help - expressing milk too early possible problem!

[halemon]

now, i am thinking way ahead here as i haven't even had the baby yet but here goes anyway.....

Due to me having serious bowel probs and suspected crohn's disease, i am due to have a colonoscopy a few weeks after my baby's birth, not ideal at all i know but situation is desperate and i havent been well so has to be done.

Now the thought of leaving my little one for a few hours is awful to me and i wont be able to breastfeed for the rest of that day at least ,due to the drugs they give you to knock you out for the procedure - ive had it done before and knowit hurts!!!

Question is will it totally muck up my breastfeeding if i have to express and bottle feed for a time when the poor little baby wont have really had chance to get into any routine with boob yet, i am very distressed about all of this and some reassurance that somehow it will be ok is much needed

 

[skyraaa]

it will and it wont obviously its better 2 establish bfing in the first month just exclusively using baby 2 booby lol
but some ppl cant get babies 2 latch on properly and end up expressing and giving there milk in a bottle 4 bubs, when ur express ur body thinks its baby so will keep making milk the key is 2 express as regually as u can 2 keep ur supply up, then u shouldent have a problem hun,
but i have 2 say expressing can b very difficult and takes alot off gettin used 2 also get a electric pump as they r so much easier and take less time.

and good on u hun having 2 go thro a colonoscopy and still wantin 2 bf ur baby respect 2 u
hope all goes well hun

 

[andreag]

Have you discussed the options with the anethetist/consultant?
Don't know anything about your op but I needed to have one when I was b/f (although my LO was about 5 months) and they were really helpful. The op only lasted about 45 mins and they gave me the minimum dose of anesthetic so I could feed straight away after - although I was completely out during the op. They also gave us a private room on the ward so my OH could wait with LO, and I could feed her up until I went up. aslo put me first on the list so I wouldn't be delayed. TBH they bent over backwards to accomadate becasue I was b/fing.

I would discuss it with your consultant first - if its a quickish op it might not be a problem.

 

[keelie_b]

Halemon - Im sorry i cant advise you but gl for your op, and again well done you for not letting it put you off bf.

i hope you dont mind me adding another quick question to your post as i will be going through similar a couple of weeks after baby is born.
How long can you leave expressed milk for? can it be frozen and then reheated or just stored in the fridge and warmed up?
Sorry to be cheeky and add to your post, thanks xxx

 

[Sherlock]

I've just had an op and am still breastfeeding. The hospital was really helpful also

If you express enough over a couple of weeks and freeze it so your LO has enough milk for the day you will be gone that will be great for your LO. Then do one of the following (in fact do both as a precaution).

Go to hospital with breast pump and some cool packs and chill bag and some milk storage bags. Express as much as you can from your boobs while waiting for your op. If your hospital is helpful they will put a call to Maternity to send over one of their amazing pumps so you can express loads and save it for later. If you empty your boobs before your op then once you come round and are able, express off both of them again. Do the same when you get home and all being well you can then feed LO 6 hours after the op.

I was told prior to my op by the Consultant anaesthetist that I could express and save all my milk prior to my op and that I had to express and ditch the first 2 boob fulls after the op. And that I could then breast feed again 6 hours after coming round. She said that while the drugs would still be in my system they would already be diluting and less in my breast milk and so long as I drank fluids once I woke and expressed fully I'd have no problems.

The ward sister set me up with a hossie breast pump and storage jars and then put all my good expressed milk in their fridge and I took it home with me after. The milk I expressed after the op I threw away. Breastfeeding LO was fine later on. I used the milk I saved from hospital to feed him till I was able to feed him myself.

I'd talk it over with your anaesthetist and Consultant and make sure you have a time frame so can work round it expressing and saving milk for your LO.

 

[Sherlock]

i hope you dont mind me adding another quick question to your post as i will be going through similar a couple of weeks after baby is born.
How long can you leave expressed milk for? can it be frozen and then reheated or just stored in the fridge and warmed up?

At room temp iirc its 6 hours. You can store it in a fridge for 24 hours. It can be frozen and thawed at room temp or in the fridge and warmed up in hot water (don't use a microwave to defrost or heat up).

 

[LittleLambe]

The other girls have given you some great advise on breastfeeding but I just wanted to give you some of these I too have IBD although I have Ulcerative Colitis and although it is supposed to go into remittion while pregnant, mine has flared up. So I know exactly what you are going through. I've just had to go through a Sygi without sedation I think I'm right in saying you don't have to be put to sleep during a colonoscopy, and they can just sedate you so your recovery time will be much less?
Good luck and feel free to PM about our horrible disease at any time xxx

 

[halemon]

hi there, thank you for all your kind replies, i think i will talk to the docs at the hosp before the procedure and ensure i can do the best for my little one - where there's a will!

Yes, i thik they said i can have the procedure on minimal anaesthesia but i know its going to blimmen hurt as had a sigmoidoscopy, which is less far in (TMI) but that hurt like hell so will have to have something!!

Oh the joys of having a cranky body!!

Thank you all again, feel much more supported somehow even though you dont really know me, its lovely, so thanks a lot

 

[lisa&alex]

i expressed before the birth. and stored 8 icecubes of milk on advise from bf co-ordinator because of my previous latch problems with my 1st. my advise would be to get a good breastpump.. if you can afford one get a hospital grade electric pump.. i will be getting one on my next as the hospital pump was amazing. and ask your midwife about what will happen and say what you need and want.

 

[nori]

I cant help with the breastfeeding as i had to quit but im sure squiglet can give you some advice.

Good luck with the colonoscopy.. oh and ask for picolax over the klean prep if you have a choice!

Claire xx

 

[kalia]

I recommend this pump;
http://www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/de ... 3godU0cUSA

It is far far better than my avent isis elecric one but costs the same amount. It can be used as a single or double pump - the double pump is great as it takes so much less time. DD was exclusively on expressed breast milk until 5 months when I dropped a feed and replaced it with formula. At 6 months I dropped another and now that she is 7 months I am only expressing 2 feeds a day for her. But I've expressed far more than any sane person would so believe me about that pump. The NCT sell it too and a couple of other websites.

If you are double pumping, put one pump to one breast then hold it in place with the arm from that side (e.g. right arm if it's the right breast). Then when you put the other pump to the other breast you can hold it with the hand attached to the arm that is holding the pther pump and you have a free hand. I always cross my hands now so I am holding the opposite pump and can let go and hold it with my arm. If you hold with the hand at the side of the breast you can't pick up your cup of tea