Total Thyroidectomy and Breastfeeding

We found this stupid lump when I was pregnant, but there wasn't much we could do about it at the time, so we all agreed to wait until after Jodene came. I literally just pretended it wasn't there for months.

A month or so after she came I had a biopsy and we all agreed the thyroid should come out. At the surgical consult for my thyroidectomy I explained to the surgeon that I'd still be breastfeeding when I had surgery. He said I'd have to pump and dump for 48 hours. At the time surgery was weeks away and we were hopeful that Jodene would be taking a bottle by July. At about 5 weeks before surgery she was consistently refusing a bottle, so I started researching and found some great resources that suggested maybe I didn't need to pump and dump for that long, or even at all. I didn't find many stories of nursing mom's having surgery, so I figured I'd put this out there.

About 3 weeks before my surgery I contacted the hospital I'd be having surgery at and asked about breastfeeding after surgery and having my daughter with me overnight in the hospital. I was transferred multiple times, and given a lot of incorrect information. I'd have to pump and dump for anywhere from 1-2 days. My daughter wouldn't be allowed on the floor, I couldn't have her with me prior to surgery, etc.. I was pretty upset and I called the patient advocacy office for the hospital and asked about their policy for nursing moms who need to have surgery.

I got an entirely different response. They got me in touch with the hospital lactation consultant and the nurse manager for the center for women and infants. They were both amazing. The nurse manager from the center for women and infant's helped negotiate with the nurse manager for the surgical recovery floor so we'd have a private room so Jodene wouldn't be keeping a roomate awake, and the lactation consultant helped me research the medications I'd be getting to make sure they were compatible with breastfeeding. The moral here is talk to the right people and don't take no for an answer.

There were some bumps along the way, including the pre-admissions folks, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist. But with a combo of niceness, determination, and information I was able to get them to agree.

My total thyroidectomy was July 11, and we were able to have Jodene with me and nursing up until wheeling me into the OR, successfuly breastfeed in the recovery room, and have Jodene with me and nursing all through the night and day. It was amazingly sucessful.

 I woke up in recovery and the nurse asked if I was feeling up to nursing. I asked her what medications I had gotten during surgery and they were TOTALLY different than what I had discussed with the anesthesia department 2 days earlier. So... the nurse very kindly called the lactation consultant who checked on all the meds I had gotten and gave us the go-ahead to nurse. What lovely ladies and totally instrumental in making this work. The recovery room nurse even argued with the anesthesiologist who was not on board at all. He wanted me to wait 12 hours to nurse even though this had all been worked out beforehand, and the lactation consultant checked all the meds for us. Eventually it was agreed that I'd be "difficult" and he'd disagree, although he did keep talking loudly about that's not how they do it at Brigham and Women's.

We ignored him, he left and Aaron and my mom helped get her into position and hold her while I was in recovery and the hours after surgery when holding her hurt. We nursed in the laid back or biological breastfeeding position, and with help it was manageable. We brought her mini-cosleeper with us to the hospital and she slept pretty well in it. We also kept her sleep sheep strapped to it, which helped keep her sleeping through the beeps and bumps and nightime visits by nurses. Obviously another adult had to stay overnight with me as I couldn't be her only caretaker, so poor Aaron slept curled up in what looked to be a very uncomfortable chair, and brought her to me when it was time to nurse. Lots of the nurses didn't even know she was there. If she started really crying my mom or Aaron would strap her in the Ergo and take her off the floor so she didn't bother anyone.

I am so grateful that my mom and fantastic husband are so supportive of me and Jodene and breastfeeding. They, along with a great lactation consultant and some very breastfeeding friendly nurses were the people who made this possible. So if you have surgery coming up, just know it can be done with some planning and if you hit roadblocks just look for ways around them and call your office of patient advocates.