Fay asks about hospitals with post-surgery policies that forbid breastfeeding for 24 hours. This is very old anesthesia protocol and yes this policy should be revised. It is coming from your anesthesia department and the only other doc on the floor who could assist in that wing would be a general surgeon.
I can tell you that the 2 facilities I have worked in never had a policy actually written that said such (one which is not the most BF friendly) and I would be willing to guess that it is not a written policy but an order that has carried on and on and on.
I council mothers on this topic quite frequently from hosptial surgery to oral surgery at a dental office. Several providers have called and asked and other mothers have called for the proper "pump and dump" time frames which leads to a lengthy conversation about what is happening and when, etc.
Personally, I had a gall attack when I was 2 weeks PP with my oldest. Was rushed to the ER, found to be okay and sceduled an appt with a general surgeon for 3 weeks later and on a gall friendly diet. Needless to say it did not work and I had no pumped milk and an attack hit at 3 AM. Back to the ER we went and they kept me for removal that day. I began to pump and hand express after each feed so that I would have at least an ounce or two for surgery. Having the luck I do, I actually got quite a bit of milk and was relieved going into surgery that he would be okay. Well the milk spilled over and I guess when my surgeon went out to tell my family I was recovering he saw my mom walking and bouncing her new grandson and she told him what had happened as he was not a happy boy. He said to give him the baby and off her went behind recovery doors, instructed 2 recovery nurses to help hold the baby next to me and allow me to feed. I was no where near awake or to a point where I was "recovered" He laid on top of me in a recumbent position and a nurse stood by to make sure he did not slip off the bed or get pinned. I am told he fed happily for about 20 minutes dozed off and that my surgeon then stated "there that was easy," picked him up, burped him, and took him back to grandma and daddy. Once I was back in my room I fed again and although I had to stay all night I pumped and daddy came for the milk every 3 hours and took it home to feed. I add this point because this was a hospital that had no peds ward, no LD, no NICU, no babies anywhere. They did not have breastpumps nor any clue how to use them. All they knew was that my general surgeon had instructed them to assist me and make sure my milk was cold on ice or in the fridge until it was picked up. They assisted me in sitting up and pumping, cleaning the flanges, and then put it on ice for me. In other words find a general surgeon to help you in your battle and that way a policy can be drafted showing that the BF is fine according to protocol from ABM if nothing else. Ask them what happens to a mom who has to have a general knock out for a c-section, we dont ban them from BF. Good luck!
Emily Lindsey, BSPsy, IBCLC







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