# Surgery and 1-2 week liquid diet, will loose supply?



## bobcat (Mar 4, 2010)

Hi everyone. When I found out I was pregnant, I was scheduled to get the UPPP procedure for my sleep apnea, which is a tonsilectomy, but they also take out the uvula (dangley thing in back of throat), and some other tissue at the back of the throat.

Surgery got postponed indefinitely, and my baby is now 4 months old. We are exclusively breastfeeding. I have a pump, but I hate using it (causes my supply to go wayyyy high, and I worry he is only then getting foremilk when he feeds at the breast. Also, it makes me depressed due to overstimulation/hormones. Also, it's a hassle). So I have only pumped a handful of times.

I am hoping to breastfeed him exclusively until 6 months, then will introduce solids slowly during the first year. I am okay with loosing my supply after 1 year. However, I am not doing well with my apnea, or with the CPAP machine, so would really like to get the surgery, possibly before the 1 year mark. My question is, would the liquid diet (similar to tonsilectomy diet) cause me to loose my supply or have a vast decrease? If so, if there any way I could work around this to get the surgery sooner? Like at 9 or 10 months? Do you only feed maybe twice a day at that point, and so thus a drop in supply would be okay with a liquid diet? I am really struggling with the apnea, and just beyond sick of it!!!!


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

Will you still be able to get adequate calories on the liquid diet? If you pack in proteins and fats and sugars even drinking them there shouldn't be much change. You'll need dense stuff, I'd go for cream, coconut milk, protein powder, fruit/veggie juices, broths, and a liquid vitamin/mineral supp. Count calories to make sure you get enough. Not skipping his feedings will be the biggest factor, but if your body thinks you're starving milk could dry up. 10 months I feed many times a day still, probably about 15 months it starts decreasing, but then they'll have some weeks they go back to frequently even then.

Pump before the surgery so he'll have something while you aren't available for feedings. Find out how long the drugs they use will be a danger to him if they will, pump and dump during that time.


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## bobcat (Mar 4, 2010)

Thanks! Yeah, I figured I would pump and dump until the anesthesia drugs wear off, and the painkillers will likely be okay with breastfeeding. My understanding is that they use a lot of NSAIDs like ibuprofen and tylenol.

My husband and I aren't great at using birth control, and who knows when I'll be fertile again, so I figure that it would be better to do the surgery when the baby is 6-8 months, then worry about getting pregnant again, which would push the surgery back yet another year. Besides, I really want the benefits of the surgery sooner, because my son will benefit from me having more energy. Right now it's pretty rough.

I remember when they described the surgery and recovery to me, I was really into traditional foods at the time, and I asked the doctor how I would even survive on a diet like that? And she said, "the human body doesn't really need THAT many calories to survive." Ohhhh boy!

Does anyone have suggestions for protein powders? I was worried an amino acid supplement that is not directly from food (lab made) could mimic some kind of anti-depressant, strange as that sounds, and be bad for breastfeeding, because I know things like L-tryptophan can impact neurotransmitters, so I wouldn't want the baby to get too much of one amino. I am sure I could find something though!!!!!

Coconut milk is a good suggestion. Thanks for all of those. Smoothies, maybe without seeds. I think part of the problem is that it's incredibly painful for anything to go down the throat, so you will be limiting even smoothies, etc. Whatever I consume will have to be really nutrient-dense. But I am kinda determined to do it. I will talk to the doctor about what exactly I'll be able to get down.


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## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

If you don't have problems with dairy then whey powder. things made with hemp or egg could do too for protein.


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