Primary Surgery Feeding Instructions

[Dani B]

My son Jason is scheduled for primary on 3/2.

He has always been a BIG eater and has a very good appetite.

What are the feeding instructions given the evening before surgery??

Is it hard to deal with?

I'm so afraid he is going to scream his little head off if I cannot feed him for a long period of time before surgery.

I know this may sound silly....but I'm kind of worried about it....

Any advice?

[Francine_Litz]

no food for so many hours before surgery...
all depends on when the surgery is scheduled

if I recall - when Maia had primary, I was able to breastfeed sometime around midnight...
then nothing at all by mouth

but then her surgery which was scheduled for 10 am was held back because the child before her had a very serious injury so they allowed us to give her apple juice - as much as she would want (we just lined up the bottles!! hhahaha) that morning and then nothing until her surgery

I thought it would be worse - I couldn't imagine how she could go without her feedings but she really was ok - there was enough there to keep her occupied and distracted.

-francine

[whitneys mom]

Whitney just had primary on Dec. 1. She is a year old. It wasn't that bad. She couldn't have anything after midnight, so the nurse told me to wake her up at 11:30 to give her a bottle. Well, that was a mistake, because she didn't want her bottle, and she wouldn't go back to sleep until 2am! He surgery was schedualed for 930 but they didn't take her till almost 11. We just made sure we didn't eat or drink around her.
I was also told that some anisthesiologist (sp?) are different. So they will let you know. good luck with Jasons surgery. We will keep you in our prayers.

Amanda

[admin]

My son's surgery was in the early afternoon. he could not eat passed 4:3oam. I was not about to wake him up. My regret. He was so starved after surgery that he drank 2 bottles of pedialyte the nurses gave him. He was only suppose to have one, but I guess he hollared for more.

[claudia]

Juliana was also a big eater and I,too, worried about this. Lisa Davis said something interesting to me...she said the kids somehow "know." Remember, Juliana is my 4th...ha I said. Well, she somehow "knew". She didn't ask to eat. And was very calm before surgery ( I, on the other hand, had my teeth clenched so tight I had to pry them apart).
After the surgery, she was not very hungry. And the next week or so, I found that she ate at frequent intervals, but not very much at each meal (she was 4.5 months). She stopped sleeping thru the night for about 10 days, and then got back on schedule.

And as for you, on the day of the surgery, DO NOT FORGET TO EAT. Words of advice from a day-op nurse when my son had tubes put in (oh, and we thought THAT was a big deal!!!). She said so many parents forget to eat or are not hungry and she has to pick them up b/c they fainted from hunger!
The food court is a short walk from the waiting area and they won't call you for about 45 minutes. So bring a trashy novel, every magazine in the world and sit tight. My husband, who could sleep anywhere, napped during her 9.5 hour surgery!!!! I read a novel. I couldn't tell you which novel or what it was about, but I read it!!!!

good luck, it was one of the best things we ever did

[admin]

Thanks for asking this question. I have been concerned about the same thing. My 3.5 month Samuel just got primary surgery scheduled for March. I've been so worried about him fasting and wondering how I'll be able to resist not nursing him. I appreiate you posting this question and for all you that have responded. It has helped me out.

[twinsxx2+one]

Deanna-
We had to be at the hospital at 6am,they told us no formula passes midnight and apple juice until 4am. So,we woke him up at 11:30 and 3:30.I know that it sounds crazy but Carson is a very big eater and he screams and doesn't stop until he gets food. So we were very worried. It was fine,I actually think that him being tired from us waking him up helped because he was sleepy while we waited for them to take him back. Good Luck, things will be fine.

[admin]

Breastfed babies can eat later then formula fed babies.