I've got an appointment with a hip surgeon this week (after a one and a half year wait!) due to ongoing hip pain. I've had an MRI and there appears to be an impingment on the femur (like a spur). A surgeon I saw last year pre-pregnancy advised surgery but wouldn't do it.
Basically I think an arthroscope is required, which involves day surgery or a stay overnight in hosp, then a few days on crutches. There is likely to be pain when sitting down afterwards.
DD is still exclusively BF.... and so I'm really unsure as to when to get it done. I've got great family support, so would have plenty of people to come and help me out afterwards... but should I wait until she is settled on solids before going ahead?
I wanted to BF for as long as possible, but I'm worried this might make things difficult. (I really want the procedure done as daily activities such as rocking DD are causing me pain... a walk around the block makes things worse )
Thanks PZ - I've actually got 2, an electric and a manual pump (bit spoilt) which I though I may be able to use if I did have to stay overnight. DD will take a bottle if she has to
DS would be brought in for feeds around 7am, 11am, 3pm and 7pm, and I'd express 2 or 3 times, too, and the milk would be labelled and stored at the hospital. Lots of help from family made it work!
My milk was very thin after the surgery (whether it was having liquid only diet, or something to do with the anaesthetic or the trauma, I'm not sure) but it was doable.
You should be able to do this without major dramas. How do you feed at the moment - I'm guessing that after the surgery you won't want to lie on the affected side, so if you normally feed lying down you will need another option.
Tell the anaesthetists in advance that you are breastfeeding - they can choose appropriate anaesthetics for you so that bub is safe.
And when they say "no food or drink after midnight" (or whatever it is in your case) get up and have a big drink and a snack at that time.
Where is the spur? inside or outside? And has anyone mentioned a drainage tube - because if you have to have one of those then I would be having the surgery before my baby became super mobile and grabby.
We get a fair few BFing patients through work. As a PP said, let the anesthetic team know as early as possible. Depending on the anesthetists, you may be advised to pump and dump the first feed but many don't recommend this at all any more. They may also do a spinal block for you and some mild sedation which would not have the same effect on breast milk.
Also, get them to make sure they give you plenty of IV fluids and when admitted for surgery, let the nursing staff know so they can get fluids started ASAP.
I'd potentially be more concerned about the pain meds post surgery. Have a chat to the Dr's about what they anticipate they will send you home with (if anything) and whether or not they are safe with BFing.
The spur type thing is on the neck of the femur. From what I can understand my leg goes in some traction thing so they can pull the hip joint apart to scrape the bone and damaged tissue away.
thanks for the feedback, lots of questions to write down and ask the surgeon
Breastfeeding and day surgery
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