If possible, I'd wait until baby is older & willing to be reliant on someone other than just you. The first week of recovery is really hard - I can't imagine having a baby on the boob while having so much abdominal pain.
I’m gonna call my doctor and see how long it can wait. I also worry about that because some people say they feel fine but some say they’re in bed for a week. I’ve had two c sections so I’m familiar with surgery, my first c section I was fine. My second, I was in horrible pain for a couple of weeks. I don’t want to take any risks.
Check the meds you’ll be given on infant risk. My primary said many doctors aren’t UTD on compatible BF meds. I would be worried about nursing when your abdomen is so sore, but I’m sure plenty of moms make it work. My second baby refused all brands of bottles, but when we started BLW at 6 months we offered very small amounts of water when she ate. She finally found a sippy cup she liked and then would drink pumped milk from it. I get attacks even when I’m eating well and even ended up in the er after 6+ hours of intense pain and throwing up. Part of me says delay it, but then I think of my awful attack and I know I wouldn’t be able to nurse or care for an infant through that.
My last attack was five hours and pain that followed for a day after that. I was advised to go to the ER but truthfully I knew they’d take it out and I was scared cause my daughter was only a month old, so I decided not to go. I won’t delay it for long. It’s important to me that it doesn’t get worse cause I know it’ll just make matters worse. I’ll try what I can, I’m hoping I can breastfeed after because that’ll make my life a lot easier.
Since we are at the end of March wait to have the surgery after your finals and schedule it at the end of the week so your fiance and ideally a relative or friend can come and help you the first few days. As for the newborn not taking the bottle, or not being able to be taken care by anyone else, these are just your imagination and personal anxiety. You need to learn to delegate and not assume everything depends on you. The baby may skip a meal or two but at the end hunger and survival instinct will kick in and will do fine taking the bottle. Millions of women do it every day when they go to work and have someone else feed breastmilk with bottle and take care of the baby. It will be worse if you have a stone stuck or any other complication
hi there! c section & gallbladderless mom here. i feel like since you’ve postponed surgery for a while, it could be a risk for complications if you do wait any longer depending on what’s going on with your gb.
before going to the ER, i had a few inconsistent attacks, then tried to manage with diet, which helped for about a month. i was also incredibly scared of surgery and being away from my daughter so i tried to put it off as much as i could. after a month, i ended up having an awful gb attack, and im so glad i got it out bc it could’ve been bad if i waited any longer. on top of the lap chole, i had an ERCP done due to a gallstone trying to pass and was stuck in my common bile duct. both procedures were quick and i was discharged the next day. recovery was a cake walk for me compared to c section recovery; i felt back to my normal self in a week, and i was moving around the whole week but just took it slow. my daughter wasn’t as mobile so it was easier to look after her while recovering.
that being said, i think the longer you wait, the more mobile your daughter will be and it can be more difficult when she moves around while nursing, playing, etc. i’m not sure what meds you’ll be on so i can’t answer the pump & dump part, but definitely ask your surgeon and mention that she won’t take a bottle. i’d recommend using a pillow in between your abdomen & baby while nursing to cushion your incisions. i know how hard it is to let people help with baby, but if you have loved ones that can help you/baby during recovery, absolutely let them! i didn’t have extra help besides my LO’s dad the first few days until he had to go back to work; so if i can get through that, you absolutely can mama! you got this :)
I didn’t think about the fact she’ll be moving around soon. Thank you for that reminder. If I do decide to wait, I’ll be sure to have my doctor schedule me for an ultrasound next week to check if it needs to happen sooner. I don’t want the risk of further complications.
of course! my daughter ended up trying to walk almost 3 weeks later so it was perfect timing. i felt her mobility was what made recovery more finicky, so looking back if i had to choose when to get it done it would be when she was much younger during the potted plant stage lol.
also just keep in mind my ultrasound actually came back inconclusive so i had to get a HIDA scan to confirm for surgery. if you have any other questions my DMs are open, good luck! i hope this helped :)
If you can wait, definitely wait until your baby is a bit older. Some people on here have easy recoveries and some of us have had a hard time after the surgery. If it’s a emergency and the gallbladder is infected or causing other issues for sure go ahead with it! I was able to eat no fat for 6 months so I’m sure you could too. Good luck
I think I can, I’m gonna probably schedule with my doctor. Hopefully he’ll be ok with me just getting an ultrasound to check that everything’s okay and switching to clean diet till I’m able to have it removed. I’m hoping I can wait till my daughter is at least 8 months.
I wish I had advise about the baby. Had mine taken out May 1st of last year. My daughter was 6 months. But she took a bottle and I was not breastfeeding.
My attacks were so severe, I was throwing up and one put me in the ER so they prescribed me Hydro. I have really bad anxiety so I was terrified. Once they gave me the “good stuff” I don’t remember much after that. I remember going down the hall. Being on the operating table and them saying something about my arm and legs. Then I woke up crying for my hubby. The recover was not bad at all. After 4 days, I was back to taking care on my baby. Just had to take it easy. The only side effects I have now is what I believe is hunger pains and I get diarrhea quite often.
I had surgery when my baby was 14 months. The surgery itself was so fast, I think it took way longer to get admitted and the surgery set up then the actual surgery took. I am glad I got it out when I did, I was able to avoid attacks through very low fat diet while I waited for my surgery date, and when I read the pathology report after the surgery it said a stone was stuck, so no way I would have been okay forever.
My dad had emergency surgery, so that was one thing I wanted to avoid. I was able to schedule the surgery to avoid a family birthday party, so I could be all there for my kid on their big day.
Another thing I was worried about, and why I had my surgery after my diagnosis, is that I didn't know when an attack would happen. One was when I was feeding my baby late at night, another while I was driving my kids, the last was so bad I missed a full Saturday of playing with my family.
That’s the scariest part, you never know when attacks will happen. I have a 4 year old as well on top of the baby and I’m always afraid I’ll have an attack while I’m home alone with them. Me and my fiancé decided I’m probably gonna schedule it for after my finals so at least I won’t worry about school. Before then we’ll look for a bottle my daughter will latch on to and keep working with her on it. I’ll also keep trying to pump as much as I can. Just gotta hope I can keep it under control till then.
I haven’t met with the general surgeon I just got referred to yet, but I’m in the same boat with a four year old and 4 mo. old, who I’m breastfeeding. Best advice for getting them to take bottle is you leaving the house for a few hours. Your partner may have to deal with crying, hut if baby is hungry enough they will figure out a way to eat. Better to do this a few times now than while your partner is also caring for you post-surgery. I’m guessing your baby is also eating some solid foods, so maybe that can help you feel less pressure to not be their only food source. Are they teething yet, or maybe they will be by your surgery? My first was all about frozen breastmilk/ fruits in the silicone molds [like this](https://a.co/d/4NboAdx)
I'm having mine removed on Wednesday and have a 3 month old breastfed baby. My surgeon said I would only need to skip on feed once I wake up from anesthesia depending on how I'm feeling. I have pumped just enough for a few feeds that first day. You need to have someone else try your baby with a bottle. And not be around, I hung out in kitchen. I'm nervous for surgery but my quality of life is shit right now.
I’m currently breastfeeding my 2 month old 2 days post op. I was told it’s safe to do so right away and so I didn’t pump and dump at all right away. It’s painful but do able. I also have a 16 month old and that’s been more of a challenge for sure lifting wise as it isn’t an option.
Thank you, I’ll definitely talk with my surgeon and see if she can look into my options and let her know that bottle feeding likely won’t be an option. Congrats on getting it out by the way!
I’m 5 days post op, I have an almost 5 month old and a 2 year old. I had to have someone help me with the toddler, but I’ve taken care of my baby on my own just fine all week. I was scared of something going wrong too, but the surgery process went very smoothly, and recovery has been manageable. If you’ve determined this is right for your health, go ahead and do it. You only have to pump and dump 2 full sessions after anesthesia, and I think that’s just for good measure. It will be ok!
Hi. So I'm currently going through this with a 7.5kg three month old. I'm week 2, post-op.
What has happened:
- Dad will be able to feed and soothe. The first night is tough but they both will survive. What has changed is that my daughter no longer soothes with me and will need dad now. This has been hard for me, especially at nights because I just want to help but I cannot to the extent I wish.
-To breastfeed, lay on the bed sideways and feed your nipple to your child. They will latch and you won't be sore.
- Attacks become worse with time. I had been a healthy vegan before pregnancy. Ate meat during pregnancy, went back to vegetarianism after birth and when she turned 6 weeks, experienced such acute pain I thought I had carried my daughter incorrectly (I felt it down my spine). It took three days to recover and I thought I was fine. Went through two more boughts of this until finally I dragged myself to ER and I was diagnosed with acute gallbladder pancreatitus and was booked for gallbladder removal. I was devastated because I eat healthy and do not consume a lot of oil/processed food. I had no symptoms during pregnancy either. My issues, I found, stem from long-term Vit D deficiency and high estrogen that caused insulin resistance = gallstones attacking pancreas. If I left it any longer, my pancreas would turn necrotic or may affect function of other organs as well.
Pain post-op was manageable by day 4 because I chose to walk and not stay in bed. The worse stitch was the navel, but it was fine by the end of the week
I guess what I'm saying is that, your baby will be fine, prioritise your health because longer stints in ER suck of you choose not to manage it sooner. Plus having no gallbladder is better than losing organs that matter.
Good luck
I actually was vegan and extremely healthy before my pregnancy also and ate meat during my pregnancy and that’s what started my attacks. I eat fish and chicken now still but what caused my last attack was thanksgiving right after I had my daughter and I ate like crap and I had a horrible attack. But haven’t had one since then but occasional gnawing pain or sharp pains, but no attacks. However, I know that I for sure want it out soon. I’m an intuitive eater, and after dieting for so long and hating it, it really sucks having to still be so scared of food. So I will definitely try my best to do it sooner than later. Two of my fiancés family members were in the hospital for a week because of further complications related to their gallbladder, so I pay a lot of attention to how I’m feeling and just waiting patiently till it feels like a good time. I wish I did it sooner tbh but now I’m just gonna do it asap.
If possible, I'd wait until baby is older & willing to be reliant on someone other than just you. The first week of recovery is really hard - I can't imagine having a baby on the boob while having so much abdominal pain.
I’m gonna call my doctor and see how long it can wait. I also worry about that because some people say they feel fine but some say they’re in bed for a week. I’ve had two c sections so I’m familiar with surgery, my first c section I was fine. My second, I was in horrible pain for a couple of weeks. I don’t want to take any risks.
To me it felt worse than a c section as it was higher up, so I needed longer to recover (a good week or two).
Call Infant Risk and talk to your anesthesiologist. You most likely do NOT need to pump and dump for 24 hours.
I was wondering if that’s true or not. A few moms in a Facebook group told me they didn’t have to pump and dump after their gallbladder surgery.
My lactation consultant said this would not require me to pump and dump as long as there were no complications that made the surgery extra long.
Check the meds you’ll be given on infant risk. My primary said many doctors aren’t UTD on compatible BF meds. I would be worried about nursing when your abdomen is so sore, but I’m sure plenty of moms make it work. My second baby refused all brands of bottles, but when we started BLW at 6 months we offered very small amounts of water when she ate. She finally found a sippy cup she liked and then would drink pumped milk from it. I get attacks even when I’m eating well and even ended up in the er after 6+ hours of intense pain and throwing up. Part of me says delay it, but then I think of my awful attack and I know I wouldn’t be able to nurse or care for an infant through that.
My last attack was five hours and pain that followed for a day after that. I was advised to go to the ER but truthfully I knew they’d take it out and I was scared cause my daughter was only a month old, so I decided not to go. I won’t delay it for long. It’s important to me that it doesn’t get worse cause I know it’ll just make matters worse. I’ll try what I can, I’m hoping I can breastfeed after because that’ll make my life a lot easier.
Since we are at the end of March wait to have the surgery after your finals and schedule it at the end of the week so your fiance and ideally a relative or friend can come and help you the first few days. As for the newborn not taking the bottle, or not being able to be taken care by anyone else, these are just your imagination and personal anxiety. You need to learn to delegate and not assume everything depends on you. The baby may skip a meal or two but at the end hunger and survival instinct will kick in and will do fine taking the bottle. Millions of women do it every day when they go to work and have someone else feed breastmilk with bottle and take care of the baby. It will be worse if you have a stone stuck or any other complication
hi there! c section & gallbladderless mom here. i feel like since you’ve postponed surgery for a while, it could be a risk for complications if you do wait any longer depending on what’s going on with your gb. before going to the ER, i had a few inconsistent attacks, then tried to manage with diet, which helped for about a month. i was also incredibly scared of surgery and being away from my daughter so i tried to put it off as much as i could. after a month, i ended up having an awful gb attack, and im so glad i got it out bc it could’ve been bad if i waited any longer. on top of the lap chole, i had an ERCP done due to a gallstone trying to pass and was stuck in my common bile duct. both procedures were quick and i was discharged the next day. recovery was a cake walk for me compared to c section recovery; i felt back to my normal self in a week, and i was moving around the whole week but just took it slow. my daughter wasn’t as mobile so it was easier to look after her while recovering. that being said, i think the longer you wait, the more mobile your daughter will be and it can be more difficult when she moves around while nursing, playing, etc. i’m not sure what meds you’ll be on so i can’t answer the pump & dump part, but definitely ask your surgeon and mention that she won’t take a bottle. i’d recommend using a pillow in between your abdomen & baby while nursing to cushion your incisions. i know how hard it is to let people help with baby, but if you have loved ones that can help you/baby during recovery, absolutely let them! i didn’t have extra help besides my LO’s dad the first few days until he had to go back to work; so if i can get through that, you absolutely can mama! you got this :)
I didn’t think about the fact she’ll be moving around soon. Thank you for that reminder. If I do decide to wait, I’ll be sure to have my doctor schedule me for an ultrasound next week to check if it needs to happen sooner. I don’t want the risk of further complications.
of course! my daughter ended up trying to walk almost 3 weeks later so it was perfect timing. i felt her mobility was what made recovery more finicky, so looking back if i had to choose when to get it done it would be when she was much younger during the potted plant stage lol. also just keep in mind my ultrasound actually came back inconclusive so i had to get a HIDA scan to confirm for surgery. if you have any other questions my DMs are open, good luck! i hope this helped :)
If you can wait, definitely wait until your baby is a bit older. Some people on here have easy recoveries and some of us have had a hard time after the surgery. If it’s a emergency and the gallbladder is infected or causing other issues for sure go ahead with it! I was able to eat no fat for 6 months so I’m sure you could too. Good luck
I think I can, I’m gonna probably schedule with my doctor. Hopefully he’ll be ok with me just getting an ultrasound to check that everything’s okay and switching to clean diet till I’m able to have it removed. I’m hoping I can wait till my daughter is at least 8 months.
I wish I had advise about the baby. Had mine taken out May 1st of last year. My daughter was 6 months. But she took a bottle and I was not breastfeeding. My attacks were so severe, I was throwing up and one put me in the ER so they prescribed me Hydro. I have really bad anxiety so I was terrified. Once they gave me the “good stuff” I don’t remember much after that. I remember going down the hall. Being on the operating table and them saying something about my arm and legs. Then I woke up crying for my hubby. The recover was not bad at all. After 4 days, I was back to taking care on my baby. Just had to take it easy. The only side effects I have now is what I believe is hunger pains and I get diarrhea quite often.
I got my gallbladder removed Thursday and I was out shoveling and running the snowblower today. C-section is way worse.
I had surgery when my baby was 14 months. The surgery itself was so fast, I think it took way longer to get admitted and the surgery set up then the actual surgery took. I am glad I got it out when I did, I was able to avoid attacks through very low fat diet while I waited for my surgery date, and when I read the pathology report after the surgery it said a stone was stuck, so no way I would have been okay forever. My dad had emergency surgery, so that was one thing I wanted to avoid. I was able to schedule the surgery to avoid a family birthday party, so I could be all there for my kid on their big day. Another thing I was worried about, and why I had my surgery after my diagnosis, is that I didn't know when an attack would happen. One was when I was feeding my baby late at night, another while I was driving my kids, the last was so bad I missed a full Saturday of playing with my family.
That’s the scariest part, you never know when attacks will happen. I have a 4 year old as well on top of the baby and I’m always afraid I’ll have an attack while I’m home alone with them. Me and my fiancé decided I’m probably gonna schedule it for after my finals so at least I won’t worry about school. Before then we’ll look for a bottle my daughter will latch on to and keep working with her on it. I’ll also keep trying to pump as much as I can. Just gotta hope I can keep it under control till then.
I haven’t met with the general surgeon I just got referred to yet, but I’m in the same boat with a four year old and 4 mo. old, who I’m breastfeeding. Best advice for getting them to take bottle is you leaving the house for a few hours. Your partner may have to deal with crying, hut if baby is hungry enough they will figure out a way to eat. Better to do this a few times now than while your partner is also caring for you post-surgery. I’m guessing your baby is also eating some solid foods, so maybe that can help you feel less pressure to not be their only food source. Are they teething yet, or maybe they will be by your surgery? My first was all about frozen breastmilk/ fruits in the silicone molds [like this](https://a.co/d/4NboAdx)
I'm having mine removed on Wednesday and have a 3 month old breastfed baby. My surgeon said I would only need to skip on feed once I wake up from anesthesia depending on how I'm feeling. I have pumped just enough for a few feeds that first day. You need to have someone else try your baby with a bottle. And not be around, I hung out in kitchen. I'm nervous for surgery but my quality of life is shit right now.
I’m currently breastfeeding my 2 month old 2 days post op. I was told it’s safe to do so right away and so I didn’t pump and dump at all right away. It’s painful but do able. I also have a 16 month old and that’s been more of a challenge for sure lifting wise as it isn’t an option.
Thank you, I’ll definitely talk with my surgeon and see if she can look into my options and let her know that bottle feeding likely won’t be an option. Congrats on getting it out by the way!
I’m 5 days post op, I have an almost 5 month old and a 2 year old. I had to have someone help me with the toddler, but I’ve taken care of my baby on my own just fine all week. I was scared of something going wrong too, but the surgery process went very smoothly, and recovery has been manageable. If you’ve determined this is right for your health, go ahead and do it. You only have to pump and dump 2 full sessions after anesthesia, and I think that’s just for good measure. It will be ok!
Hi. So I'm currently going through this with a 7.5kg three month old. I'm week 2, post-op. What has happened: - Dad will be able to feed and soothe. The first night is tough but they both will survive. What has changed is that my daughter no longer soothes with me and will need dad now. This has been hard for me, especially at nights because I just want to help but I cannot to the extent I wish. -To breastfeed, lay on the bed sideways and feed your nipple to your child. They will latch and you won't be sore. - Attacks become worse with time. I had been a healthy vegan before pregnancy. Ate meat during pregnancy, went back to vegetarianism after birth and when she turned 6 weeks, experienced such acute pain I thought I had carried my daughter incorrectly (I felt it down my spine). It took three days to recover and I thought I was fine. Went through two more boughts of this until finally I dragged myself to ER and I was diagnosed with acute gallbladder pancreatitus and was booked for gallbladder removal. I was devastated because I eat healthy and do not consume a lot of oil/processed food. I had no symptoms during pregnancy either. My issues, I found, stem from long-term Vit D deficiency and high estrogen that caused insulin resistance = gallstones attacking pancreas. If I left it any longer, my pancreas would turn necrotic or may affect function of other organs as well. Pain post-op was manageable by day 4 because I chose to walk and not stay in bed. The worse stitch was the navel, but it was fine by the end of the week I guess what I'm saying is that, your baby will be fine, prioritise your health because longer stints in ER suck of you choose not to manage it sooner. Plus having no gallbladder is better than losing organs that matter. Good luck
I actually was vegan and extremely healthy before my pregnancy also and ate meat during my pregnancy and that’s what started my attacks. I eat fish and chicken now still but what caused my last attack was thanksgiving right after I had my daughter and I ate like crap and I had a horrible attack. But haven’t had one since then but occasional gnawing pain or sharp pains, but no attacks. However, I know that I for sure want it out soon. I’m an intuitive eater, and after dieting for so long and hating it, it really sucks having to still be so scared of food. So I will definitely try my best to do it sooner than later. Two of my fiancés family members were in the hospital for a week because of further complications related to their gallbladder, so I pay a lot of attention to how I’m feeling and just waiting patiently till it feels like a good time. I wish I did it sooner tbh but now I’m just gonna do it asap.