This is purely anecdotal and doesn't have a direct link to breastfeeding,
but an indirect one.

I have personally known two people who've undergone the procedure (one of
them being my husband, the other a good friend who went on to get pregnant
but nurse unsuccessfully).  They both will tell you that the immediate
postoperative period (about the first week out of surgery), they were in so
much pain and so nauseous.  For the first time in our marriage, I heard my
husband utter the words, "I wish I was dead.  What have I done to myself?"
That scared me.  He came through great and now has no regrets.

Does this woman understand that for the first couple of WEEKS she will do
nothing but sip on minute quantities of clear fluids?  Is she also aware
that these fluids cannot contain sugar?  This means that if she gets tired
of chicken broth and water, she'll need to have something with an artificial
sweetener in it.  Is she comfortable having her baby ingest Splenda or
aspartame?  Is she aware that the her drastic, drastic drop in calories
means that she will VERY likely lose her milk supply altogether?  Is she
aware that she will need to eat NOTHING solid for a full three days prior to
surgery and then do bowel cleanses and then having nothing at ALL by mouth
the day before?  Is she aware that she'll be on antibiotics and heavy duty
pain killers as well as antiemetics?

It was probably a month before anything solid touched my husband's lips.

I watched him go through this and I watched our friend go through it.  I
can't speak for everyone, but I can't imagine ANYONE in this condition
wanting to actually pump their breasts when they can barely get up to toilet
and do the basics.

If I were this mother, I would have her go to a couple of support group
meetings prior to making this decision.  Have her ask the women there if
they felt like they could muster up the strength to pump.

Like I said... just anecdotal... but if she really wants to continue
successfully breastfeeding, she really may need to put this surgery off
until she weans.  If her immediate health is in danger, then it may be more
beneficial for the baby to wean.  This is a hard one.

Christina Harris, RN
Seattle, WA

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