Endoscopy - won’t allow sedation because I’m breastfeeding??

[Sotired22]

I’ve got to go for an endoscopy to look in my stomach and they are saying they won’t allow me to have any sedation because I’m breastfeeding. But from my research it’s perfectly safe to have light sedative and breastfeed as soon as you feel awake enough afterwards? Has anyone had an endoscopy without sedative and was it ok? I’m thinking I’ll hopefully be able to cope but I’ve read a few horror stories and am worried that they are completely refusing sedation for it.

I have it once a year without sedation , it's horrible but I can cope

Can you pump prior or supplement for one day ?

Yes and next time I would have sedation.
I also had a colonoscopy whilst bf and had sedation. Initially they said no sedation due to bf.
You need to phone up now and get them to agree to sedation. I think they had to consult a senior pharmacist and the consultant whose care I was under. I had a bit of a battle.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/endoscopy/

Print out the PDF and call the unit to confirm you'd like to have the sedation medication, and ask to speak to someone who can advise accordingly.

Thank you, I’ve done research and know that it’s fine to have the sedation and breastfeed but they hospital are having none of it. They just say no. So frustrating!! I think I’m just going to have to brave it without and hope it’s bearable… was hoping people would say it’s not too bad!

There's a thread in AIBU about endoscopies without sedation & generally how awful it is

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4656961-am-i-a-wimp-endoscopy-without-sedation

I've had one without sedation, as my blood pressure was too low. I was terrified as I'd read how awful they are.
Whilst it wasn't pleasant it certainly wasn't unbearable and it's over so quickly. So please don't worry you will have been through worse I'm sure.

It's uncomfortable during the procedure because you'll feel like you want to gag and regurgitate the probe constantly, but it's not in any way painful, and despite having it with no spray and insisting they put it directly over my esophagus and not up my nose, I've never had any sort of discomfort or irritation afterwards.

Imagine feeling like you've got your fingers down your throat. That's as close to an approximation of what it's like as you can get. It's not pleasant, but it's not the horrifying, life-destroying event it's often played up to be either.

I had to tell the hospital that I had stopped breastfeeding so that they would give me sedation. I was satisfied that it would be safe to breastfeed when I felt I was safe to handle the baby again. I did pump before hand to make sure I had enough if I wad drowsy.

My friends had this procedure with a light sedation and is breastfeeding it's totally allowed

Just say you won't breastfeed and will pump maybe? How are they going to police it anyway?

We give GA to breast feeding mum's.... and GA to pregnant ladies...

Just tell them you have stopped feeling.

Ask them for their evidence that it’s harmful. What guidelines are they following? Who drew up those guidelines? They are making it up! Pin them down!

I had one without sedation. I found that concentrating on regular, slowish breathing is really important and helped me stay fairly calm. It’s not painful but is a strange feeling and makes you gag which the breathing helps to keep at bay.

I had very painful stomach pains and was so pleased and relieved that I was in hospital and they were helping me that I’d have put up with a lot.

Once it’s over, of course, you can get on with things whereas the sedation means a whole day is a write off.

They found an ulcer which was promptly treated and dispatched.

People need all sorts of sedation giving birth and are still encourage to breast feed and that is a tiny newborn. This feels like a rule made up by male doctors, you should at least be given the option of pump and dump.

I had surgery under general anaesthetic whilst breastfeeding. Everything was fine

So frustrating, why should you have to lie about feeding because they aren't following the evidence

I had a GA while breastfeeding.
Some doctors can be really ignorant about breastfeeding.
Ask them for their reasoning?

I worked in an endoscopy unit for a while and some patients chose not to have sedation because they had to drive afterwards or whatever. They seemed to be fine without it. The advantage was they were able to take in any information given to them about the findings and leave the unit sooner as no recovery time required.

I might be totally weird but I found that watching a video on YouTube of someone having an endoscopy really helped. Obviously it's not the nicest thing to watch, but because I knew exactly what to expect (everything they were going to do, the order, how long it would take at each point etc), I was able to be a bit more zen and a bit more pragmatic during the procedure. It's such an alien feeling when it's being done that I'm sure I'd have panicked if I was discovering the reality of it all as I was experiencing it. Good luck though and it'll be over before you know it

@loveisanopensore they said if I had sedation I ‘wouldn’t be able to look after my baby for 24 hours’ which sounds like total nonsense because you are up and about after 30-60 minute?! And also said it’ll get in my milk and affect my baby. Which again is untrue. I think I’ll put in a complaint to be honest just to highlight the total lack of knowledge they have.

Well their first point is a childcare issue and none of their business.

The second point isn't based on any research, just showing their ignorance of how breastfeeding works.

I would complain if I were you, you're probably not the first woman they've said this to.

To be fair, the advice about looking after the baby is technically correct - we advise anyone having sedation/GA that they need an adult available to look after them for 24 hours and that they shouldn’t drive/sign important paperwork etc. so a recently sedated woman probably shouldn’t be in sole charge of a baby working that timeframe either.

The ‘official’ guidance re breast feeding and sedation/GA was only updated in 2020 so if they don’t encounter that many breastfeeding women in that unit they may not be so aware. Benzos and opioids (which are often what’s used in endoscopy suites) can cause problems for babies under about 6 weeks that may require additional observation of the baby, but that is not universal.

@DeeofDenmark women don’t receive sedation whilst giving birth because it’s not safe in that context for maternal reasons (GA is very different and uses different drugs to the usual combinations found in endoscopy units; opioids aren’t sedation, they’re analgesics).

@Greybeardy how are emergency C-sections done then?

I had problems getting a sedation although it was pre-book. The nurse in charge I overheard slagging off the consultant and me because it slows them down she was complaining. I stood my ground. So pump before, then pump and dump afterwards.