Kathy reported that someone

> mentioned that she's had two nursing mothers
> recently tell her that they were warned not to drink any alcohol at all as
> long as they were breastfeeding.
>
> I've asked her to ask them WHO said this -- was it at an LLL meeting, or
> their pediatrician or their neighbor, or who?  Has anyone else heard this
> lately?
>
>
I hear this all the time....and I'm really, really tired of it.  In our neck
of the woods, mothers are discouraged from drinking alcohol, caffeine,
nutrasweet, and occasionally milk, as well as told not to eat shellfish,
tuna, chocolate, or -- let's see -- the latest was deli meats -- while they
are pregnant.  Many folks translate that to breastfeeding as well.

In the immortal words of one of our pediatricians whom I LOVE to quote:  "I'm
not telling you to drink a quart of port.  But if you want a glass of wine w/
your dinner -- HAVE A GLASS OF WINE!!!"

And my most recent favorite -- this from some of the home visit nurses to the
mothers I see for our peds practice:  "Now, I know Jan tells you you can eat
anything you want while you are breastfeeding, including chocolate.  But I'm
telling you that chocolate really isn't good for the baby while you are bf."
So I'm countering with:  "Now, I know the home visit nurse will tell you that
I told you that you could have chocolate and she is going to say that you
shouldn't -- so to head her off at the pass, I'm going to tell you to EAT
CHOCOLATE!!!! and if the baby seems to have a problem, give me a call and
we'll talk about it."

"And if you want a glass of wine, have a glass of wine!!!  And if you want to
be a purist, then wait a couple of hours after you have the wine to nurse the
baby.  But DO NOT pump & dump."

Jan -- so GLAD GLAD GLAD she had her babies a zillion years ago....

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