Liz says,

<<  If a mother has to have a drink,
 it should set off a mental red flag to health professinals. >>

True.  But there is a MAJOR difference between HAS to have a drink, and WANTS
to have a drink.  And just because one person was planning to drink an entire
bottle of champagne on mother's day doesn't mean that everyone that asks
about having a glass of wine with dinner or a can of beer with their pizza is
doing any more than that.

Chocolate (and coffee, and tea, and cow's milk) isn't "nutritionally
necessary" either -- but many moms have been told they can't have any during
pregnancy (or lactation).  Should we tell them no to everything that isn't
"nutritionally necessary?"

The point is, let's not make so many rules, not be judgemental (unless there
is warrant for concern), and give the facts, not the opinions.  For a mother
that wants to drink an entire bottle of -- whatever -- then discuss with her
the effects of the hangover, the potential for delayed MER, and the
possibility that the baby will have difficulty going back to the br after she
has pumped and dumped for 2 hrs x however many glasses of champagne there are
in a bottle.

As Jack has pointed out, we tell them they can have morphine & codeine while
breastfeeding, but not a can of beer?

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- in Wheaton, IL where it is sunny again!

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