Woman Arrested For Breast Feeding At A Bar
Allanah Earley went to a Durham, Connecticut bar to have a couple of drinks. Nothing wrong with that, right? But the 36-year-old brought her baby. Hey, lots of us think that’s fine as well. Then she started breast-feeding the baby, who is seven weeks old.
Two new acronyms have popped up as a result
The bartender in this case is wrong, the sorry sumbugger took the woman’s money, then when she left the bar called the cops, like he cared she was out in the cold. The bartender should have been arrested because he was an accomplice to BWI. He had the responsibility for serving that women and should have told he to leave, he had that right or refuse to serve. But he help her get in trouble and helped get the baby drunk.
It is unbelievable to think that so many people find it ok to go to a bar in the first place with an infant or child any age nevermind. Breast feeding while drunk is a horible idea and too many people shake their heads and turn away from such a situation and don’t deal with the problem at hand. i know not everyone has people to back u up if you want to out. Rather spend those night in look after the child you brought into the world- remember that child isn’t asking for anything you are purposfully exposing him to. BE RESPONSIBLE and look after your little ones.
although I dont agree with her actions what she was doing was not illegal and should not have been arrested. Its the same as drinking while pregnant, you shouldnt do it and it could affect the baby but its not illegal. But the main issue at hand is that while drunk she cannot care or make wise decisions regarding the baby and it could be in danger. Having said that she should have been sited or charged with possible child endangerment, not the fact that she was breastfeeding.
It is OK to drink in moderation and breastfeed. See this link for more: http://llli.org/FAQ/alcohol.html
I agree that being drunk and trying to care for a baby is the bigger concern. Of course those who are chronic drinkers or who drink heavily should think think twice. Formula also carries big risks.
Actually, the best option if a mother knows she will be drinking a *large amount* of alcohol and she’s concerned about the any that passes through to the baby, is to “pump and dump.” She pumps milk ahead of time to be fed to her baby during or after she has been drinking. She then waits until the alcohol has passed through her system to breastfeed the baby again. If she needs to pump with large amounts of alcohol in her system (either to relieve engorgement or to stimulate her supply), she can dump that milk.
The “Breastfeeding Answer Book” says:
“Alcohol passes freely into mother’s milk and has been found to peak about 30 to 60 minutes after consumption, 60 to 90 minutes when taken with food. Alcohol also freely passes out of a mother’s milk and her system. It takes a 120 pound woman about two to three hours to eliminate from her body the alcohol in one serving of beer or wine…the more alcohol that is consumed, the longer it takes for it to be eliminated. It takes up to 13 hours for a 120 pound woman to eliminate the alcohol from one high-alcohol drink. The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother consumes.”
Healthier than a drunk mom giving formula. The health risks of formula are very serious, so are the risks of a drunk parent.
Exactly my point, gpgirl!
I am more worried about the Public Intoxication while caring for a minor child and if she tried to drive somewhere in that condition. Women can drink alcohol and breastfeed. So what. It is being too drunk to care for a baby that is the danger.
Oh, and you were asking how long it takes to go in and out of the breast milk. It is the same amount of time it takes to get in and out of your bloodstream, just in a much less concentrated amount. Basically, if you feel tipsy, you have alcohol in your bloodstream/breastmilk. If you are no longer tipsy, it is most likely gone.
km, actually, from what the lactation consultants told me, very little of the alcohol you drink actually gets in the breast milk. They told me that having a glass of wine is perfectly fine.
I would think, in this woman’s case (who was nursing at the bar) the biggest concern would be how could she take care of the baby while she was so drunk.
I was at a wedding with my 3 month old, who needed to nurse. I happened to be drinking a glass of wine at the time (my first drink at the wedding). So, I nursed him while I drank the glass of wine.
I caught so much flack, it was unbelievable. My question is, how long does it take for the alcohol to get into (and then out of) the breast milk? This is just my theory, and I have no science to back me up, but if I am having my first drink while nursing the baby, I don’t think the alcohol has tainted the milk yet.
Obviously, I am not suggesting that if you are clearly inebriated you should nurse your child. So, I guess the question is, like Brett asked, “Where do we draw the line?” Should the police do “breast-alyzers” if the mom seems trashed?
BTW, I ended up sending the baby home early with my mom (where there was a supply of pumped milk) and proceeded to get my drink on.
Last I heard minors weren’t allowed in bars…why did they let her in with the baby in the first place?