breastfeeding and the lapband

[ashleyhaugh]

ok, my son is 15 months (on the first) and i will be getting the lap band done in a few months- my sister needs to confirm her spring break so she'll be able to help me out with baby. anyway, i need the low down on nursing after surgery. i know its possible- heck i nursed after my c-section, so it cant be that different, but i also know people say you cant. the nurse i talked to at the clinc tried to talk to me about weaning, but i said that wasnt an option and she also said something about pumping and dumping for like a week, which i know is crap . im not really interested in their opinion on it anyway. any sites out there with info about nursing after anesthesia? its laproscopic, so its an outpatient procedure. id like to have some info printed out in case they try to give me trouble for nursing while im there

[ewe+lamb]

So is it a day routine thing - I mean are you going to be out on the same day? If so then nurse in the morning, maybe before the procedure and then if you're home that night nurse when you get home - the drs and nurses really don't need to know about your nursing relationship - they should have a copy of Hales which will tell you which medicines you can really take when nursing and the risks involved with the ones which are if not contact a Lactation Consultant who will have an up-to-date copy and speak to them about the procedure and when to nurse and with what medication - you know sometimes in these instances it's best NOT to tell the medical profession about your nursing relationship alot of the time you'll be given the dr or nurses personal opinion and not a correct analysis of the situation (they often get these things confused LOL) anyway find out what you can take through the LC and try and get a nice dr on your side encourage her or him to take the information you have seriously - look up www.drjacknewman.com for information on nursing and medications and support, find a LC and dr who will work with you. All will be fine - take care
and good luck

[lifeguard]

I would just be prepared that you may see a real dramatic drop in supply when your weight starts dropping. Losing weight so quickly is a stress on the body & that can affect your supply.

[PatioGardener]

Good luck for your surgery!

www.kellymom.com has some great info on nursing and surgery and anesthetic/pain meds etc.

There have been reports of babies not getting enough B12 after moms have had that type of surgery - something you may want to consider looking into (asking about B12 shots?) if you baby is still a nursing fiend

[ewe+lamb]

Marmite has lots of vitamin B12 in it.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb

Marmite has lots of vitamin B12 in it.

I think the issue with this type of stomach surgery is lack of absorption in the intestines, so eating more may not help. I can't remember if the cases I read were from lap banding or from another, more invasive type of procedure though. Good to know about marmite though - thanks!

[ashleyhaugh]

its the gastric bypass that messes with absorbtion. since it bypasses the stomach, not as much stomach acid helps with the digestion... i had to watch videos, lol.

i dont know why i didnt think about checking kellymom, thanks

[ewe+lamb]

Sorry - I didn't know about all the ins and outs of this i.e. the absorption etc - can't be much more help to you then, but just keep on trying to nurse whenever you can and see if you can keep your supply up with stimulation, good luck with the surgery.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by ashleyhaugh

its the gastric bypass that messes with absorbtion. since it bypasses the stomach, not as much stomach acid helps with the digestion... i had to watch videos, lol.

Good to know - thanks! Good luck with everything - please post back closer to the time so we can all send you fast healing vibes

[MaryJaneLouise]

Good luck to you, and I hope you feel better and are more healthy after your surgery & new life! Don't let the anesthesia scare you, at that age you LO can certainly handle it. Just and ignore when they say pump & dump.