Don’t Drink and Co-Sleep
February 27, 2007 by kate baggott
Filed under Baby Care, Breastfeeding, Mental Health
I can handle one glass of Henry of Pelham Baco Noir, but not two.
You know, after a career of pregnancy and nursing, one’s tolerance for alcohol is often seriously reduced. I now find that I am a really, really cheap drunk. Half a glass of wine and I am ready to drift off to sleep with a nice little buzz of relaxation. However, the moment the baby wimpers, the buzz is off.
It’s a nice problem to have, but I am back in the Niagara Wine Region and I would like to taste and enjoy the wines we served at our wedding and that have been part of our family celebrations since I became an adult. I wish they sold more half bottles or even quarter-size bottles of nice wines. They’d be the perfect size for a nursing mother and her partner to share and relax without harming her breastmilk.
Most of the baby gurus, including Dr. Sears, say that a nursing mother can have one glass of wine or beer immediately before, right after or even during a nursing session. Some cultures say that the B vitamins in beer benefit milk-production and help to clear up the baby acne that can come a week or so after the birth. Italian and French folk-wisdom both maintain that a maternal glass of wine or two with dinner helps the little nursling to sleep. I find that it does relax me, but it’s important to remember that the experts say that one drink is harmless and possibly beneficial to mother and baby. More than one, especially if your tolerance to alcohol is low, is harmful and could even be tragic with a baby in the house.
A party-hardy lifestyle in new parents is not healthy for anyone involved, but there is one message that cannot be repeated often enough: don’t drink and co-sleep. It is equally true for fathers and bottle-feeding mothers as it is for nursing mothers. Parents who drink more than one alcoholic drink in the evenings should never co-sleep for fear that their numbed responses to their babies will result in injury or even smothering the infant to death.
I’ve never been a person who cares to drink, so I’m sure I’m a cheap drunk too, Kate. I certainly could see how you would not want to co-sleep with a baby in the bed after drinking.
I’m glad that Henry of Pelham had the opportunity to shine at your wedding and that we are now a part of your family traditions. Maybe you should visit this autumn when we invite the public into the vineyards to join Paul, Matt and me to bring in the harvest?
I have some good news for you on the half bottles — our Baco Noir and our Non-Oaked Chardonnay come in 375’s. They’re in many places across Canada and but easy to find in Niagara.
Cheers!
Daniel Speck
Co-owner
Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery
Karen- Your post reminds me of a neighbour and lifelong friend of mine. The first time she went into a liquor store was before my wedding shower to buy me a bottle of Baco Noir to go with our wine glasses.
Ah, how those wine snob days are over.
Daniel- I’ll be in your shop for those 375s before autumn!
See you can tell I don’t drink. I have no idea what you guys are talking about. lol
Karen – Most bottles of wine are 750ml or about 1.5 pints. It’s about 4 large glasses or six smaller glasses.
The size is very old and very traditional. Once it was roughly family dinner size to go with the main course. There was a glass for each parent, one pair grandparents and a splash for each child to be mixed with water. I know some French and Italian families who do let their kids have a glass of wine and water with dinner, but we don’t do that.
Daniel is telling me about a 375 ml half-bottle size. It contains exactly two medium-sized glasses. Exactly enough for one glass for me and one for my husband.
The reason I brought this up is because I do like to savour a nice glass of wine or beer, and that is appropriate for a nursing mother. But one nice glass is certainly enough.
I’ve bought some small bottles of wine before to use for cooking. My husband likes the taste in his eggrolls. Ummm!
But isn’t it true that you’re sleep deprived so you probably don’t even need that buzz?
Thanks for joining us at the Carnival for All Substances. We’ll link here on June 10. Come on over and say hello.
Therapy goc- Looking forward to it!