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I don't think a bit of wine or beer will hurt even a newborn...my only concern would be if a parent sleeps with their infant like I did. Then, under no circumstances should they even drink a little! I would think even a little would be enough to inhibit that natural instinct a sleeping mother has, an awareness of that infant that even sleep doesn't turn off, if you know what I mean. An exhausted or impaired mother should never sleep with their infant. And by impaired, I mean even taking a cold preparation that might make you sleepy.

I was careful to never sleep with my jedis when I was exhausted and I never took any medications while breastfeeding. Even while "asleep" I was constanly aware of their presence, and it remains even to this day, although not as strong.

Nightime nursing while asleep was the absolute best for both of us...once I figured that out, Matthew slept and nursed on and off all night, and Joshua slept throughout the night from the very first. We both woke up rested and content in the morning and ready for fun.

Before our first was born, SSQ made a 'sidecar' for our bed, that was enclosed on three sides, but open to, and at the same level as our bed, and if the baby rolled over, the only place he could go was onto our bed. They were so little at that point, they didn't go much of anywhere.

I'd nurse Paul, put him down in the sidecar, and when he woke up in the night to eat, I'd just pull him over to me, and start him nursing. When he woke again, I'd sit up, nurse him on the other side, change his diaper and lay him back down. He'd sleep through the rest of the night so peacefully.

We kept each baby in the sidecar at night until they started sleeping from midnight til 6 am. Usually they were about 2 to 3 months old at that point. Then they'd go in their cribs at night, and I'd get up and rock them while I nursed them. Usually both of us would fall asleep for a bit, then I'd nurse them a little more, change them and put them back down.

I loved nursing my babies, and they were all very healthy when little, and still are! The only exception was David, who had successive ear infections when he was three because I'd made the mistake of putting him in pre-school because there were NO other kids his age in our neighborhood. After that year, he grew out of that, and has been pretty healthy since.