Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Surgery during pregnancy
Heather Hall
I had my gallbladder out while I was pregnant. I was unable to eat and
very ill, and I still had to fight to convince them to do surgery while
I was pregnant.
While it isn't ideal to do this while pregnant, I agree it is easier to
handle this stuff with a heavy belly than with a new baby. I had
several hours of ultrasound, I was on IV nutrition, no ice chips, I had
endoscopy, x-ray, morphine for 8 days, tylenol 3, vicodin ( they
initially wanted me to take vicodin for the rest of my pregnancy
instead of surgery - GAAAAH! no way!) I had general anesthesia
followed by a 24 hour epidural for post op pain relief, 24 hours
straight EFM. Etc....
Crispin is almost 2 and just fine. because of the morphine I plan to
have some very early very detailed discussions about drugs and altered
perception in case is he is more prone to drug addiction which is one
theory related to drug exposure in pregnancy and labor.
Good Luck!
On Sunday, September 21, 2003, at 12:19 PM,
[email protected] wrote:
Heather, mom to
Harriet 12.15.99
Crispin 01.25.02
heatherette@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
very ill, and I still had to fight to convince them to do surgery while
I was pregnant.
While it isn't ideal to do this while pregnant, I agree it is easier to
handle this stuff with a heavy belly than with a new baby. I had
several hours of ultrasound, I was on IV nutrition, no ice chips, I had
endoscopy, x-ray, morphine for 8 days, tylenol 3, vicodin ( they
initially wanted me to take vicodin for the rest of my pregnancy
instead of surgery - GAAAAH! no way!) I had general anesthesia
followed by a 24 hour epidural for post op pain relief, 24 hours
straight EFM. Etc....
Crispin is almost 2 and just fine. because of the morphine I plan to
have some very early very detailed discussions about drugs and altered
perception in case is he is more prone to drug addiction which is one
theory related to drug exposure in pregnancy and labor.
Good Luck!
On Sunday, September 21, 2003, at 12:19 PM,
[email protected] wrote:
> Message: 9--
> Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 10:36:00 EDT
> From: ejcrewe@...
> Subject: pregnancy and surgery
>
> Hey, all this talk about nursing and co-sleeping and general baby
> stuff makes
> me want to ask your opinion about my situation. You might remember my
> constant complaining about breaking my ankle last year. Actually, I
> pretty much
> shattered it. They had to use a plate with eight screws on the
> outside, three
> pins on the inside and lots of fake bone plaster stuff to hold it all
> together.
> Because my feet are deformed a bit from being en pointe at too young
> an age,
> the surgeon couldn't move my foot into a neutral position, even while
> I was
> under anesthesia. Therefore, my foot was pointed in the cast and I
> not have
> very limited range of motion.
>
> OK, enough background. I can walk and climb stairs, but going down
> stairs is
> still difficult, I don't have the flexion. I saw my surgeon in March
> and we
> talked about having all the metal removed in October, so I'll be
> making an
> appointment to see him in the next few weeks. One of my midwives says
> any kind
> of surgery, including general anesthesia, is ok in pregnancy. The
> other
> midwife says she thinks a local anesthesia would be ok. The thing is,
> I'll probably
> need to be on crutches to recover and would rather do that pregnant
> than with
> an infant. On the other hand, the thought of my wee one getting all
> those
> drugs in utero is pretty frightening.
>
> There's a window between one and two years after surgery that you can
> have
> your metal removed, otherwise the bone is too well grown around it.
> I'd like to
> get the metal out to help with my range of motion. Besides, it's
> uncomfortable to have all the metal in there, particularly when it's
> humid and when you
> can no longer sleep on your belly.
>
> Baby's due in January. Anyone have any experience with surgery during
> pregnancy?
>
> Thanks,
> Elizabeth
>
Heather, mom to
Harriet 12.15.99
Crispin 01.25.02
heatherette@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
Speaking of gall bladders in regards to breastfeeding rather than
pregnancy --
I had my acutely infected gallbladder removed exactly 3 months after a
Cesarean delivery. My big concern was continuing to breastfeed around the
clock, during fours days of hospitalization pre-surgery for IV anibiotics, then
the sugery and two days post-surgical.
I saw two problems. The drugs in my system were one, which the doctors
said would be fine as far as the milk was concerned. They just used the
choices that would not pose a threat for breastfeeding. The other problem was
physical logistics, spending several days on a surgical floor without the
rooming-in accommodations that maternity hospitalization had provided.
But this was fine too, because my DH traveled back and forth from home
every hour or five hours round the clock with our (sturdy and very agreeable)
baby boy and our preschool aged daughter -- except for one night feeding,
for which I would pump during the day so DH could feed the baby by bottle on
demand, sometime between midnight and 8 am. (If we hadn't had our older child to
think about as well, or if either of our own mothers had been able to come
stay during that time, even this adaptation might not have been needed.)
It was really comforting to all of us, I think. He had this really key
role -- it wouldn't have been possible if he hadn't made it work -- and I
didn't feel separated or frustrated by my own health in my commitment to the
children. Our older daughter was calm and happy and never got a chance to miss me.
:)
So it all worked out amazingly well, and the bonus was that my daytime
milk supply was actually even better after pumping that extra feeding for a
week. And the surgical incision was nothing compared to the recent C-section
incision, so my mobility and ease of sleep and nursing were all much better
after the surgery than I had expected :) JJ
Heatherette@... writes:
pregnancy --
I had my acutely infected gallbladder removed exactly 3 months after a
Cesarean delivery. My big concern was continuing to breastfeed around the
clock, during fours days of hospitalization pre-surgery for IV anibiotics, then
the sugery and two days post-surgical.
I saw two problems. The drugs in my system were one, which the doctors
said would be fine as far as the milk was concerned. They just used the
choices that would not pose a threat for breastfeeding. The other problem was
physical logistics, spending several days on a surgical floor without the
rooming-in accommodations that maternity hospitalization had provided.
But this was fine too, because my DH traveled back and forth from home
every hour or five hours round the clock with our (sturdy and very agreeable)
baby boy and our preschool aged daughter -- except for one night feeding,
for which I would pump during the day so DH could feed the baby by bottle on
demand, sometime between midnight and 8 am. (If we hadn't had our older child to
think about as well, or if either of our own mothers had been able to come
stay during that time, even this adaptation might not have been needed.)
It was really comforting to all of us, I think. He had this really key
role -- it wouldn't have been possible if he hadn't made it work -- and I
didn't feel separated or frustrated by my own health in my commitment to the
children. Our older daughter was calm and happy and never got a chance to miss me.
:)
So it all worked out amazingly well, and the bonus was that my daytime
milk supply was actually even better after pumping that extra feeding for a
week. And the surgical incision was nothing compared to the recent C-section
incision, so my mobility and ease of sleep and nursing were all much better
after the surgery than I had expected :) JJ
Heatherette@... writes:
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I had my gallbladder out while I was pregnant. I was unable to eat and
> very ill, and I still had to fight to convince them to do surgery while
> I was pregnant.
> While it isn't ideal to do this while pregnant, I agree it is easier to
> handle this stuff with a heavy belly than with a new baby. I had
> several hours of ultrasound, I was on IV nutrition, no ice chips, I had
> endoscopy, x-ray, morphine for 8 days, tylenol 3, vicodin ( they
> initially wanted me to take vicodin for the rest of my pregnancy
> instead of surgery - GAAAAH! no way!) I had general anesthesia
> followed by a 24 hour epidural for post op pain relief, 24 hours
> straight EFM. Etc....
> Crispin is almost 2 and just fine.
>
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/21/2003 12:18:20 PM Central Standard Time,
Heatherette@... writes:
allergic reaction to morphine and found the drug to be highly overrated and
worthless. But I'm sure the alternatives wouldn't be nice either.
My doctor may just recommend not doing it. We'll see. And being in a cast
with an infant would stink, but those consequences are more short term. You
really had no choice but to have the surgery. Yikes.
Elizabeth
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Heatherette@... writes:
> because of the morphine I plan toI didn't realize that! Another thing to worry about. Although I have an
> have some very early very detailed discussions about drugs and altered
> perception in case is he is more prone to drug addiction which is one
> theory related to drug exposure in pregnancy and labor.
>
allergic reaction to morphine and found the drug to be highly overrated and
worthless. But I'm sure the alternatives wouldn't be nice either.
My doctor may just recommend not doing it. We'll see. And being in a cast
with an infant would stink, but those consequences are more short term. You
really had no choice but to have the surgery. Yikes.
Elizabeth
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]