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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Surgery and baby refusing bottle.

22 replies

lagoonhaze · 16/03/2012 13:05

I'm due surgery soon and my 4.5 old won't take a bottle. Doesnt matter what bottle, ebm, formula carton or powder. She screams screams screams and has on two occassions given in and drank a bottle.

If she's still sleepy she will drink it!

Tried tommee tippee first cup- mixed results but overall not good.

Really stressed that I'm going in to hospital and my baby will starve as unlikely weaning will be started by then.

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MigGril · 16/03/2012 13:51

Who's trying to give her the bottle?

Dont try when she's to hungery or due a feed, and have someone else give it not you. Or she's old enough to try a cup, depending on how long you will be away and how much milk she'll need.

How long will you be away from her and can you take her in with you (my hospital where very good with DD when she was 10months and refussing a bottle, i had day surgary and could feed in the afternoon)

If it's not urgent can you delay the procedure a few months when she'll be on solids and slightly easier to leave?

lagoonhaze · 16/03/2012 21:11

Hi thank you for your reply.

Both partner and I have tried. She takes it better from me surprisingly.
Tried at various times even allowing her to get comfortable with bottle in her mouth. This evening tried a doidy cup. No joy!

I dont know how the surgery will work. Its gallbadder removal and really dont want to delay as in so much pain. Should be day surgery but how soon can I feed her after op.

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MigGril · 16/03/2012 21:46

If you read the info from the BfN you can prity much feed as soon as you are awake www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/Day_Surgery_and_Breastfeeding_March_2009.pdf

I think painkillers are more of an issue and you should speck to you doc about what they will give you. You can also contact the BfN drug in breastmilk helpline if you need any more information

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk.html

lagoonhaze · 16/03/2012 22:15

thank you so much. Will have a look at those links.

Such a worry but hopefully will all work out.

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lagoonhaze · 18/03/2012 10:04

Have looked at those links and they are really interesting.

Does anyone have experience of their baby staying in with them post op- either during day or overnight. DP could care for her but she really won't feed from anything other than me. I'm now stuck between distressing her or being in pain.

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trio38 · 18/03/2012 10:35

My dd isn't keen on a bottle and will only take it if it is exactly the right temperature. This is warmer than I had expected...it actually feels warm on my wrist. The other thing I've found that works is standing up and swinging her quite fast as I offer the bottle. Hope this helps.

lilbreeze · 18/03/2012 11:00

I think if you can manage to feed her yourself and avoid using a bottle you will make it much easier and less stressful for all of you. Gall bladder surgery is usually keyhole so hopefully will be fairly quick and straightforward.

You have my sympathy though - the pain of gallstones is awful Sad

MigGril · 18/03/2012 13:26

DD didn't acutaly stay with me but they did have a cot and I had a single room ready if we needed it. As she was a bit older we droped her off with a friend in the morning and DH brough her upto the hosptial after I was out of threater. I fed her not long after I was back on the ward and as my surgary had been in the morning (they had arranged it this way for me) I could go home that day.

The hospital was very good.

TruthSweet · 18/03/2012 14:24

I had gall bladder surgery when DD3 was 9m (had had a week long stay with pancreatitis when she was 6m too and a few short trips for panc. in the meantime).

I had to stay in overnight as a) I have epilepsy so GA are more problematic and b) they 'lost' a gall stone while removing the gall bladder. I expressed when I came round from the GA and that was sent home with DH when he went home later (I had a tiny stockpile at home for DD3). I expressed during the night and in the morning too when DD3 came in for another feed.

Unfortunately I ended up with pancreatitis again after I was discharged (lost gall stone blocked off the bile duct and my pancreas started digesting it's self again) so ended back in hospital on a side ward of A&E for about 4 days so DD3 was only allowed for visits rather than staying. She couldn't have formula either as she had a bad reaction to it from the first hospital stay so managed on minimal feeds.

Have you tried spoon feeding or syringe feeding breastmilk? Not ideal but if push comes to shove certainly better then her getting dehydrated. You could also have baby waiting in the day room/cafeteria/walking the grounds while you have the op so that you can feed on your return to consciousness. Be aware though that they fill your abdomen with gas while they do the keyhole surgery so you will feel very tender - baby feeding from over your shoulder may help (i.e. baby's feet/legs by your head with her body on your shoulder) so she isn't putting pressure on your sore tummy/chest.

There are lots of painkillers that are compatible with bfing - I had IV morphine, oramorphine , diclofenac (strong version of ibuprofen), IV paracetamol, buscopan [anti-spasmodic which helps the gut], and if I wasn't troubled by their side effects I could have had tramadol and codeine too (though prob not all at once!).

If you have a complicated medical history or are currently on medication you could try contacting the Drugs in Breastmilk helpline for a list of pain meds that could be prescribed to you (the ones I mentioned may be compatible with bfing but they may not be compatible with you IYSWIM!).

You can also ask to speak to the anaesthetist before the surgery (I know I have always seen one before but I don't know if that is common practice or just because I am awkward!) so request bfing compatible anaesthesia (ask for whatever they give a c-section mother).

Good luck with the surgery and I hope all goes smoothly.

lagoonhaze · 18/03/2012 21:17

Thank you so much. You have all helped put my mind at rest. Im going to compile a list of questions for when I have the pre op assessment.

trio38- yes I think my DD may be a little like yours. It needs to be warm we have worked out.
lilbreeze - agree really would be less stressful if I could feed her myself but the though of something going wrong and her being unable to be feed is stressing me out more.
miggril I am hoping beyond hope that my hospital is as good as yours. I may ring PALS service and ask if they know if they are.
truthsweet Your post has been very reassuring. The info yuou have provided along with the links offered to the BFN previously have been really informative. Thank you so much.

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GodisaDj · 18/03/2012 21:26

Sorry to hear you are poorly lagoon :( I've PM'd you with my story

I also posted on this thread too

Good luck with your operation, hope all goes well and you feel better soon :)

lagoonhaze · 18/03/2012 21:57

Thank you have replied.

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RosieK12 · 20/03/2012 11:25

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

lagoonhaze · 20/03/2012 11:45

Do you have any tips Rosie?

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girliefriend · 20/03/2012 11:57

Hi my dd was only 2 weeks old when I went in for my gallbladder removel so was easier to mix feed as she would take from both.

I was given a side room so could have dd with me up until I went down for the surgery, my mum then looked after her that afternoon and night (I am a single parent) and I was allowed home the next day.

Personally there is no way I would have felt well enough to bf straight after surgery. The anaesthetic alone knocked me off for the rest of the day and night.

I was sore afterwards and was advised by the anaesthetist not to bf for 48hrs, not sure if this was duff advice but that is what I was told and actually I did need 48 hours to rest and recover. The midwife then came over and with her support was able to restart bfing and eventually built my supply back up. For the two days I didn't bf I did express as much as possible and was lucky that dd wasn't fussed where the milk came from!!!

Good luck with the surgery, my guess is no baby will starve and when she is really hungry and you are not there she will take a bottle.

RosieK12 · 20/03/2012 12:31

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

RosieK12 · 20/03/2012 12:47

I am sorry it seems that my contact info was removed by mums net (I am assuming that is because I am maternity nurse as well as a mother) The way that I have found works best is easier to explain verbally rather than on paper that is why I left my details. Sorry I could not help, good luck

MigGril · 20/03/2012 12:48

Hi I came across this while looking for something else on Kellymom though you'd like to read it. It's another mum's expercance of gallbladder surgary.

kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/illness-surgery/gallbladder-surgery01/

lagoonhaze · 20/03/2012 22:08

RosieK12 I think whoever reported your post thought you were advertising for business. I admit that that was my initial thought too.

Miggril thank you so much that link is reassuring and girliefriend thank you for sharing your story. I thinking that at least I will get some sleep when knocked out.

Tried using poundland bottles today. Thought she was going to take it then stubborn monkey spat it out and refused it. Argghhhh. Seems impossible as partner cant do the lionshare due to work and on a saturday we have his children so not fair to leave them all alone and subjected to screaming!

OP posts:
RosieK12 · 29/03/2012 00:05

Just trying to help, I have messaged you my number. If you would like me to run through it with you then call me.
Hope all goes well with the op :)

nappymaestro · 29/03/2012 01:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Longdistance · 29/03/2012 01:16

I too had problems feeding my lo with a bottle. I still can't hold her when I feed her her bottle. We had 2 resort 2 putting her in a bouncer, and the milk was warm. We used tt bottles with vary flow teats, which we still use now. She doesn't know what it is, and a latch on a bottle is different 4 that on the breast. Good Luck with the surgery x

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