Is your first surgery for the lip/nose repair only?
My little girl had her lip/nose repaired at 4 weeks of age,
weighing only 7lb in weight and I, like you, was so
scared. I had been used to her cute cleft smile and feeding
her as we used to say "up her nose"!!
The first thing to cause upset for me was that they do a lot of
tests on them which check everything is fine - blood tests, scans of their
bodies (like the ultrasound you will have had when you were pregnant). These
do not hurt them but be ready for a lot of crying!!
Then you have the fasting before the operation which my little girl did not like
- she liked to drink milk a litte and often and did not like the time
she could not drink pre the op.
I got upset knowing she would look different - it is a strange emotion but you
feel you don't want her face to change.
Then for her to be taken away - I did not see her put to sleep as I would have found
this harrowing - I just let a lovely nurse take her. The wait while they are in theatre is
so unbearable but the relief when you are called to get them from the
recovery room is amazing. My little one has sensitive skin so was quite bruised on her
nose eyes and mouth and seemed so vulnerable and more amazingly so different.
After the op you will have the drip in to enable them not to become dehydrated - in the UK where
I am each baby is monitored and the drip stays in depending on how they take the milk.
If you are having a palate operation at the same time it is harder for the babies as inside the mouth is
very sore so feeding is slower.
After the operation in the UK we had to give water after every milk feed to enable the stitches were
cleaned of milk and to reduce the infection risk. Olivia had her lip stitches out a week after her operation and
the tension stich they put in her nose a few days after this.
With the palate repair the stitches dissolve in their own time.
I could not believe how different Olivia looked after the first operation, and even her
cry changed which was strange for me.
She looked like a "normal baby" and I was so thankful to the docs. The palate operation that she had
at 9 months was, after a month or so getting over it, the best thing ever as she ate so good after it.
I am happy to chat more - sorry if I have gone on too much.
Good luck to you and your family.
Jo - email
oliviaandjo@yahoo.com