Need to stop bfeeding for 24 hours - advice

[Doubletheuncertainty]

I have a 5mo who is ebf. I need to have an MRI and cannot bfeed for 24 hours after due to a contrast dye being used. My dc will take a bottle but comfort feeds a lot overnight to sleep. Does anyone have any tips on both building up a stash of expressed milk and how to prepare/tackle overnight?! I feel so bad for them. MRI is in a week and I have no freezer supply. Also how to pump and dump over 24 hours so supply all ok etc?!

Pump after morning feed as supply is highest then. Also use a haaka on boob not feeding from as will collect letdown may only get 1 or 2oz from it but every bit counts and builds up quickly .

Buy some formula OP. It’s likely you won’t be able to pump a full 24hrs worth in the next week while also feeding your baby.
Pump whenever your baby wants a feed including overnight (not all night obviously but maybe two proper sessions of your baby feeds a lot at night).
24hours is not that long and your supply will be well established so it’s likely to all go well and not have an impact ok your supply long term.
you can try a dummy or bottle and cuddles in bed with your baby to comfort them. Where a top they can’t get into so they don’t help themselves while your milk might still contain traces of the dye.

I disagree, you will be able to pump enough over a week to cover you for the 24 hour period. I would say avoid formula not because I’m against it cos I’m certainly not but if your baby has only had breast milk since birth number one may refuse it and number 2 could affect their tummy as not used to it and if it’s only for 24 hours there is no point giving it

My advice would be for your husband to deal with the baby overnight. Offer whatever you have expressed although in my experience my baby didn't want expressed but did have formula when I wasn't there. Your baby may look for it less if he can't smell you (so sleep in a different room!).
I wouldn't pump and dump -it won't make a difference to getting rid of the dye any sooner.

Surely I need to pump and dump otherwise I'll be very engorged?

Sorry I see what you mean about pump and dump not to get over the dye sooner but just to keep supply. I honestly wouldn't worry it's only short term. Just let off when your breasts feel full/hard.

Yeh just pump when you start to feel them full.

Thanks for all the advice. Finding it all so stressful. I'm not any formula but breastfeeding has luckily worked very easily for us after first couple of weeks so I so wonder if it's worth trying to give formula once a day over next week to get dc used to it and then it takes pressure off expressing and I just do my best?

Makes sense, thank you!

I'm not anti formula that should say

Are you sure that the contrast used will cross into your breastmilk? Not all contrasts used in mri scans do, and breastfeeding mum's are often told to pump and dump unnecessarily.

Contact the dept doing the mri and ask what contrast will be used and check on Breastfeeding Network website to make sure you can't breastfeed for 24hrs.

Meh, I’d just buy one small tin or a carton of premade so that you have it there if you need it - so if your baby drinks all the breastmilk you manage to express. You don’t want to be dealing with a screaming hungry baby and feeling like you have no options at all at 3am. If your baby rejects the formula then it’s not a bug deal. If they are desperately hungry/thirsty they will drink it.
Your baby is 5months - so close to the start of weaning. Don’t worry about a bottle of formula giving them digestive issues. You’ll be adding solid food in less than a month!

Do whatever you will find less stressful if you don’t want the pressure of building up a stash 👍🏻

Giving a bottle of formula and pumping to replace the feed over a week will give you more expressed milk, but it’s also just more formula.
Ultimately you have some different options. There isn’t one single right way to do this. At 5 months, whatever you do is unlikely to have a big impact on supply. You almost definitely will need to express to avoid engorgement though.

Agree to double check with Breastfeeding Network as you may be stressing unnecessarily.

I wouldn't bother to try the formula beforehand - there's nothing you can do if baby won't take it and it will just stress you out. The likelihood is, they will take it - most babies do - and they will likely take it just fine when you're not there whereas if you're offering it as a kind of trial they may pick up on the anxiety and refuse, or be like "But muuuuuuuuum your boob is right there!"

It won't upset their tummy. Presumably you've been eating dairy yourself for the last 5 months with no issues.

Pump as much as you can but don't stress if you haven't enough. Buy some of the ready made cartons. Any brand is fine.

Ultimately it's just one day and you, baby and dad/other caregiver will get through it.

Thanks so much everyone, really helpful advice and I'll cross check on the contrast dye.

Kind of on the same lines as a pp but I'd be wondering just what the negative would be even if your baby did BF. It's dye...what's it Gona do? The only reason they will say don't breastfeed is simply because they won't test it on babies and so can't say it's ok.
I don't know anything about the process of MRI and dyes but do you drink the dye or is it injected somewhere?

Just read that is is injected but still...it's not Gona do anything. The amount that oasses to milk would be teeny