Can I have a Drink?

Breastfeeding and Alcohol Consumption

A response to the waitress fired for reporting mom drinking and breastfeeding.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/waitress-fired-reporting-mom-drinking-breastfeeding-article-1.1532626

This story of a waitress being fired for reporting a mother to 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.html

As  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 potential 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?

Mom’s Night Out

Mom’s Night Out

    I did something nice for myself the other night and it was much needed.  Local shop owner and self-claimed “mompreneur”, Jessica Walsh of Illuminated Baby hosted a Mommy Mixer in Woodstock at Oriole 9.  As stated in a recent article in the Chronogram, Jessica is looking to create a community and I think she’s got the right idea. http://m.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/the-amazing-adventures-of-the-marvelous-mompreneurs/Content?oid=2214810&issue=2214726

    She really has a way of putting together a great group of people and facilitating new friendships.  When I arrived at the restaurant  I was greeted by some familiar and some new faces. I was then directed to a table with name tags where I was to write my name, my child’s name and age. This along with another of paper of questions was  an icebreaker type of game. Not seconds after I was done putting on my name tag I was grabbed into a conversation with two moms eager to fill in their sheets.  “How old were you when you gave birth to your first child?” one lady asked. “What month was your child born?” asked the other, and then the next question, and the next.  Very quickly we warmed up and began chatting away.  

    Even though the intention was for moms to get out by themselves and be with other moms, I did notice there were actually many women with their sweet little ones and even some dads. The dads were great, walking around chatting, taking care of babies while the women got together, and just being supportive. Also amongst the crowd we had doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants mingling about.  I met women who had just very recently given birth, some who had toddlers, some stay at home moms and some who have returned to work. 

     I am tending to see more and more women reinventing their careers to suit their family life.  Jessica Walsh, for instance, is a local shop owner who offers unique and luxury baby products, is a lactation counselor and a community breastfeeding advocate.  She is able to be with her child the majority of the time while still being very active in her career and in the community. I met another mom who is a financial advisor and she is interested in reaching out in the mom community specifically, to give guidance and resources for the growing family. Another mom uses her skills in knitting and crocheting to create hats and other cozy articles of clothing.  

     I say I am among that group of reinventors. I loved what I did before becoming a mom and I put all of myself into it. Now that I have a child I cannot see myself doing that anymore so I’d like to use my skills and talents in a way that I can have a more balanced work and family life. I have so many ideas and blogging right now is my great start to where I want to be.  For me having the independence to get things done within a more flexible time frame than if I were in a traditional work environment is most comfortable for right now. I can be there for my baby all day and go out and explore the world with her. In my downtime I can write.

    The Mommy Mixer was a great event and it was a nice feeling to talk with other women who have a similar mindset to exchange ideas and encourage each other to go for it.

    Not only did I walk away with a wonderful door prize of handmade baby hats, I also walked away with a great feeling of confidence and camaraderie.  While I was gone, daddy and baby bonded and he was able to put her to bed by himself for the first time. Win Win!