22mo has to get crowns & Dentist says no BFing after midnight!

[filiadeluna]

DD is 22 months old.  She has to get dental crowns on six of her top teeth.  They are past the point where we can just "wait it out" - they are only going to get worse, and they are afraid that one may even have to be extracted.  They recommended putting her under general anesthesia and doing so at the hospital, because otherwise she will thrash and scream and make it impossible for them to fix her teeth.  I'm going to research the medicines they said they were going to give her, because I like to be informed, and if they are something I don't agree with I'll need to check into alternatives. 

Anyhow, they told me that I cannot give her ANY food or drink including breastmilk after MIDNIGHT the night before, and that (not nursing her after midnight) is a major issue for me/us.  She does not go to sleep until midnight most nights, and nurses 2-3 times after that plus a whole bunch as soon as she wakes up and again shortly after that.  I am used to feeding her on demand, and she is a highly sensitive little girl.  She does not eat a lot of solids, anyhow.  If I refuse her breastmilk ALL of those times, she will scream until she makes herself sick (choking on her tears and saliva).  Seriously.  Not even exagerrating.  What the heck am I supposed to do?!!!  My instincts tell me I cannot refuse to breastfeed her, but is there an actual risk (what is it, aspiration or something?) if I nurse her anyway?  Resources?  Studies?  Experiences?  Thanks!sourcAnyone have any experiences with a situation like this or information to help?  Thanks!     

[Ruthla]

How many hours does she need to fast before the anesthesia? You might do better scheduling the surgury for early afternoon, so you can nurse normally overnight and first thing in the morning, and then have her fast during the day when you're both more awake. They usually schedule surgury in the mornings becaue many babies and kids don't eat overnight anyway, so an early-morning surgury is easier for them.

I'd suggest talking to the anesthesiologist directly- he or she is probably more knowledgable about the specifics than the dentist is. Breast milk is generally considered a "clear fluid" for the purposes of anesthesia, and is safe to have closer to surgury than other foods. But it's still not safe to have breastmilk or even water too close to anesthesia- but it might be something like 3 hours, not 8.