quick help re bf and operation

[Monkeyandanimal]

I had my appendix out yesterday, emergency surgery, at about 6 or 7pm. Been pumping and dumping at hospital but wasn't managing to clear the breasts properly. Getting engorged and can't tell whether getting mastitis or not, due to generally feeling rubbish. baby was EBF til yesterday, thankfully she has been guzzling formula. I'm home, don't have breast pump; is it safe to feed her now, nearly 24 hours after op. A doctor acquaintance says yes but i'm still not sure. Don't want mastitis though. Worried about GA drugs getting into her,as well as the iv antibiotics i had a hosp. Hosp doctor said to wait another 24 hours, but i think i will be feverish with mastitis if i wait that long. Please tell me its ok to feed her.......

What IV antibiotics did you have? Would not be in the least worried about GA as I always thought that once you had come round you were good to go.

Its fine to feed her - in fact you are safe to feed as soon as you would be safe to hold her after the anaesthetic as you wouldn't wake up with the drugs still in your system

GA-wise, totally fine. It is fine as soon as you wake up from the op. Antibiotics wise, I'm not sure - but check here breastfeeding network for your particular antibiotic.

Thank you. Don't know what antibiotics i had....

Agree with aper - not an issue with GA, I fed dd within 5 hours of having GA.

Most painkillers you should be ok too.

Antibiotics? Did you tell them you were feeding.

You definitely don't want thrush so feed, feed and feed!

Hope you feel better soon.

I bf 3 day old dd as soon as I came round from GA.

They knew i was feeding. Never said anything; i hadn't really considered the antibiotics being a prob as i was fixating on the GA....

She's a hefty 6 month old baby too.....sure she could cope with a few antibiotics......

If you Google LactMed you'll find great info about medication and BFing. I'm sure you're ok to feed now, I know this is slightly different but my DS was born under GA and I fed within 10 minutes of coming around from anaesthetic.

I just read the info that I just linked for if antibiotics. Looks like its fine in almost all cases anyway.

Hope all goes well and no mastitis! You'd get antibiotics anyway then! :)

*on, not if.

This makes me cross.....no one told you that you were safe to feed after the op, and instead let you pump and dump when feeling rubbish and TOTALLY UNNECESSARILY?

Grrrr.

Please, please tell them the correct information about GA (generally - I suppose there are exceptions): if you are conscious the GA is out of your bloodsteam, otherwise you'd still be 'under'. And if it's out of your bloodstream it is out of your milk.

The hospital doc telling you to wait 24 hours is unlikely to know what a huge hassle expressing is.

breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk-information-and-factsheets.html

Get the pdf on anaesthetics and breasmilk. Share it with the doctors.

It's so frustrating that mums are still getting the message that they can't feed after a GA.

You are safe as soon as you come round. Every day there are mums waking after an emergency CS under GA and feeding their babies or pumping for vulnerable babies and preemies.

Some antibiotics aren't recommended. But very very few are a problem. It's very unlikely you would have been given one of those.