Having wisdom teeth out under GA soon - how to manage breastfeeding

[Rugbylovingmum]

Hi all,

I am having trouble getting answers from my hv and wondered whether anyne else had been in a similar situation. DD is 4.5 months and breastfed - she used to take a bottle of EBM every now and then but has refused since xmas and just screams and pushes it away. I am due to go into hospital to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth out in March and have the following problems:

1. How to get DD to take a bottle/cup while I am in (I'll be in for most of the day). I'd like to get her taking some milk from a bottle or cup anyway so I can leave her with my parents for a few hours without worrying she is hungry.

1. How soon after a general anaesthetic can I breastfeed again. The nurse said to wait 72 hours but admitted she doesn't really know how long you have to wait, they just say that to be safe. She also said I couldn't feed while on painkillers but that obviously isn't true as I fed after my cesarean.

1. If I express some milk as close to the GA as I can and as soon after the op as I can will my milk supply be okay?

I'm getting quite worried and no-one is giving me any answers. I could try to put the op off again but 1 tooth keeps breaking through the gum then getting infected (dentist says I can't prevent it, it is just in a really bad position against the next tooth and really difficult to keep clean) and I am on my 3rd set of antibiotics since xmas. Plus it is really painful.

Any advice?

RLM - do get some better advice if you can about the anaesthetic. 72 hours?! When you are conscious, the drug is out of your blood and out of your milk...otherwise you would still be unconcious Mothers bf straight away after a GA for a section - why would dental treatment be any different, I wonder?

You can call any of the bf helplines for the options about giving your dd milk when you are away from her.

Hope things work out well for you

I fed straight away for GA from a section, and my baby (obviously) was really tiny then. I was also on diamorphine. Your HV is talking out of her arse. Phone the la lecche leagueor look on kelly's mom

I gave my son breastmilk (colostrum, in fact!) minutes after waking from a general and he was a tiny newborn. I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure this isn't the big issue here, more one of supply etc. If anything the painkillers you may want afterwards are more contraindicated.

If its any consolation, I had my wisdom teeth out under general and was home the same day, so in theory if you fed her before the OP, expressed if you need to in the hossy and then feed her when you get home it might be better than you thought.

rugbymum I had an op under GA when dd was 7 months old & barely eating solids -milk was everything to her so I know how distressing this is.

Have you tried calling the infant feeding coordinator at the hospital? I spoke with mine and she arranged a private room for me before and after the op where dd could stay with dh. I was allowed to come in the morning of the op as long as I fasted at home so no overnight stays.

Yes, like Tiktok says, once you're awake you're ok to feed. They wheeled me into my room after the op and I still had the oxygen mask on my face when dh plonked dd on the bed to feed. She fell asleep feeding on the bed next to me while dh watched us both (I was still groggy from the GA).

It was the solution that worked best for us. We had some luck with dd having expressed milk from a bottle that day but she wouldn't suck it - dh had to squirt it into her mouth which she found amusing! Not sure it would have worked if she was starving!!

Good luck, I hope the op goes well.

Thanks all - I did say that mothers feed straight after a section so I didn't see why I had to wait 72 hours. The nurse more or less said that on the day unit (where I will have my teeth removed) they don't know much about feeding so they just say 72 hours to be safe. She didn't say that DD could be on the ward after the op but I'm going to phone and ask as that will make things much easier. She will take tiny amounts of milk frm a cup so if I can feed her before going in (I'll give a few feeds close together in the morning) and can feed her in recovery I'm sure DP can keep her going with the cup.

I haven't had any advice from my health visitor - I asked at the weigh-in clinic thing three weeks ago and the lady there said she didn't know but would ask my hv to contact me which she hasn't. I've left a couple of messages but haven't heard back. I'll try again but she only works 2 days and isn't easy to get hold of.

Thanks again!

Yes they told me no feeding for 2 days after the op I think but the infant feeding coordinator spoke with the anaesthetist & ward on my behalf. She explained that it wasn't true & arranged my own room with the bed manager so that I could feed in privacy. She didn't all the work for me.

The anaesthetist was fab and looked into doing my op under epidural (not an option for you I know!). Once they knew I was bf & understood it was fine to feed they couldn't do enough for me.

I'd definately recommend calling the hospital and asking to speak to the infant feeding coordinator. Let us know how you get on.

also, can you have consious sedation instead of a GA?

I've just been in hospital for an emergency op - broke my ankle. I fed my DD (10m) just before the op and then had to wait 24 hours after my last codeine tablet to feed again. The anaesthetist said it would be ok to feed again after 8 hours but dd might get a bit of the codeine. Not enough to do anything bad but might make her constipated. 24 hours and it would be all gone. He didn't say anything at all about the GA.

It was a good incentive for me to get off the codeine. I ended up taking paracetamol and diclofenac - both which are fine to take while breastfeeding. Everyone at the hospital seemed really keen to get me back feeding asap, which I was surprised at seeing as dd is over 6 months.

The ward said that they do allow babies on the ward but you have to be capable of looking after them as the nurses can't do it. Sadly I couldn't move so dd couldn't be with me. Maybe you'd have better luck as you will be mobile but it depends how you react to the GA.

Good luck with your op.

It's crazy to talk about suspending bf for hours (and even days....) after a GA 'just to be safe'. What's 'safe' about suspending breastfeeding, risking engorgement and mastitis in the mother, distress in the baby, and the inevitable use of formula ('cos the baby has to have something)?

If other hospital departments and specialities 'don't know much about bf' then they have no business advising mothers and infants on when it can and can't happen.

I was in a similar situation a few weeks ago. I had to have a GA and was told I couldn't breastfeed for 24 hrs. My DS was 18wks and wouldn't drink from either a bottle or a cup.

I took a breast pump to hospital with me and expressed before and after the operation, to try to prevent engorgement. I wasn't allowed to have my DS with me but fed him as soon as I got home. My DH fed him from a spoon for the day and took him on lots of long walks!!

I have had quite a few medical procedures over the last few months and some pretty outdated advice from the medical professionals with regards to breastfeeding.

I had 3 GAs while dd2 was under a year. When she was 6 months or under I was able to have her in hospital with me - first one she was only 4 weeks old so we stayed on Maternity (quiet rural hospital) and for the other 2 onthe surgical ward in a side room.

I was told I could feed her as soon as I was awake and able to sit up and hold her. They wouldn't let me feed her lying down before that in case I fell asleep on her! The nurses on the ward looked after her while I was in theatre (brief procedures on my kidneys every time but I was away for 1.5 - 2 hours each time).

I was one heavy duty painkillers as well (for kidney stones) and was able to feed on morphine/diamorphine (but pethidine was more of a problem as it accumulates in the body).

I was always encouraged to feed (not that anyone was going to stop me). The anaesthetist was very encouraging as well.

Hi all,

I just wanted to pass on an update. After reading Hulla's post I e-mailed the patient liason dept at the hospital explaining my problem and asked if they had an infant feeding co-ordinator as they might have more information. I got a reply yesterday from the feeding co-ordinator saying that she had spoken to the day unit nursing manager and had arranged for me to have DD with me until the op, then DP will take her until I am in recovery. They have arranged for me to have a side room so DP can bring DD back in once I wake up. She has also confirmed with the anaethetist that I can feed as soon as I am awake and that all of the medication they give (small amount of opiates, voltarol and paracetamol) are compatible with breastfeeding. They have been brilliant and much more helpful than my hv (who still hasn't been back in touch , the nurse on I spoke to or my GP.

Thanks for all the advice!

I had the same considerations with DD1. I had to get get a D&C for retained placenta when she was 12 weeks old under GA. My GP and OB advised not to BF for 24 hours after surgery but to express and dump the milk during this time when she would have normally fed.

When I was on the trolley going into the operating theatre I was talking to the anaesthetist about it and he said this was very very conservative and he would have been happy for me to feed again straight after.

Dh had brought DD1 to the hospital and I fed her just before going in and then as I had the milk stocked up we gave her the bottles anyway for 24 hours as this is what we had planned for. However, this was the last day she would ever take a bottle - refused point blank from then on! When weaning her I eventually managed to get her to take milk from the Avent white spouts that go in the Avent bottles.

I then had trouble with my wisdom teeth and needed all 4 out but managed to wait until DD1 was 11 months and I weaned her completely a few days before. I got my wisdom teeth out under twilight sedation and again the anaesthetist said I would have been able to BF straight after. I had been happy to wean her anyway between 10 and 11 months as I wanted a break before we TTC no. 2!

Maybe try asking more questions at the hospital you will be at as I think you will take a while to get advice from the health visitor, just because they don't know.