Resuming effective breastfeeding after Gallbladder surgery

by Karam
(Jersey City)

hi..
My baby is 4 weeks old and I suddenly got severe pain and had to go to the ER. They diagnosed it to be gall stones and made me stay at the hospital for the Gal Bladder removal surgery followed by ERCP procedure. It took 8 days for me at the hospital. I had been pumping my milk using a manual pump every 3 times a day but my flow was gradually reducing as I was only on IV and there was no solid food intake. Now that I am back home, how do I effectively get back to breastfeeding? I put my baby to the breast everytime she is hungry but after nursing on both the breasts she still seems to be hungry and I supplement it with formula. I have been giving her only breastmilk before these 8 days of hospitalization. Please help!

answer from the lactation consultant
This question can be answered by several of the articles I have written already:
Click here for my low milk supply article
and Click here for my RElactation article .

An interruption in breastfeeding like yours can be overcome with the right techniques. I am however sad that you were not given the correct pumping instructions from the start, you should have been pumping 8-12 times a day, not 3. And baby could have been nursing the entire time, likely. Many times moms are told they need to pump and dump and this is not always necessary.
It is so frustrating that WRONG information is given, which causes a mom's supply to dwindle and only THEN does a lactation consultant find out. Whereas, if the lactation consultant was consulted in the hospital or prior to the procedure much of this could have been avoided. Why do doctors not consider breastfeeding as important? Very frustrating.

If these articles do not answer your questions, then I suggest you meet with a lactation consultant who can work with you to regain your supply. If you do not have a local lactation consultant, I am available for online consultations.

Liz Pevytoe, RN, IBCLC