Surgery and Breast feeding - HELP

[TC08]

Ladies, need some help. I am having surgery this Thursday and need to plan how to breastfeed/bottlefeed that day and possibly the next day. My DS is 10 weeks old and exclusively breastfeeding. I do give him a bottle of expressed milk each night and he takes it no problems.

My HV is not great so she didn't really give me any advice apart from bring formula and let your DH feed baby with formula
. I do want to express some to have for the day but not sure how to plan so we will have enough. Only have the rest of today and tomorrow to prepare it. How do I bring it to the hospital? How many bottles do I need to bring? (I only have 2 at the moment, does it need to I need to buy more, would prefer not to as wouldn?t really use them)

Really scared and panicky. Please HELP.

TC - why do you need to suspend breastfeeding for that amount of time? Many hospitals are fine about babies being brought in to feed, and having the babies with mum for as much time as you want. Anaesthetic should not be a barrier - once you are conscious, the anaesthetic is out of your system (otherwise you would not be conscious ) and of course mums bf after a section with GA.

With luck and support, you only need to suspend bf for the time you are actually in surgery, as far as i can tell...have you been told something different?

Ring the post natal ward and ask for the breastfeeding support nurse to ring you asap.

or try these:
National Breatfeeding Helpline 08442090920
La Leche League Helpline 08451202918
NCT Breastfeeding helpline 03003300771

I would think you would need more bottles than two for you to put your expressed milk in. You need to find out how long post surgery you will have the drugs in your system. It also depends on when you can start drinking again.

I was really ill when BF my DS2 and he refused everything till I could feed him again over 24 hours later!!! (and he was OK - but like a limpit when he finally did feed)

Thanks tiktok and eddiego. It just happened so quickly and I am just emotionally not ready yet. My brains refuse to work so cant think of anything apart from operation.

Just worried i will be given some drugs after to cope with pain and you cant combine them with breastfeeding.

Is it ok to bring expressed milk with us and keep it not in the fridge? So confused...

Pain killers can be compatible with bf - just ask.

EBM should be in the fridge - especially in a hospital.

Good idea to ring the infant feeding specialist.

Good luck!

Yes good luck - you'll manage. I have had mums bring young babes onto ward for ops and we always put them in a side room. It might be worth ringing the ward to let them know you will be feeding.