I am breastfeeding my 3 month old DS. I have to have a nuclear Scan for my Thyroid next Tuesday, and have been told I cannot breastfeed for 24 hours. Has anyone else had to do this, and have some advice? Any advice how I can rapidly increase my milk supply, so I can express enough to last 24 hours. I only have 4 days to do it in, and am not sure if this will be enough time. Guessing I need about 800mls, and all I could get today by expressing was 90mls.
Hi, I'm sorry you have to have the scan, I hope you get the results you're after.
Did you work out how much you need by your DS's weight? Has he had EBM before?
Tell me about what you do when you express.......what sort of pump, when you do it, how long for etc. Maybe I, and some of the other experienced girls on here, can give you some tips on expressing. It is a bit of an art form LOL!
Try not to stress about it, I'm sure you'll be sorted, one way or another, by Tuesday
No help here - i declined the scan because my supply was already bad and i was told i shouldn't feed for 72 hours and should even HOLD her for 2 (dunno if maybe my scan was different?). I lost my milk anyway and by the time i got back to the doctor able to have the scan my goiter had gone down of its own accord.
If you can i would pump about an hour after each feed between now and then and see how much you get. If you can't have enough you could consider EBM from a friend or formula, this is a medical emergency afterall...?
It's a stressful situation, it must have been a bit of a shock for you.
Hire a good hospital grade breastpump, like the medela symphony from your local ABA groups - you could use the support they offer, and in these situations we need the best equiptment possible. Does your baby have both breasts at every feed? How often does she feed in 24 hours? You could try feeding her one breast, expressing the other and then letting her "finish" the breast you expressed - she will get more milk than the pump will.
A call to Rodney Whyte at the Monash Medical Centre drug information line 9594 2361 will be helpful for more information about your scans - he is great. It's good to just talk it through with someone knowledgable
Warm Regards
Barb
Yes I am very stressed. I really need to find out why my thyroid has gone from mildly underactive before birth, to dramatically overactive after. My resting pulse when I am in bed at the moment is 96-112, so I understand that I have to find out what is wrong, and get myself well again, and this test will give me the answer.
I had a medela mini electric at home that I had just for the odd express. I have gone an hired a medela lactina from my chemist for the week for something a bit stronger. I managed to get 60mls from my left breast this morning, but not a drop from my right. My baby always feeds from both sides, but he does seem to prefer the left. How can I get more from my right? I still need to get about 700mls by tuesday morning.
Also I am going to have to express for the 24hours that I cant feed him until the nucler medicine leaves my body, and am wondering what I am going to do to get the milk from my right breast then. Any sugestions?
Thank you for Rodneys contact, I spoke to him, and he was extremely helpful. He explained that after 24 hours it would be safe to feed my baby as there would be only a minute trace of the nuclear medicine (techetium) left, and this would basically be the same amount that we would be exposed to if we went out in the sun on a hot day.
EJE, the Medela Lactina is pretty good I think, so that should be helpful.
Some things I find helpful when expressing.....
Having a nice warm shower or bath beforehand
Sitting with a wheat pack on my boobs before starting (I have a lavender one)
Either holding DS, looking at him, or at a photo of him
Gentle massage of the breast while the pump is going
Don't look at what's coming out! I know it's hard not to, but I find I get more if I'm not looking
If you're not looking at DS, watch the tv, or read a book/magazine to distract you
Ummmm, that's all I can think of ATM
I have heard that it's very helpful to have bub feed on one side while you express the other. Try Baeb's suggestion of giving one side, expressing the other, and letting DS finish off the expressed side.
I think the milk you express during the 24 hours will have to be discarded. I know that's heartbreaking! If you're not sure you could always check with Rodney again.
I'm sorry you're going through this stress ATM, but you obviously need to sort your health out. I hope the scan gives you the answer you're looking for.
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URGENT- Nuclear Scan and Breastfeeding
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