop significantly by about two weeks. Only around 18 per cent of mothers are still breastfeeding at six months, against 53 per cent in Sweden, 21 per cent in Britain and 20 per cent in the US. So it looks like we're having no problems convincing women to breastfeed - we seem to be failing after that, which is why lack of support and education is the biggest factor.

We are sorely lacking on breastfeeding education. Only about 5-10% even think about breastfeeding at my hospital, then its off to the bottle before they are even released. Not a statistic I am proud of. California is one of the states with the highest breastfeeding success stories.

May I ask? Are you a nurse also?

I would love to discuss this further, but I worked a 14 hour shift last night and I really need to get some shut eye.

It was really good talking to you. I think, though, that we are hijacking the thread. If you would, please, why not start a Discussion thread about breastfeeding, maybe we can do at least a little education here. If we start here, there's no telling how far our words can spread.

Marcal... one very telling note is the number of Baby Friendly hospitals or birthing centers in the US. Roughly around 80 at present time... quite small given the population. The pendulum is slowly swinging back towards breastfeeding, and it is gaining in popularity... at least the numbers of those who initiate it at birth, but it has taken almost a grass roots effort in many areas to change the ways of the old social norm.

Education and support are lacking in many areas, and it can be difficult to institute change. I have seen this in some of the hospitals I have worked out of. Especially one right now that is in the process of taking on the Baby Friendly initiative. As with any other profession, people tend to stick to what they are used to and comfortable with and don't always embrace something new. Some areas of the country breastfeeding is very much the norm, other areas few women even initiate it or even give it much consideration often just from lack of information.