First,
!!!!
Second, pixiedust that you get the call and get the surgery scheduled before your trip.
Does Sydney still wake up at night to nurse? If not, I would try to get an early morning thime. Then she could be asleep for those 6 hours. Unfortunately, when DS had his surgery (only 6 months old) he did still wake up at night to eat and screamed the entire time.
First of all, I swear I'm going to get over to your trip report and catch up! Hopefully as soon as I do a few things here! Sorry I'm so behind, you're too fast with your updates!
Surgery is scheduled...there will be a LONG post about that next. Complicated!
They said they do surgeries in order of age, so I assume she'll either be the first surgery or the second, since she's so little.
Yeah, unfortunately she does most of her nursing while sleeping (naps and night) because she's so busy during the day. Which is fine with me since she sleeps next to me so nursing her all night is something I can sleep through. Syd is going to be one unhappy camper. I wonder if I can hook her on a pacifier this late in the game...when I had to wean J.J. because of bleeding issues I was having with Sydney I got him hooked on a pacifier and he had just turned 2 and never took one before that! Hmm...I wish she could at least have water because then I could give her a bottle or something...she's never had one but she tries to steal them from other babies so I know it would make her happy!
I'm so glad that you finally have some answers. It's so great that she'll be able to nurse that same day.
I'm a little confused why she can't nurse before the surgery- when Jace had tubes put in he couldn't have food but was allowed to nurse up to two hours before the surgery because his surgeon said the body processes breast milk more quickly. At any rate, have you tried the Avent manual pump? It's the only one I ever liked and was even faster than the electric one I tried- and definately more comfortable!
Keeping my fingers crossed that they get you in before your trip! If so you might think about adding a celebration to a dinner.
I think whether they let them nurse depends on the surgeon. Sounds like you had a great surgeon who knows lots about nursing, which is rare. I've always been so surprised about what doctors don't know about nursing (my OBGYN, for example, told me I couldn't nurse J.J. once the baby was born because the baby wouldn't get enough milk. Umm...how does she think people nurse twins? Triplets? I told her that who I nursed after birth was an issue for my pediatrician, not my OBGYN. Luckly, she's spunky and took that just fine. I like her.
Not that I ended up nursing them both, but seriously, why don't doctors know about nursing? Okay, rant over.)
I'm going to try and use bigger flanges for the pump I have (Medela), but if that doesn't work, I will probably try the Avent one, thanks for the recommendation. Beats paying over $100 for an electric one, which I will do if I have to.
I love the idea of a celebration dinner. What's better to celebrate than the fact that we're all alive and healthy? I'm starting to feel like I totally deserve this trip after the past two years I've had!
I'm so glad that she'll be able to nurse the same day.
I agree that pumping just in case is a great idea, though. Good thoughts, pixie dust, and prayers are headed your way.
Thanks!
I'm glad she'll be able to nurse too. She's going to be mad when she can't nurse before surgery, so at least she'll be able to nurse after. I'll just have to pump out of necessity since she nurses often and my body's still going to make all that milk even though she's not nursing that day!
No one will notice at Disney!! On Lilian's skirt I made before, there is one stop that is not as bubbled as the rest but you really cannot tell unless you know it is there. I did not even notice the pleating was wonky.
Well, at least you know that you do have to have the surgery. It will go well--just keep reminding yourself they come highly recommended and they have done this before.
We're always most critical of our own work, aren't we? DH uses everything I make the same as he uses store bought things (the clothes, diapers, etc.) but I just always think of the storebought stuff as the "better" stuff. I shouldn't, but I do!
That is exactly what I keep telling myself. This is their job and they're good at it. My mom asked me if I liked the surgeon (and I did, he was nice) and I was like, "I really don't care if he's nice, I care that he's an excellent surgeon!" Nice is a perk, but not necessary.
I'm glad you have your answer about the surgery! I agree with getting it done right away if you can. We've been there and done that! My older son had a birth defect and we were told when he was 6 months old he needed surgery and we then had to wait another 6 months before it could be done. It just gave me 6 months to worry.
As scary as it was, he did fine and he has no memories or phobias from it. In fact, we have had to explain to him that he had this surgery. I'll be honest with you though, it was one of the worst days of MY life. It's very hard to see your little one intubated and out cold. I wasn't allowed in the OR with him, and I wish I had been able to go. The staff was very kind and let me pump in an exam room so I didn't explode over the course of the day.
I wasn't allowed to nurse or feed him after midnight, and his surgery was scheduled for 8 but ended up being a couple of hours late. I was told I couldn't nurse him beforehand because he was an older baby. Evidently, it's ok for the very young ones, but once they reach 10 or 11 months, it's not.
Mad didn't even begin to describe how he felt!
He was given straight apple juice to rehydrate in recovery, though, and that cheered him up as I rarely gave him juice and even then it was watered down!
One more bit of advice -- my son vomited from the anesthesia. We were not prepared with clean clothes for any of us nor were we warned by the doctor that this might happen.
I hope I've helped you and not freaked you out more!
You have helped me more than you could know!
I needed that walking me through it! Is it bad that it makes me feel better that other Mama's have had to deal with their angry babies when they can't nurse? It will help me through that long long wait. I am definitely dreading it. Especially because there is always that "what if" thought in the back of my mind, and it makes me feel worse that I have to be mean and not nurse her right before she goes into surgery. I don't want her going into surgery angry at me!
I'm very glad that they'll let me be in the OR until she's out, but HOW am I ever going to walk out of that room and leave her on the table? This is going to be the longest day of my life.
And I will bring changes of clothes for us all. That is something they should tell you!
I wonder if they'll give Syd juice in recovery...she's never had juice but she would LOVE that. She has, however, swiped DH's pop and had some of that.
She liked it, unfortunately, because now whenever DH has pop she tries to steal it. I don't think my one year old needs to be drinking pop!
I'm glad you got the results, even if it wasn't what you were hoping for. At least now you can prepare for surgery and hopfully move on to a great vacation!!
Don't worry about the pumping. You don't need anymore stress right now. It's not good for you or Sydney. I'm sure everything will work out.
Thanks! It's okay, I was torn about what I was hoping for.
I wanted it over, but I just wanted her to be able to continue life as usual. I think this will be for the best.
I'm not
too worried about pumping, I'm sure if I'm that uncomfortable the milk will want to go somewhere! I can hope, anyway.
But anyway, I NEEDED this surgery to take place before the trip. I need to know my sweet girl is fine and well when we go. I have waited two years to go back to disneyworld because of a difficult pregnancy, my dad's death, and moving in and adjusting to life with my mom and helping with my Grandma. I need this vacation to be a vacation, if you know what I mean. I don't want any other worries on my mind, if I can help it. So I was really upset.
