Breastfeeding Post-Op

[C_TimesThree 64]

I have recently decided on VSG, I am going to being my 90 day surgical prep as soon as my family moves home to Arizona in January. I am (almost) exclusively breastfeeding my 8 month old son & I am wondering if any other mothers have been in this situation? Could you still feed after surgery? Did you notice that it impacted your supply? I am very worried that my surgeons will pressure me to stop which neither my son, nor I, are ready for but I also don't think breastfeeding should be a reason to not have surgery.

[stomlin75 161]

I was breastfeeding up until the day before surgery. Then, I stopped. You really should either wait or stop. I am a huge proponent of breastfeeding so I would wait it out if I were you. Here is the deal. You are pumped full of drugs between the anesthesia and the post op period. These take a while to leave your system. But that isn't even the real problem. You are going to barely be able to get in enough Protein and hydration to sustain yourself post op. You are also going to be void of Vitamins that you will be supplementing yourself with and just like in pregnancy, breastmilk takes the good stuff first and you get what is left over. You will feel sick - trust me. I considered letting my son having some last week (surgery was Dec. 7) and I knew that it would cause serious problems all around. Lastly, your body is going to go into full blown ketosis. You drop ketones in your urine and it is my understanding that these are also founds in breastmilk as well. If I were you, I would talk about this particular aspect with someone at the le leche league.

Good luck to you!!

[alley-gator 96]

I am still bfing my 18 month old, and I am having my surgery on Thursday 12/20. I have researched it, and there are other women out there who have continued to bf successfully after vsg, and rny as well. Can't say how it will go for me, we will just have to see.

[C_TimesThree 64]

I am still bfing my 18 month old, and I am having my surgery on Thursday 12/20. I have researched it, and there are other women out there who have continued to bf successfully after vsg, and rny as well. Can't say how it will go for me, we will just have to see.

Keep me posted! I'd love to know!

[C_TimesThree 64]

I was breastfeeding up until the day before surgery. Then, I stopped. You really should either wait or stop. I am a huge proponent of breastfeeding so I would wait it out if I were you. Here is the deal. You are pumped full of drugs between the anesthesia and the post op period. These take a while to leave your system. But that isn't even the real problem. You are going to barely be able to get in enough Protein and hydration to sustain yourself post op. You are also going to be void of Vitamins that you will be supplementing yourself with and just like in pregnancy, breastmilk takes the good stuff first and you get what is left over. You will feel sick - trust me. I considered letting my son having some last week (surgery was Dec. 7) and I knew that it would cause serious problems all around. Lastly, your body is going to go into full blown ketosis. You drop ketones in your urine and it is my understanding that these are also founds in breastmilk as well. If I were you, I would talk about this particular aspect with someone at the le leche league.

Good luck to you!!

From what I have researched & what I was told when my gallbladder was removed by the time you wake from anesthesia the majority has left your system, it's not something that lingers. Once you are awake enough to hold the baby you can nurse, & there are also plenty of pain medications that are 100% safe to nurse on, percocet for one, so that's not really my concern (as per LLL & Kellymom.com) it's more sustaining my supply, by 12 months he wont be nursing full time like he is now.

[stomlin75 161]

Check out the article in the Journal of Pediatrics by Lam et. Al. Central Nervous System Depression of Neonates Breastfed by Mothers Receiving Oxycodone for Postpartum Analgesia (January, 2012), who found Maternal exposure to oxycodone during breastfeeding was associated with a 20.1% rate of infant CNS depression (28/139) compared with 0.5% in the acetaminophen group (1/184; P < .0001; OR, 46.16; 95% CI, 6.2-344.2) and 16.7% in the codeine group (35/210; P > .05; OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.46-1.38).

I do clinical health research. Codeine is a safer alternative, however, this is the kind of thing you expose your baby to because the benefits to you (pain) outweight the risks to the baby. In this case, it's an elective surgery, not post op cesaerean pain. You may be on pain medicine when you leave the hospital, if you need it, but you might not. I probably could've gone without but there were a few times it did help.

If others have done it successfully without a hitch and there are no risks to you or the baby, then I can't see why not. But, if you think your doc would try to talk you out of it, then you may want to consider why that might be and weigh the odds.

[C_TimesThree 64]

Check out the article in the Journal of Pediatrics by Lam et. Al. Central Nervous System Depression of Neonates Breastfed by Mothers Receiving Oxycodone for Postpartum Analgesia (January, 2012), who found Maternal exposure to oxycodone during breastfeeding was associated with a 20.1% rate of infant CNS depression (28/139) compared with 0.5% in the acetaminophen group (1/184; P < .0001; OR, 46.16; 95% CI, 6.2-344.2) and 16.7% in the codeine group (35/210; P > .05; OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.46-1.38).

I do clinical health research. Codeine is a safer alternative, however, this is the kind of thing you expose your baby to because the benefits to you (pain) outweight the risks to the baby. In this case, it's an elective surgery, not post op cesaerean pain. You may be on pain medicine when you leave the hospital, if you need it, but you might not. I probably could've gone without but there were a few times it did help.

If others have done it successfully without a hitch and there are no risks to you or the baby, then I can't see why not. But, if you think your doc would try to talk you out of it, then you may want to consider why that might be and weigh the odds.

My point was just there are safe alternatives for pain relief & anesthesia isn't really an issue. I haven't even spoke with the surgeons yet, as I am waiting until we return to Phoenix because I live in BFE WV & the nearest surgeons that I would feel comfortable with are over two hours away. I do plan to speak with them, I was just wondering if anyone had experience with it first hand.

[SleeveNZ 219]

I breastfed my 5 month old up until the day of surgery and a week or two afterwards then noticed he was getting way too frustrated. Unfortunately the op completely diminished my supply with the lack of food and nutrients It's def not possible to exclusively BF after surgery but you can prob mix feed for as long as you can 6 weeks out from surgery I still have milk - just not much.

[C_TimesThree 64]

I breastfed my 5 month old up until the day of surgery and a week or two afterwards then noticed he was getting way too frustrated. Unfortunately the op completely diminished my supply with the lack of food and nutrients It's def not possible to exclusively BF after surgery but you can prob mix feed for as long as you can 6 weeks out from surgery I still have milk - just not much.

Thanks! We wont be EBF, as he will be over a year by the time I have surgery, I am hoping to have it down to once or twice a day.

[alley-gator 96]

So I just wanted to update what's happened since surgery. I am 2 weeks out today, and I am still able to breastfeed. I am just breastfeeding once before bed, and I am still able to do it. If I forget to take the pill that increases my milk supply, I can for sure notice my supply drop. The first few days were hard as far as supply goes, but have gotten better everyday. The day I had surgery I didn't bf, but post op day 1 I did. It put a bit of uncomfortable pressure on my belly, but nothing I couldn't stand for a few minutes of bfing. I did try the football hold & that was most comfortable with no pressure on my stomach. Now it is almost back to normal except for a decrease in supply.

[PoohSoup0803 45]

You can pump now & freeze! Give ur little one the frozen milk & pump & dump right after surgery while u are on the pain meds. If you can get enough stored milk to get through surgery & the week after you should be good. The first week is Clear Liquids so your milk will have little nutritional value. If your child is 8 months old you should consider adding baby Cereal & oatmeal to his diet. Once they reach about 4-5 months old they need more than just breast milk or formula. Whatever you decide, good luck!

[C_TimesThree 64]

So I just wanted to update what's happened since surgery. I am 2 weeks out today, and I am still able to breastfeed. I am just breastfeeding once before bed, and I am still able to do it. If I forget to take the pill that increases my milk supply, I can for sure notice my supply drop. The first few days were hard as far as supply goes, but have gotten better everyday. The day I had surgery I didn't bf, but post op day 1 I did. It put a bit of uncomfortable pressure on my belly, but nothing I couldn't stand for a few minutes of bfing. I did try the football hold & that was most comfortable with no pressure on my stomach. Now it is almost back to normal except for a decrease in supply.

Oh that's great news! We are working on cutting back on nursing and adding more food, he is just so stubborn and much much much prefers the breast. I won't have surgery till April probably though so we still have plenty of time.

[C_TimesThree 64]

You can pump now & freeze! Give ur little one the frozen milk & pump & dump right after surgery while u are on the pain meds. If you can get enough stored milk to get through surgery & the week after you should be good. The first week is clear liquids so your milk will have little nutritional value. If your child is 8 months old you should consider adding baby cereal & oatmeal to his diet. Once they reach about 4-5 months old they need more than just breast milk or formula. Whatever you decide, good luck!

I cannot pump, my body does not respond to the pump at all and my son will not take a bottle. Being EBF is perfectly healthy, they do not NEED more than breastmilk till well after one actually, and we do solids once a day he just much prefers the breast. He's not my first baby, I know what feeding schedule I want him on, my question was simply if anyone had kept BFing after.

[alley-gator 96]

I don't think anyone was asking advice on how to bf a baby or how to start solids... The question wasn't how to do that. And for the record, many narcotic pain Meds are perfectly safe for breastfeeding mothers, and telling a mother to pump & dump after surgery isn't good advice. For 24 hours because of anesthesia, perhaps, but many peds even debate that. Surgery is not a reason to decrease feeds and push solids unless you were already planning to do that anyway.

[C_TimesThree 64]

I don't think anyone was asking advice on how to bf a baby or how to start solids... The question wasn't how to do that. And for the record, many narcotic pain Meds are perfectly safe for breastfeeding mothers, and telling a mother to pump & dump after surgery isn't good advice. For 24 hours because of anesthesia, perhaps, but many peds even debate that. Surgery is not a reason to decrease feeds and push solids unless you were already planning to do that anyway.

LLL and Kellymom are both in favor of feeding as soon as you can hold the baby because of the very very short half life. I guess I opened myself up to crappy advice eh? Lol