Breastfeeding and Alcohol Consumption
A response to the waitress fired for reporting mom drinking and breastfeeding.
This story of a waitress being fired for reporting a mother to the police for drinking while breastfeeding caught my eye. As a breastfeeding mother who enjoys the occasional glass of wine this story and made me worry. Do people judge ME because I drink as a breastfeeding mother?
The story reports that the waitress watched as the mother allegedly consumed drink after drink while breastfeeding her 7-month-old baby. The waitress acted in the interest of safety for the baby. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hear the mother’s side until her trial but she does try to say that it’s been blown out of proportion and she’s not a horrible person. Also, as for the waitress, she was let go from her job a few days after the incident. It seemed like the action against her was in response to her calling the police. Maybe it was not handled correctly according to restaurant policy or was there another reason she was let go?
As for “rules” on alcohol consumption and breastfeeding, there are some conflicting views. However, to simplify things I decided to go with what I saw on LaLeche League https://www.llli.org/faq/alcohol.htmlAs Dr. Jack Newman, member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his handout”More Breastfeeding Myths”: “Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.”Another great source is http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/lifestyle/alcohol/I personally do not drink and breastfeed simultaneously or for 1-2 hours following consumption and my daughter is just fine. Plus if it helps you to relax after a long hard day, a relaxed mommy is way better than a tense, stressed out one. The positive results can outweigh the potentially negative ones. For more details and information see the recommended websites as well as check with your physician or pediatrician.
What Would You Do?
If you noticed something that didn’t look right involving a child and parent in public would you act to make it right or would you let it go thinking it’s not your place? Was calling the police without first trying to speak to the woman the best response in this situation?