The thought of Ben fasting makes me sick. I can't imagine him being hungry and not understanding why I won't feed him. So when the hospital told me he would have to nurse at 1:30 and not again until after surgery, I was mortified. The nurse told me I could give him a bottle of water at 3:30 but I'm not sure if he would even take that.
I mentioned my concern at the La Leche League meeting Monday night and they all agreed that seemed like a long time for us to not nurse. One of the leaders told me some medical journals consider breast milk to be a "clear liquid" and women are sometimes allowed to nurse later because of that. She later emailed me several articles and journal entries from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and other reliable sources supporting this. For those who don't know, Kelly Mom is an excellent resource for research articles about breastfeeding and parenting.
This morning I called Ozark Anesthesia and discussed my concern and research. The doctor agreed with me and gave me permission to nurse until 3:30 and provide water until 5:30!
I know that morning is going to be one of the most difficult ones of my life, but I am so relieved Ben won't be crying and hungry in addition to everything else.
Once again, I am so grateful for all of the support I've received from La Leche League. I would also like to encourage others to be proactive about their own medical treatment and if something doesn't sound right, research it! It's ok to ask questions in a calm and respectful manner, and from my experience the doctors are receptive and ready to work with us.
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