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How much would one day of supplementing hurt us? *UPDATE #20*

1K views 22 replies 18 participants last post by  MotheringHeart 
#1 ·
I have to have surgery tomorrow. I've only known about it for about an hour. My DS is 2 months old today. I've never pumped at all with him because I've been at home (I'm sterilizing the handpump now). Surgery is scheduled for noon, but we have to be at the hospital by 9:30am. I'm going to try to pump as much as I can, but I was never a great pumper. He's never had a bottle before. I'm just really scared and unsure. With DD we started to introduce the bottle around this age, and she flat out rejected it for weeks. I'm so scared for my baby! What if he doesn't want to nurse after tomorrow? What if he won't take anything and gets dehydrated?

Input? Advice?
 
#2 ·
I had ambulatory surgery when my 1st was 2 mo old. I had more warning and had pumped a few bottles, but she only took one. I think I probably left around 7 am or so, and nursed her maybe around 7 pm once I felt ungroggy again. The LCs I asked looked up the meds I was getting for the surgery and said as soon as I felt ok enough to sit up and nurse it would be fine for baby.

I didn't know at the time about cup feeding, but that would be an alternative to the bottle if you're worried he won't take it.

I remember being so worried that dd didn't hardly take anything while I couldn't nurse her, but she was fine.
 
#3 ·
I'm so sorry!

I think LO will be just fine. You'll lost the "virgin gut", but this is an urgent situation and the flora will re-populate in time when you get back to bfing exclusively.

If LO won't take a bottle, you can use a little cup or syringe. The hospital should have plenty of those around - just tell them you need a few.

Don't feel bad - this is a real medical reason to supplement.

If the surgery is really short you may be able to nurse before and after and won't need to supplement anyway. Definitely tell the anesthesiologist that you are bfing and make sure they use a drug that is safe for nursing right after surgery, though. Women with C-Sections nurse in recovery all the time.

I'm sorry you have to go through surgery so suddenly.
 
#6 ·
As a PP said, you'll lose the virgin gut for a while, but I don't think one day of bottles or cup or syringe feeding will harm your nursing relationship if you're doing OK right now.

Print this out for your whoever will be taking care of your baby
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/a...e-feeding.html

Even if they have to syringe the milk in a teaspoon at a time, they can feed your baby.

Have you thought of getting your husband to bring a hospital grade rental pump home from work today and having a couple of pumping sessions during the night? If you can get about 100-120 ml your baby might only need that while you're in surgery and you might be fine by the time they're hungry again.

Remember, women have generals for c-sections and nurse straight afterwards, so there are compatible drug combos.

Print this
http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/anesthetics.html
and take it with you, so when the aneasthetist comes and talk with you before the surgery you have the reference on hand for him to check.

The drugs are cleared from your milk as fast as they are from your blood, so pump and dump is only necessary to maintain supply, and relieve engorgement.

Good luck, I hope the surgery goes well and you get better soon.
 
#7 ·
Is there someone who can bring the babe with you to the hospital? Really you only can't nurse *while* you're out. Let the anesthesiologist know that you're breastfeeding. Moms have c-sections under general and nurse as soon as they wake up. As soon as you're awake, you should be fine to nurse again.



-Angela
 
#8 ·
I agree with Angela. See if someone can bring the baby to the hospital with you, so that you can nurse before and immediately after the surgery. Moms have breastfed even when they weren't conscious, they just have someone else hold the baby to the breast for them. If this doesn't work out, pump as much as you can, supplement if absolutely necessary, but do it with a cup and not a bottle. There's no way my kids would have taken a bottle at two months, and my 19mo never took one at all and I worked occasionally, sometimes being gone 10+ hours when he was about 8 months old. I showed the family how to cup or spoon feed and that's what they did.
 
#10 ·
It will be OK. If your baby ends up getting some formula, you could give some probiotics and hopefully that will help get his gut flora back in order. I know you probably feel bad about it but it's a true emergency!

Anyway, tell the anesthesiologist you nurse and I agree with the others, it's generally safe to nurse as soon as you're awake and alert.
 
#14 ·
Another thing...

If you are in the hospital and you have to pump, you can ask to use one of the hospital's electric pumps, too, to help you pump more efficiently.

My DD1 had to go into the hospital when DD2 was just 6 wks old, and while I did take DD2 with us to the hospital while I stayed overnight with DD1, I was also trying to pump while we were there so I could send her home with my DH or my sister so that I could have a bit of a break and focus on DD1.

When the peds nurse saw I was nursing and that I had a hand-held pump on the dresser, she offered me the use of the electric pump they had on the floor. I didn't end up needing it, but I thought it was awesome that they offered.

Just something to consider...
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by alegna View Post
Is there someone who can bring the babe with you to the hospital? Really you only can't nurse *while* you're out. Let the anesthesiologist know that you're breastfeeding. Moms have c-sections under general and nurse as soon as they wake up. As soon as you're awake, you should be fine to nurse again.



-Angela
I first nursed my baby a few hours after my C-section. I wasn't under general, though. But I was under every other type of drug imagineable.
 
#16 ·
Thanks ladies. My MIL will be taking care of DD and DS will come to the hospital with DH and me. I'm not wild about having him in a hospital because he's starting to get sick. But the best thing for a sick baby is breastmilk.

The nurse said that I could have him and nurse in pre-op right up until I went under. I managed to get 3 oz today, but I probaby won't get much more as I can't have anything to drink so I'm probably going to get a little dehydrated.

The surgery is gynecological, so my OB will be doing it. The nurse said I might have to wait a few hours after surgery, but she wasn't sure and she never called me back yesterday. I didn't think of the fact that women go under for emergancy c/s and still nurse afterward.

Thanks for the encouragement. It would be wonderful if he could make it through on just my milk, so that's what we'll hope for.
 
#18 ·
I had outpatient surgery on 24 hours notice when DS was 4 weeks old. I think I had one pumped bottle already, like 4 ounces. And I pumped a little more that day. DH, his sister, and DS all came to the hospital with me. I nursed until I went into pre-op, then he stayed with DH. As soon as I was awake in recovery I could nurse again. They told me the anesthesia used was not a problem, that they give it to some moms who have c-sections and the moms still nurse. Also the pain meds for after were the same that c-section moms get. I did not pump and dump at all. My surgery was a short procedure, they said about 15 minutes total, but I was away from DS maybe 2 hours or so. He was fine, slept the whole time and didn't even take any of the pumped milk.

Unless you are going to be in surgery all day...I would just take whatever amount you've pumped and plan to nurse before and after, I think your baby will be fine.
 
#19 ·
due to an emergency, my baby had to have 50% of his feedings from formula for 3 days. (the other half was colostrum i had managed to pump)

I never noticed any change in his behavior, health, digestion, diapers, or anything.
 
#20 ·
I'm back home! Ugh.

Things went great. I we arrived and I nursed DS in the lobby. Then they took me back to preop and a little while later DH and DS came back there with me. I nursed and snuggled with him right up until I had to go back to the OR.
The first anesthesiologist came in and I reminded him of my allergies and told him I was nursing. He said he usually told moms to pump and dump just once after waking up just to be safe. The second anesthesiologist came in as I was nursing. He said I would have to wait 24 hours. My OB/GYN came in and told me I'd have to wait 12 hours.

The surgery lasted about an hour, I woke up in the OR as they were passing me from the table to the bed. I felt a little tired but otherwise great as they rolled me into recovery. The first nurse asked about drug allergies, and I told her those and reminded her I was nursing. She ran down anesthesiologist #2 and he told her I had to wait 24 hours so she wrote that in my chart. Then she transferred me to another nurse who seemed less like a *****. I told her that I'd heard so many conflicting things about nursing and asked if she would mind calling the mother/baby unit and asking a lactation consultant. She did just that and the LC said that everything I was given is given to moms who have c/s so I should be fine to nurse right away but I could play it safe by pumping and dumping once.
So they felt I was OK to go so they took me to the discharge area where I could see DH and DS again. As soon as they rolled me through the doors I heard DS crying. When the staff heard I was out they rushed DH back to me because I guess DS had been crying for a while and refusing the bottle. So I snuggled up with DS and gave him the bottle of EBM. We were only apart for 3 hours. As soon as we got home he nursed again like nothing had every happened. He did get a little groggy I think, but maybe I'm just paranoid.
Thanks for all the encouragement, ladies!
 
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