[rype]

My daughter wants me to post something for her but I have no idea how to do this. Please bear with me.

Sarah went into the hospital tonight because she got a very bad pain around her stomach area and felt very, very ill. They performed an ultrasound on her and found out that her gall bladder was loaded with stones and sludge.
Her baby, Rowan, is only 24 days old.

Sarah needs your advice to figure out what to do. They want to give her antibiotics and see how she is doing in the morning. If her condition hasn't improved they want to remove her gall bladder.

Does anyone have any advice for her? Help!!!!!! Can she nurse on antibiotics?

She is going to be admitted to the Phoenixville Hosptital tonight, Friday. Well I guess it is now Saturday, 10-06-07. If you live in the area and know Sarah Montalbano please call her and talk to her! She needs you!!e

 

[thixle]

Well, this is my first post here, and I would be glad to help reassure you!

I had my wisdom teeth removed (with bad complications) when my DD was almost 2 months: antibiotics and strong pain killers (Lorisets and Vicodin) for a couple of weeks. It was a surgery, they told me not to bf for 24 hours because of the anesthesia. I contacted a lactation consultant who said 12 hours would be fine, and the pain meds might make her drowsy, but completely safe. DD had a couple bottles of expressed milk (eh... about 4 ounces total was all I could get) then gorged herself at the 12 hour mark.
I also have Crohn's disease and was in the hospital for a week, antibiotics on drip, nursed her IN the hospital whenever DH brought her in... 11 doctors told me to wean, but one of my nurses was extremely helpful- brought me literature and a breastpump so that I could keep my supply up at night and know that the medicine I was on would not harm my child. I am on long term antibiotics and a sulfonizide right now. And while they are class B (in the BFing world) they are not harmful.

It's hard when you have to have procedures done and (usually male) doctors tell you it's a lost cause to keep BFing. Especially when 11 specialist tell you that. But, it can be done! Most meds are excreted in breastmilk, but only in very, very small amounts. That one great nurse told me that they used the same antibiotics on small children, in small doses... so, even if DD got some in the milk, it was still no big deal because it was also approved for pediatric use... does that make sense?

Anesthesia is a little more troublesome-- for the same reason adults can die from too much. But it will only last 24 hours AT THE MOST and a cranky, hungry baby usually will not refuse a bottle or two, pumped or formula. And in 24 hours the milk supply may be a bit stunted but will not go away completely- that can take weeks. She can go right back to BFing (even if someone else has to help hold or latch the baby).

Tell Sarah (hehe, I'm Sarah too) that I'm thinking about her and wish her the best. BFing is hard when you are sick yourself, but it can be done... and don't feel like a failure if she is just too sick to continue. That baby needs healthy mommy to take care of him(her?). Get in touch with a lactation consultant, LLL, or even pediatrician as a part of her surgical team if you need to. (((hugs))) It can be done! I'm still going strong at 26 months

***This should probably be in the BFing section, I don't know how it got here or how to move it, though!

 

[happymomma]

I had gall bladder surgery and was breastfeeding at the time with no problems at all. Just let the anesthesiologist know that she is breastfeeding and to only give bf friendly meds and all should be fine and good.

Good Luck!

 

[prairiechild]

Personally, unless they told me that it was dangerous to keep the gallbladder, I would refuse surgery, go home and see a naturopath ASAP. They can tell her how to detox her gallbladder and get the stones out without surgery.

 

[happymomma]

If her gall bladder is full trying to pass the stones yourself is extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. Its different than just a stone or two.