number one: if at all possible, express your little boobies off to have some good fatty milk stored up. the reason for this comes later.
it'll obviously be essential to speak to your anaesthetist and surgeon for their exact instructions, but with my surgery they were able to give me an epidural and then a light non-narcotic anaesthetic. This meant that I was still completely out throughout the surgery, but I could bf as soon as I woke up.
My lower half was still numb, but DH was there, and he could help me with my DS and hold him in position, etc. And it was pretty hard, but I was able to express overnight and have milk for him.
I'd been on liquid only and a bowel clear the day before, and had to stay on liquid only for a few days, so my milk was really, really thin - but it was still fine for DS to drink, and because I had some stored, DH could give him some of the thin, and some of the good fatty milk too, so DS wasn't drinking but still hungry ITMS.
But be sure not to be doing this all if it ends up stressing you more out, and then that stress wearing or burning you out, making your recovery slower ...
Kmn - Good idea about the pre midnight snack, thats something I will be doing. I will definately have a cushion or blankie ready to make feeding more comfy. I have had surgery on my tummy before and it was so sore for a week or so, and I wasnt feeding then so bit scary....
Thanks again ladies, I have taken your fab abvice onboard. I will definately be speaking to the anaesthatist prior to the op.
Also my mum has reassured me too. My sis was sick as a baby and spent two weeks being tube fed and my mum thought oh well thats the end of breastfeeding for us. But two weeks after, she offered her the boob and she took it. Mind you she spent a week on the lounge building her supply back up, but she did it. If mum can go two weeks, I can do this easy!
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