dental sedation - advised to stop breastfeeding??

[cantthinkofagoodname]

I have an appointment to take out a wisdom tooth at the hospital. I am a big crybaby when it comes to dentists (traumatic experiences when younger) and would prefer to have sedation for the procedure.

However I have been advised by the maxilofacial chap at the hospital that I won't be able to breastfeed if I choose to be sedated. He couldn't give me any more advice, and didn't seem to know how long I'd need to stop for or anything useful like that.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Of course my other option is to suck it up and have it done awake... [tremble]

Does the tooth have to come out now? Could it wait till you've finished breeding?

I think he's probably talking nonsense. If you had a c-section under general anasthetic nobody would advise you to not breastfeed. Have a look here for more info.

Sounds like total pants to me. Ask him what the drug in question is, and call the La Leche League for advice - they have a pharmacist who specialises in drugs in lactation.

Doctors are prone to telling you you have to stop BF if you ingest anything pharmaceutical at all, usually without any scientific backing whatsoever IMHO

the tooth can't wait (although I've probably finished breeding Alouiseg ) as I managed to put it off all the way through pregnancy because I wouldn't let them perform an xray. (am a paranoid mother)

Looks like my suspicions are right - he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about, does he?!

By the time you're awake the sedation will, by definition, be out of your system, and hence you'll be fine to feed. Anyone with an ounce of sense can work that out, surely? Or do health care professionals not have any? Don't answer that question!

When I had sedation for oral surgery, I was advised to express about 8 hours worth of milk.

Wow - had exactly the same question! I'm having my wisdom teeth out in two weeks under conscious sedation and have been advised to wait 24 hours before feeding DS. But we've had limited success getting him to take a bottle.

Thanks for the advice all - sparkle, I am going to try expressed milk with him, but then feed him if he won't drink from a bottle.

This from kellymom: "Post-operatively, the mother can safely nurse her baby once she feels more alert. Pain medication can be taken safely as prescribed. Most practitioners prescribe the exact same pain medications for postoperative pain relief as are prescribed for postoperative pain relief following a Cesarean birth."

www.kellymom.com/health/illness/dentalwork.html

My experience is that many health professionals know very little about bf, so 'err on the side of caution' ie talk BS. The Kellymom advice is the soundest - I think codeine isn't great as can cause constipation; other than that, painkillers are fine.

This is such odd advice - though sadly not unusual

When you are no longer sedated, the drug is no longer in your system. If it was in your system, you'd still be sedated. If it's not in your system, it's no longer in your milk.

Do give the hospital a call and just ask them again, putting this point to them.

There is also excellent info on dental treatments inc anaesthesia at www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk - go to the factsheet on this. You can read the relevant bits out to the surgeon and ask what he/she thinks.

Thanks all for the advice (not my thread, but it's been most useful for me too!). I'm going to ring the hospital again, tiktok.

thanks for this advice. Most reassuring as I was panicking a lot because I don't seem to be able to express very much at all and was worried about having to give my baby (with suspected cows protein, egg and soya intolerances)formula and my milk supply dropping etc.

I can't believe they tell people this rubbish - why don't they just admit they don't know and ask someone more qualified on our behalf? Shocking!