BFing and surgery. Advice needed!

[Limelight]

Hi!

Any experienced BFers out there who can help me?

I'm having day surgery on Thursday and only found out today so don't have long to sort myself out. DD IS 20 weeks and still feeding very frequently, particularly overnight because she seems to have forgotten how to sleep!

I won't be able to feed her 24hrs from 7.30am on Thursday (according to the pre-admissions nurse). They've been very helpful re pain relief for post-op and I'll have stuff which is BF friendly.

I am appalling at expressing. I've tried every trick in the book with two babies and can never get more than a couple of ounces. On top of that I've had a lipase problem with my milk this time which means that my carefully expressed and frozen milk has all gone sour. There's absolutely no way I'll be able to express enough to cover 24hrs so she'll have to have some formula too. She hasn't ever had a bottle so I'm a little concerned about that.

So really I just want to make sure I've covered all if my bases re keeping my supply up and making sure that DD will return to BFing after surgery without any hiccups. Also advice re anaesthesia and pain relief etc. And also any advice or experiences about feeding when I'm absent.

Sorry to ramble. I haven't quite got my head around all of this yet! I'd be grateful for your advice.

Limelight x

[RitaMorgan]

I would double check abot the drugs and how long you have to not breastfeed - I think the Breastfeeding Network have a drugs helpline? They will probably be more knowlegable than the nurse.

[CMOTdibbler]

Why won't you be able to feed her for 24 hours ? You could feed her right up till you went into surgery and as soon as you are awake from the anaesthetic (as soon as you are awake, its out of your system) - so no more than a 3 hour break really.

[Limelight]

Just a quick update. Surgery done and having planned to start feeding again as soon as I got home last night (following your advice ladies!), it really wasn't possible because of pain, pain, PAIN!!

I expressed about four times yesterday though and am feeding her today and also expressing on and off to keep my supply up. My husband did give her a bottle of formula this morning though because I was sleeping.

Fortunately she much prefers me to the bottle. Hurrah!!

So anything else I should be doing?

[mawbroon]

You need to be relaxing and being waited on hand and foot!!

Sorry I didn't see this before. I had day surgery to remove metalwork from my ankle when ds2 was 8 months (Older I know, so different) and I insisted that the hospital "allowed" dh to bring ds2 in and us only being seperated for the minimum time.

Hope you are pain free soon.

[japhrimel]

Feed, feed, feed. Can you feed lying down in bed? Get your OH or someone to bring her to you so you can doze and feed if you need recovery time.

Your supply should bounce right back if your LO is only feeding off you and has access to the breasts at any time.