Surgery and Breastfeeding

Try to find a La Leache League Leader in your area. If you can't, I can probably find one for you. Then find out exactly what drugs you will be taking before, during, and after the surgery. Then contact your LLL Leader and she should have a book that she can look up each drug and find out wheather or not you can nurse taking it. MOST DOCTORS ALMOST ALWAYS TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT BREASTFEED TAKING DRUGS (they prescribe) AND IT ISN'T ALWAYS TRUE. They just don't have the book to look it up and they just say that to cover their butt. Believe me, I know! I broke my arm when my 2nd son was just 12 months old and still nursing full time.

You will denifately need a good electric pump. Of course to store up the milk and to also 'pump & dump' after the surgery. The drug knowledge tells you how long you will need to 'pump & dump' as well. Just remember to have a "pumping schedule" made out following the surgery. The hardest part about pumping when you have nursed, is KEEP up the schedule of pumping. First of all, you will be tired and recovering from surgery, second of all, you can keep putting it off until later, and third, you can just forget until your boobs hurt. Remember, if you don't pump, your milk supply will dwindle, and when you return to nursing again, you won't satisfy your baby.

Good Luck & God Bless!
C. R.

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I'm having heart surgery in three weeks and I am still nursing my son who will be 13 months when I have my surgery. I have talked with my OB, my pediatrician and my cardiologist about the medications I will be on. Each has told me it's safest to pump and dump. I don't pump very often b/c I'm a stay at home mom but my pediatrician has assured me that as long as I make an effort my milk will not dry up. If you have been nursing for this long your milk supply should be safe for a few days, is what they told me. Most medications will be at non-dangerous levels within 24 hours of stopping them. My son is not ready to wean either so I'm hoping what everyone has told me is correct. We travel internationally every few months and the nursing is very soothing to him when we're across the world. Best wishes for you and your family.

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Hi S., It is perfectly fine to nurse while you are on most medications. Talk to your surgeon about the steroid he is going to put you on to make sure it's safe while nursing. I know the pain medication is safe. I was on a lot of pain medication after 2 of my births that were traumatic. I was able to nurse straight through with the pain medication. Even if the surgeon tells you that the steroid medication is not safe while nursing, get the name of it and call La Leche League! They have an awesome book and provide services for free. They can look up the medication and tell you the half life of it and even if you can not completely nurse it may be safe to nurse so many hours after you take the steroid. Typically though if explain to the DR the importance of you nursing they will prescribe something that you can take while nursing. I think it's great that you are still nursing your baby. I am an extended nurser myself. I do want to let you know that at 12 months they do hit a growing spurt and want to nurse a bit more. It's never a good idea to try to wean right at 12 months because of the growing spurt and emotional development at that age. Wishing you the best!

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I had surgery when our middle son was a few months old. I discussed in length with the surgeon my desire to continue breastfeeding and he worked me as far as choosing medicines that would be safe for him. The only good advice I can give is to talk to your surgeon and ob and come up with the best plan possible. I would talk to them as soon as possible so that you can plan for pumping/freezing, etc if necessary. Also, I'm currently nursing and just finished a short round of steroid which was completely safe for use while nursing. The doctors will know what is best and safe for both of you. Good luck!

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First off I want to say that it is great that you are so committed to breastfeeding. You clearly understand that it has tremendous benefits, both emotionally and healthwise, for your little boy and both of you should be able to continue to enjoy those benefits despite your medical situation. I'm going to echo what I've seen a few others say in that I think that you should contact a La Leche League Leader. They have access to all sorts of resources and can provide information about breastfeeding while taking medications. Contacting LLL is free. It's great that you have some time to look into all of your options. Take advantage of that and contact them soon so that you can be as prepared as possible.

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Dear S.,
Bless you for all you are going through right now. I nursed my child and was not ready to wean at 1 either (in fact, I'm more in to the let them decide, why wean? :-)). I understand your worry, because I would have the same. There is no reason why this impending surgery should dictate to you how you feed your child.

It is fantastic to keep breast feeding after 1 year. You intensify the excellent advanatages you give to your child.

I would call a lactation consultant. Perhaps you can contact your hospital and ask them to speak to their's. She will be able to tell you about medicines, what to do, etc. There is an excellent book - Medicine and Mother's Milk - that our lactation consultant has. Unfortunately, not all doc's are up on this and sometimes go too lax and often say you can't nurse when you can. However, an CLC is going to be able to give you good, valid info.

Pumping extra right now is a fantastic idea, for one thing, you will not have to worry if you have it in the freezer! Bless your heart!!!

Please do find a Certified Lactation Consultant and tell her about this. Then ask if you can keep in touch (incase they throw a different medicine your way - your husband can call and check with her).

Hang tough and do not let anyone convince you to stop nursing altogether until you are ready to do so. Kudos to you for your dedication to the best for your son, you will NEVER regret it.
God Bless you and be with your during your surgery and recovery. K.

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I had a really short surgery just about a month ago. I am breastfeeding my 9 month old son. I talked to a few people, and apparently the anasthesia medication wears off really quickly. Basically if it's not working your body has metabolized it. I don't know exactly about the medications you discussed, but there is a breastfeeding and medication reference book. I don't have a copy, but you might find it at the library. It has listings by medication and says whether it is safe or not.

Also, I met a woman through La Leche League who took a whole week away from breastfeeding and then started again. It took a while, but she was able to build up a supply again. I don't remember her name, but you might call someone in La Leche League - or look at their website. Always a good resource for information and support.

Hope this is helpful.

I cannot imagine that those powerful painkillers wouldn't pass through your milk to your baby. I think you will need to pump ahead of time and freeze a supply and then continue to "pump and dump" while you are on the meds. I work in a pharmacy and I think your best resource for information may be your pharmacist. They know a lot about how long it will take for the meds to get out of your system...etc. Also check to see if there is a local La Leche League that could help answer your questions. I am sure you are not the first person to have to deal this...you just need to head the right direction for answers. Good luck with the surgery....God Bless
R. Ann

PLEASE talk to your Pediatrician or a lactation consultant. Our babies' systems are sooooo delicate and you're talking about some extremely strong meds. This is a serious topic and needs expert answers more than opinions.

S.~
Actually, NO Rx meds have been proven safe for babies through breast milk, or pregnant women for that matter. They ALL pass through, just some more than others.
I had knee surgery when my son was 5 months. I pumped & dumped for 24 hours. I was not on any meds after that though. I chose not to take the Rx antibiotic & went the natural route by taking garlic, which is antibacterial AND antiviral - and does not effect the baby negatively, except maybe the taste!
I had to stop breast feeding earlier than we would have liked to later on b/c I had to take prednisone (a steroid) for my newly developed RA.
Start pumping now & build your supply. I would do enough milk for as long as you'll be on meds, plus an extra 2 days for it to get out of your system.
Take care,
J.
www.jessicagrimm.com

I would CHECK WITH YOUR DR to be the SAFEST! It's nice to get other's opnions, but your Dr. or lactaid consultant would have the best info! You could always pump and freeze until your surgery, that way you have some good milk stored. Otherwise, talk to your Dr or local lactaid consultant to be the safest for you both!! Good Luck on both counts!!

I would call a breastfeeding consultant at the hospital you delievered. They have a list of safe medications to use and breastfeeding. I think the vicodin is ok but not sure about morphine and the steroids. I am not sure how long it takes to pass through your body.

Good luck and hope it is a fast recovery.
K.

I recommend you contact a La Leche Leader. You can call the city phone at ###-###-#### and get a leader in your area. Or, you can go online to www.LLLofGreaterKC.org La Leche Leaders help for free in ALL nursing and weaning situations.

wow. i would pump in advance, as much as you can, and even mix 1/2 and 1/2 with formula if you have to to stretch it out. check with your dr the compatibility of your meds with breast feeding...i think vicodin is ok but the stroids and iv pain meds you'll want to check, for sure. so why the craniotomy? my advice to you, no offense, is to worry about YOU. this will be a hard row for you guys at first, and stress won't help. do everything you can to chill before the surgery. good luck! ____@____.com (this is actually tifR, under my friend's login). once again, good luck and DOUBLE CHECK the meds.

I had to have back surgery when my oldest was 12 months old. I was informed that my milk could dry up as a reaction to the medications--and it did. Luckily, I had begun weaning her and she was down to just the night time feeding at that point. You might try talk with one of the anesthesiologists at the hospital. You've given your baby a wonderful start on life with 12 months of breast feeding. More than the breast milk, he needs a healthy, happy momma. Take care of yourself, and the rest will fall into place.

Best talk to your surgeon about the breast feeding, positions and medication. Then talk to pharmacist about what meds transfer thru breast milk. Start pumping and storing ahead to build up supply for the freezer. Take breast pump with you for hospital stay and remind dr that you are still breast feeding. Breast engorgement post op can cause a fever that may be miss interpreted. If you get a post op fever and you haven't pumped-pump first then have them retake temp later.

I'm sorry to hear that you are going to have to have surgery. You need to take care of yourself so that you can be there for you child. I breastfed all three of my boys until they were exactly 1 year old, then I switched them to whole milk in a tippy cup, and they have always been very healthy little boys. I think it would be fine for you to go ahead and wean him, that way you can take care of yourself without the extra stress of nursing, which also takes a lot out of you!! I wouldn't want to risk putting the other drugs into my baby's body!! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I don't want to sound mean but I would PUMP & DUMP your son will get some medication through expressed milk from you feeding him and who knows what that can lead to it can be extremly harmful for him to come into contact with these medications.He could suffer major overdose.If you really want to make sure talk with a Breastfeeding educator at your nearest hospital they have the books of studied medication and the effects it will cause during breastfeeding.For now pump all day long if you have to and freeze it while you recover for a few days, and you can always ask for a breast pump in the hospital for you to pump and dump.

I did not read all the responses so I don't know if someone said this but, in the mean time I would stock up on frozen milk in a big way. Pump as much as you can. It will cause your milk supply to increase now but just freeze it. Your child will probably be eating more solids than he is now so that will help but if you can't nurse him for a week at least you will not have to resort to an alternative. Good luck!

Not safe for baby... You would have to pump and dump for a week or more to make that work. As a mom who's been there...It is a good opportunity to wean....It may seem a little early to you, but if you nurse much past a year, you have a lot harder time weaning....My aunt nursed long enough that her son would ask for it in public and unbutton her shirt or stick his arm down her shirt when he was hungry.... With the kind of surgery you mentioned I'd say there isn't much option on different meds, and some of those stay in your system for a long time. Give it a month or two, you still have time....You may change your feelings by then. I loved nursing too, and I missed it a little when I weaned, but you can still have close time with your baby with a sippy cup... Good luck.

NO, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR YOU TO BREASTFEED WHILE BEING ON THESE MEDS!!! Anything you take will be passed to your baby! I suggest you pump lots of bottles of milk in advance and freeze it. It can be warmed up in the microwave and given to him by a bottle.

Most babies are off a bottle by 12 mos. Why is it that you want to prolong feeding your baby past 12 mos.? Just curious!

THESE MOMS ON HERE WHO ARE TELLING YOU IT'S SAFE TO TAKE THESE MEDS WHILE BREASTFEEDING ARE NOT EDUCATED IN THIS WHATSOEVER!!! I AM A NURSE...AND NO, IT'S NOT SAFE!!!!

I can understand your concern about weaning your son. But with him being basically 1 year old when you have your surgery, that's technically not too early to wean - it might actually be a perfect time to do it. Just a thought... The research that I've done on breast milk basically states that the child does not benefit past a year anymore than he would on cow's milk (at that 1 year mark). Best of luck to you on your surgery.

DO NOT BREASTFEED WHILE YOU ARE ON THESE MEDICATIONS!!! At 12 months you should already be thinking about weaning (they say to breastfeed up to 12 months if possible) but going longer than 12 months is not a bad thing by any means. Besides, you should be introducing him to whole milk at this age if you have not already. I personally would just stop breastfeeding, it was such a hassle for me, but if you dont want to stop just yet, I would pump and dump. Dont continue breastfeeding while on any type of painkiller and definitely not steroids, they can have terrible side effects, especially in a child!!! DO NOT DO IT! Hope this helps!

*I agree with the nurse who said that the other moms saying that its ok to take medication while breastfeeding are WRONG. Thats the first rule you learn when you get pregnant. Breastfeeding is the same way. If in doubt, ask a professional! If you risk it consequences could be fatal.

I would talk to the ped. and doctors. They will be able to tell you more.