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General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is compatible with breastfeeding. Most anesthetic agents are eliminated from your body quickly and transfer only minimally into breast milk. You do not need to pump and dump after routine general anesthesia — you can breastfeed once you are alert and awake enough to hold your baby safely.
Modern general anesthetic agents (propofol, isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane) are lipid-soluble but have short half-lives and are rapidly exhaled or metabolized. By the time you are awake enough to hold your baby, drug levels in your blood (and therefore milk) are very low. LactMed and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine confirm that breastfeeding can resume once the mother is awake and alert. The bigger practical concern is being physically safe to hold and nurse your baby, not drug levels. Inform your anesthesiologist you are breastfeeding so they can choose compatible agents and avoid unnecessary opioids.
Always confirm with your doctor or lactation consultant before making dietary changes while breastfeeding.
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