wisdom teeth removed while nursing?

[jillybeans]

I really need to get my wisdom teeth removed...I can't wait till I wean because:
a. i might be pg again by then!
b. i have no more room in my mouth and my teeth are starting to grow up out of my gums!!

And I'm a big baby, so I know I'll need to go under. My dd is almost 5 months, and it will probably be at least a month before i get it done....she also doesn't take a bottle. What should I do??

[minkajane]

I had my wisdom teeth removed when DS was 4 months old. I had IV sedation. The nurse told me I couldn't nurse for two weeks after the surgery. The doctor told me I couldn't nurse for five days. I nursed as soon as I got home (on the advice of an online consultation with a BFing-friendly dentist and several books). If I can nurse after a C/S, I can nurse after this, KWIM?

Anyway, it doesn't take long to do the surgery. You can just nurse your DD before you go and as soon as you get back. If you think it will be a while, you can either have her come with you and your escort can watch her so you can nurse when you need to, or if she's on solids by then, she can get solids in place of that nurse. Replacing nursing with solids that one time isn't going to hurt anything.

The surgery itself was no big deal. A few points you have to remember:

- You'll be really out of it for the rest of the day and probably the night too. You'll need someone to watch your DD and cosleeping that night's probably not a good idea.
- Don't take the pain meds if you don't need them. They made me totally loopy and I didn't need them after the first day anyway.
- Cold packs on your cheeks feel SO good the first few days.
- On your way home from the surgery, get a smoothie or a milkshake. The cold will feel good and it will help prevent nausea from the pain meds.

Good luck!

[jillybeans]

thank you so much for your help!!!! She will probably be on solids by then...and has just started drinking from sippy cup, so maybe dh could use that in place of bottle. I've never ever even had a cavity, and never had a shot in my mouth either, so I'm gonna ask for complete sedation. I'm a wimp.

[minkajane]

Mine were impacted, so I HAD to be put under. DH had his removed, but they weren't impacted, so he had the shots and remained awake, even though he would rather have been put under. He's a HUGE weenie about shots!

[Peri Patetic]

My DD was four months old when I had mine out. I was dreading it, and had put it off for years.

I specifically opted NOT to get general anesthesia -- both because I was BFing and because I talked to every person I could for weeks beforehand and the people who said they had a hard time and that the whole thing wiped them out for at least a day were the ones who had general. I would rather have a few minutes of discomfort while getting the shots than feel sick for a whole day!

My recovery was a breeze. I took arnica for about a week ahead of time. I did not have any impacted teeth but two of them were very difficult to get out. As soon as I got home, I took some Advil. I continued to take arnica. I ended up not needing any other pain meds, had no swelling and no bruising. In the end, it was actually pretty easy and painless. I was scrupulous about following the after care advice, for fear of a dry socket, but I had no problems at all.

Good luck to you!