Question about gallbladder op and breastfeeding..please help!

[jemimap]

Hi

Im due to have my gallbladder removed hopefully by keyhole in 1 weeks time. The problem is that I have a 5 week old daughter (and a 3 year old and a 1 year old!) I am exclusively bf my baby and have got the feeding into a pretty good routine for 5 weeksd old and I would be absolutely devastated if the op messed up the bf. I bf my other 2 children for a year each nd would hope to do the same this time.

I have asked the anaesthetist and he seems to think that bf straight after the general anaesthetic is ok although the drugs will make baby sleepy and because of this most mums choose to express for a few feeds. This isnt an option for me as I have had extensive breast surgery and cant express so if I miss several feeds it will really damage my milk supply as well as being really uncomfortable!

The nursing staff have also been really negative about my intention to breastfeed and have said that I might be too ill to feed for a while? This really surprises me as I know a couple of people who have had this op and said they felt relatively ok straight after..

Has anyone on here had this op and if so, do you think you would have been able to bf a 5 week old immediately you were awake??

Also, has anyone bf a baby after an anaesthetic and was there baby sleepy or did it do any harm??

Hope someone can help me..

Helen

Your anaesthetist sounds like he is being over cautious tbh. With GAs if you are awake enough to feed then the GA will have left your bloodstream & therefore won't be in your milk either. So unless you are only semi conscious then the baby won't be affected either. Even if some did remain in your system (say if someone came to help you feed whilst you were still only semi conscious) then baby would only get a tiny fraction of the GA through the milk anyway. Will you be on any other drugs post-op? Speak to your consultant & anaesthetist & get a full list of drugs they normally give, & then carefully check them out with a BFC (use the helplines if you don't know any locally) with a copy of Hales breastfeeding & medications book. That way you know for sure what you can & can't take.

Check out kellymom for some info & articles about bfing & GAs:
www.kellymom.com/health/illness/mom-surgery.html

I have some links...I'll be back later with them.

Point out to the nursing staff that many many mothers breastfeed after a caeserean which too is surgery. Your baby is five weeks, it's not as if you would be trying to feed a 2 yo who would be bouncing all over the bed.

As terramum says, check out which painkillers are compatible with breastfeeding. I was on a cocktail of around 6 different ones after my cs, so they must be out there!

Good luck, sounds like the operation will be the easy part after having to convince the staff re the breastfeeding. Perhaps you should contact one of the breastfeeding organisations who can give you all the ammunition you need to convince the hospital that having your 5 week old baby in hospital with you is a need, not some whimsical thing you just fancy doing.

Gall Bladder Plus Breastfeeding Links

NCT Breastfeeding Help Line 9870 444 8708

Drugs in Breastmilk Helpline (generally answered at night) Wendy Jones 0844 412 4665

Antibiotics and Breastfeeding

Painkillers PDF Document

Great List of Drugs safe and not safe including codine
Drug List

Drugs and breastfeeding help website

Q&A Codeine

HTH

I was hospitised twice due to gall badder problems both times for a week.

The second time I had an keyhole op which went wrong, had an open surgery that got infected (very rare most people are quick straight forward ops)

Both times I managed to get a side private room and my DD (4 month first visit 6 months second visit) was allowed to stay with me most of the day. As long as another adult was with her. So I breastfeed her direct.

I used an electric pump in the morning before she arrived and in the evening.

I had crappy painkillers during the day which were breastfed friendly and the stronger ones at night after her last feed.

I was told to pump and dump when I was on morphine machine but it is the same one C-section ladies are on and they breastfeed (like previous poster said) so I could of/should of nursed.

I wish you all the luck, it is possible to keep nursing. We did and still going strong at 15 months

Hi, I had my gall bladder out when ds was 7mths and fully bf. It was hard, but I only ended up missing one feed and that was when I was actually in surgery!

I did extensive research and asked lots of experts, and came to the conclusion that it is fine to bf right up to, and straight after, the op. I would suggest that someone has your older 2 children and your mum/partner comes in with the 5 week old. That way, you won't have to lift, settle, change etc. Even if you're very sleepy, you can feed lying down.

I had the keyhole surgery at midday and was home by 8pm.

Good luck.

Hi..

Thanks everyone for your advice and stories.. it makes it much easier to feel a bit prepared.. I spoke to the drug information line which is just brilliant.. the ga seems fine to bf with.. Not sure about the morphine though.

Codeine seems a bit risky.. are there any other painkillers that I could have that are 'safe' ?

Ireally hope I can go home the same day..
My husband will be coming in with dd and I so he can latch her on if needs be! Im sure he's thrilled about that prospect!

How long afterwards could you have a shower? Very important of course!!

jemimap - I had my gallbladder out recently. I can't say much about breastfeeding as had stopped but I would encourage you to have help with the kids if at all possible the first few days afterwards - you will be sore and lifting is definitely not advised.

Hi, just to let you all know, had op wed eve by keyhole and everything was fine. Had to stay in bit longer than planned as needed drain as have given birth recently and aparently that makes you bit 'oozy' !!

Have to say, it has been and still is more painful than i was expecting and I was up to feeding my 6 week old for 12 hours after the op as had to have extra morphine, but all in all was ok and am soooooooo relieved its now taken out.

Am still feeling bit gassy and some sort of phantom gallblader pain etc but its only been 2 days so expecting too much i suppose? Im still bit light headed and dizzy from op I think

anyway, thanks again for advice and any dietary tips now gallbladderless to prevent the 'runs' will be very much appreciated!!

Hi Jemimap, I had my gall bladder out in February when my baby was 8 weeks old. I wasn't able to breastfeed as I started having pancreatic attacks almost immediately after he was born, although I didn't know what the pain was at the time. I was kept in hospital 6 days as (I now know) the midwives were trying to reach their quota of breastfed babies. I wasn't eating correctly and was very weak and so the milk just never came.

I do feel bad that they recommend breast is best and my baby never had breast milk, however he is absolutely thriving. There is so much pressure on new mothers to breast feed and such a stigma against those who choose to bottle feed, but I wouldn't worry too much if you aren't able to breast feed. My older sister was never breastfed, is 5'9 and has perfect health whereas my younger sister was breastfed until she was 6 months old and has many allergies, including food containing milk and had exema as a child. Good for you trying though.

Re the phantom pains, I had keyhole surgery and thought the pain would disappear almost straight away. It took weeks so don't worry too much. It takes time for your body to recover. Remember that although you have little scaring on the outside, you have still undergone surgery and there will still be bruising, inflamation and tears to the inside.

I never had the runs so can't help you with this I'm afraid!