I have appreciated reading the posts on alcohol use and breastfeeding. I
recently attended a two-day workshop on fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol
effect (or, if you prefer, alcohol-related birth injury). Twice, in two
separate sessions, I had to make the point, when speakers were asked about
breastfeeding and alcohol and responded with the "zero tolerance" line they
use for alcohol use during pregnancy (which I agree with), that the effect
of alcohol during pregnancy (when it is the most potent teratogen there is),
and during lactation (when a small amount comes through the milk), are
entirely different. I also used Jack's line about not making breastfeeding
so difficult for women. Not sure the speakers were convinced (they're VERY
focused on the birth injury harm caused by alcohol use during pregnancy) but
maybe people in the audience will think about what advice they're giving to
lactating women and get more information.

Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River, Alberta, Canada
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry & Jacie Coryell <[log in to unmask]>
Date: January 3, 1999 9:54 PM
Subject: Re: alcohol use


>   The mom will almost never say that she wants to go and get smashed, I
>generally ask her plans for the evening and am pretty sympathetic about her
>wanting to have a social evening out.   I usually talk to moms about the
>different way women and men drink, many women drink a glass of wine or a
>beer slowly...to pun, nurse it along, while many men drink more rapidly.  I
>always take the extra time to talk and laugh about wanting to get out and
>how dad is getting a little cabin fever.  We talk about being sure to eat
>first, and take their time with their drink, generally that puts her
>drinking 2-3 drinks over about a 3+ hour period, and this seems to not be a
>problem.  I remind her that if she gave up alcohol during her pregnancy,
she
>may feel woozy with the second drink, which means to slow down and also get
>something to snack on.  We talk about cheese helping minimize the alcohol
>(don't ask me where I heard that, I'm too ancient to remember, maybe during
>my own drinking years, many, many years ago).  Reassure mom that one or two
>drinks after having a meal will not hurt her baby, it's only when she gets
>drunk that she should be concerned.  We talk about how long it takes for
the
>alcohol to dissipate.  And how to be sure baby is doing ok while she is
>gone.  A hint for this is that mom keeps the car keys, they go someplace
>within 15 minutes of their home (if at all possible), when they arrive mom
>calls home to check on things, then she checks in with the sitter every
>hour.  If baby is upset, she goes home and nurses the baby and gets him
back
>to sleep and then returns to join dad and friends.  She doesn't make a big
>deal about needing to leave, nor returning.  They plan in advance to be
home
>in a few hours, not a long night of partying.  In today's pager society of
>the USA, most families have a pager or cellular phone and the sitter can
>call/page as needed.
>    Jacie in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I just finished "My Fair Lady",
>3 weekends, 10 shows!  I'm pooped and can't believe I am so addicted to
this
>that I am doing this every night before bed!
>