My son Andrew was diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis during his one month check up with his pediatrician. My husband and I were scared and unaware of what to expect. We spent months emotionally preparing for his surgery. Andrew had to wait until he was five months old to have the surgery because he had to be big enough to sustain such a surgery and he also was due to lose a lot of blood and require a blood transfusion.

I spent those four months breastfeeding Andrew and hoping that my breast milk would make him strong and capable to handle such a procedure at such a young age. I also had to give him iron drops every day to make his blood strong. The surgeon explained that this was necessary since breast milk did not have iron. I remember feeling scared that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed him at the hospital and I even questioned whether or not I should stop breastfeeding him and go to formula so that he wouldn’t have any issues with missing me or refusing a bottle. Andrew hadn’t had a bottle or formula so I was afraid that he wouldn’t eat and then be weak. Some people had advised me to begin formula because they thought he would be uncomfortable breastfeeding since his head would be wrapped after surgery. But, I felt that he would find comfort in nursing and would want to be close to me.  After speaking with a close friend who encouraged me to continue breastfeeding and to begin pumping so that he can practice drinking from a bottle, I felt a little relieved. But, I still continued to feel anxious and worried about the unknown until finally one day my prayers were answered.

At our regularly monthly doctor’s visit, our pediatrician told me that she had someone that she would like me to meet. I took Andrew and followed her into a patient’s room. There sat a mother with her two beautiful boys. The pediatrician began to tell me that this mother had gone thru the same thing with her second son when he was a few months old and now her son is a healthy 8 year old. The pediatrician thought it would be comforting to speak with a mother who had experienced what I was dreading. This mother began to tell me about her experience with a very positive and optimistic point of view. Her son had gone thru the surgery and as she explained, everything went smooth and her son recuperated quickly. She also told me that she was able to breastfeed him right away in the ICU. She encouraged me to tell the nurses that I was strictly breastfeeding. This experience was such a gift. It gave me the peace of mind that I needed.

During an appointment with the surgeon, I was told that I could not feed Andrew after midnight because his surgery was due to be in the morning the following day. It was difficult for me to understand how my five month old son would go without eating for so long? Thankfully, he was sleeping thru out the night so I knew he would be ok with not breastfeeding during the night but how about in the morning when he woke up to get ready? The surgeon advised me that I could give him pedialyte up to two hours before surgery. I was nervous about giving him anything new before surgery. Thankfully due to the change of routine and distraction of everyone in the hospital, Andrew was not concerned with eating.

While Andrew was in surgery, I began to get concerned about the timing of his feedings. During the day, Andrew would breastfeed every three hours. Surgery was going to be at least three hours but I was pretty full already. We were in the surgical waiting room by the NICU so I decided to speak with a NICU nurse about pumping. I ask her if I could pump and store milk in their refrigerator while Andrew was in surgery and the nurse said, “yes”. I had brought my own pump and my own storage bags so everything was very easy and comfortable. The NICU had a nice private room where I was able to pump quietly and comfortable. Once he was out of surgery, I was able to get the nurse to transfer my pumped milk to the unit that Andrew would be in.

Andrew was asleep after surgery and the nurse advised that he was on morphine for the pain. I made sure to advise the nurse that Andrew solely breastfeed. The nurse advised me that he wouldn’t be able to eat anything for the next 24 hours. I continued to pump and store in the private pumping room in the ICU. He was finally approved to begin drinking pedialyte slowly during the first night in the hospital. They wanted to ensure that he wouldn’t become nauseated and vomit due to the morphine. I anxiously watched him in the hospital bed with his eyes shut and prayed that he wasn’t in pain and that everything would be ok. We were told that the surgery went well and he was expected to recover normally. Every chance I got, I ask the nurse if I could hold him and nurse him. My wonderful husband was also positive and supportive about me breastfeeding and advocated on my behalf. Finally by the second day, the doctor cleared him to begin eating again and I was able to hold him in my arms and nurse him.

There was something about holding him and nursing him during this critical time that provided me with reassurance that everything would be ok. His warmth gave me peace and I would like to think that I was able to do the same for him.

Andrew was discharged home on the third day of surgery. I continued to breastfeed Andrew and we regained our regular routine at home. Andrew recuperated miraculously well. He is now a strong, happy and resilient one year old.