I'm going out to dinner with family Friday and REALLY want to have a margarita (it's been over two years!). Do you think it's too early to try one bottle with Amelia? She'll be three weeks old and hasn't touched a bottle or pacifier yet. Should I try the bottle before then to make sure she will take it? How many hours after should I wait before feeding her again and should I pump and dump in between? I just didn't drink when pumping for Ainsley other than a single glass of red wine here and there so I don't know what I should do on Friday night, but I really really want that margarita!

I was planning on starting the bottle a few times a day around 6 or 7 weeks so she will have some time to get use to it before I go back to work. I don't intend to do it regularly right now, just this one time so I can have that drink I so badly need!

you could try the bottle.. But remember you are allowed to have a occasional drink while breastfeeding. My Dr. told me to feed Alexis just before I drank and try to finish my last drink about 2 hours before feeding her again. So if she is eating every 3-4 hours then you have 1-2 hours to drink. I would limit it to 1 drink.. But try the bottle, Good luck.

I introduced the bottle at 3 weeks with hailey because I was paranoid she would never take it if I didn't do it early. She always did better if someone else gave it to her than me, but that was more when she was older. I would just feed her right before you leave and then wait for a couple hours after you drink the margarita and either pump and save it if she isn't ready to eat or just feed her. If you are just drinking 1 drink there is really no reason you have to dump it.

I introduced the bottle to Brantley at 5 weeks and 3 weeks for Jonathan since we were going on vacation when he was 5 weeks and wanted to able to give him a bottle in the car. You should be fine to drink a margarita. I would just give a EBM bottle at her regular feeding then nurse as normal at her next feeding. (If you aren't too engorged) If you get engorged while you are still out I would just hand express off some of the pressure.

Here is kellymom's guidlines:
Current research says that occasional use of alcohol (1-2 drinks) is not harmful to the nursing baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol (ethanol) as a “Maternal Medication Usually Compatible With Breastfeeding.”
Many experts recommend against drinking more than 1-2 drinks per week.
It is recommended that nursing moms avoid breastfeeding during and for 2-3 hours after drinking (Hale 2002).
There is no need to pump & dump milk after drinking alcohol, other than for mom's comfort -- pumping & dumping does not speed the elimination of alcohol from the milk.
Alcohol does not increase milk production, and has been shown to inhibit let-down and decrease milk production (see below).
If you're away from your baby, try to pump as often as baby usually nurses (this is to maintain milk supply, not because of the alcohol). At the very least, pump or hand express whenever you feel uncomfortably full - this will help you to avoid plugged ducts and mastitis.
In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

Thanks for the info ladies...I should have mentioned that 1 of these margaritas leaves you buzzed, 2 drunk and 3 passed out...so I think I'll try to bottle if she gets hungry before its safe to feed her! Hopefully my boobs don't spring a leak while we are out to eat...I've been soaking through all my clothes lately.

I know all babies are different but I just wanted to add that if you plan on going out again, give her a bottle regularly just to keep her used to the bottle. I made the mistake of giving Grace a bottle at 2 weeks, then didn't give her another until she was 2 months, which by then, she didn't want anything to do with it. She's still extremely fussy when it comes to the bottle, but will take it once in a while... but she will almost always take it for me.

Thats some good advice,, Melissa I was just reading your post going hmmm its been like over a year and a half since I had something to drink. Im going to have to keep the advice so that I too can go out soon. Let me know how it goes and if she takes the bottle.

Oh, I'll definitey be making the bottle a regular thing...I have to b/c I go back to work in 6 weeks.

Yeah thats a good idea I pumped and breast fed troy and he did great! He always took a bottle very well! I miss breastfeeding so much I cant wait to BF this little one!

My baby was in the NICU for almost three weeks and she was only allowed to have a bottle. I figured I wouldn't have the opportunity to bf her at all but with being patient and trying every time she ate, she is finally bfing all the time. I will go weeks without giving her a bottle and she still takes it without any problem.