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  1. #1
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    Default Baby with a hernia?

    WE just found out that my 11 1/2 week old DS has a hernia which he probably got from birth. Surgery may be required but we are not sure yet. He has an appointment on the 23rd.

    Has anyone had any experience with this? Is the surgery major? I am not too worried yet, but am anxious to speak with the surgeon on teh 23rd.

    Appreicate any feedback,
    Cheryl :)

  2. #2
    COElizabeth Guest

    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Cheryl,

    Here is a thread from last fall about hernias:

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dcforum/DCForumID30/223.html

    Both Nicole and Susan have babies who have had hernia surgeries, and Shannon, our medical expert, also had input on this topic. If you search by "hernia" you will find other threads, too. To summarize, though, if it is an inguinal (groin) hernia, your baby will likely need surgery, but it's usually an outpatient procedure, can be done early on, and has a quick recovery time. Best wishes to you and Liam. Keep us posted!

    Elizabeth
    Mom to James
    9-20-02

  3. #3
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    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Thanks so much Elizabeth! That sounds encouraging. I will definately keep everyone posted.

    Cheryl :)

  4. #4
    mama2be Guest

    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Please do keep us up to date...we are lucky to have a surgeon amoungst us I am certain she can high light stuff for you as well.
    Our thoughts are with you guys!!!

  5. #5
    mamahill Guest

    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Just wanted to wish you luck. My brother had a hernia operation at about the same age, and it really worried my mom. But he came out just fine.

    Years later, when he was about 10, he asked my mom if a war had ever gone on around us. My mom, confused, said no, and asked why he thought that. He said he couldn't remember if it was a dream or not, but he thought he remembered hearing someone shout, "Kill the French!" and then he said, "And I have this scar..." It was then that my mom remembered she had never told him about it! Well it had been years since she had even SEEN it. LOL, we still joke about Jeff in the "war."

  6. #6
    twins r fun Guest

    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Hi Cheryl,

    If you read the thread that Elizabeth linked, you probably saw the story of my son's hernia. But just wanted to give you my email if you want to write with questions or concerns. Let us know what happens.

    Nicole
    [email protected]



  7. #7
    spu Guest

    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Hi Cheryl,

    My baby Else had an inguenal (sp?) hernia and we had it fixed in Jan. when she was 6 mos old. I discovered it myself and the dr.s confirmed it. If it's inguenal, it does need to be fixed. The bellybutton kind goes away as the baby grows.

    We had it fixed by a pediatric urologist surgeon since he's skilled in tiny little parts and pieces in that area. Another option was a regular pediatric surgeon.

    They described the inguenal hernia to me as something that happens in utero when the abdominal wall is developing. Around the 12 week mark, the part that becomed the testes (or ovaries) descends through the part that becomes the abdomen, and the little hole never quite closes up, resulting in a hernia.

    Fixing it is very easy surgery - the scariest part for me was knowing she was going to be under general anesthesia. They make 3 incisions - 1 through the belly button, and 1 on either side of the abdomen - now these incisions are TINY! You can't even see the belly button one and the abdominal incisions are maybe 1/4" at most. They don't even require stitches. They go in and stitch up the hole in the abdominal wall and that's pretty much it. When they took her from us to the OR, it was maybe no longer than an hour when she was in the recovery room. The surgeon came out earlier to tell us everything went well. While they're in there, they can see other stuff too to make sure there's nothing else they need to fix.

    The recovery is monitored carefully on infants to make sure they're doing great before they go home. We were at the hospital till about 3:30. They have this monitoring device to make sure the baby is taking in enough oxygen on her own since the anesthesia and pain meds during surgery can sometimes slow it down. They treated us so well and made us feel so comfortable. They let me hold her and breastfeed her the whole time in recovery, though none of the nurses wanted to put her down! They seem to love babies!

    All the dr.s we visited about this said to fix it the sooner the better. It's desirable to fix the hernia before it becomes an emergency (when something pops through and becomes stuck.) They even do the procedure on newborns when they're still in the hospital if it's diagnosed that early. Plus, the babies recover so quickly they aren't even in any pain or anything. Else was her normal self the next day! (that night, she was so cute - just really tired and lovable!)

    If you have any other questions after you meet with the dr's, please feel free to email me. I'm sure everything will go well.

    susan

    twin girls 7.20.02
    charlotte & else

  8. #8
    sntm's Avatar
    sntm is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    whew, i am behind on the boards!
    Cheryl, feel free to email me if you have any questions. I've done the procedure about a half-a-dozen times, though mostly on toddlers and up, and have assisted on tons. babies do very very well as a rule. i can go into more detail about the procedure if you are interested (and get your surgeon to show you a picture if possible.)

    shannon
    not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
    trying-to-conceive :)
    PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03

    shannon
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    Another Queen of the House of Boys:
    DS#1 2003
    DS#2 my mother's day gift 2012
    DH
    Mikey, the cat and rhinestone-collared, pink-leashed Schatze, our Rottweiler girl

  9. #9
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    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Hi Shannon -
    Thanks so much for your response. I don't have much time now, but real quick I am most concerned about after the procedure. Will he be uncomfortable? What degree of mobility will he have afterwards while he recovers? Is there a difference between a pediatric urologist and a perdiatric surgeon?

    Those are some of the general questions I have.
    Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate it.
    Cheryl :)

  10. #10
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    Default RE: Baby with a hernia?

    Just wanted to thank everyone for your responses and words of encouragement. Have a wonderful holiday weekend and I will keep you posted after Liam's appointment on the 23rd. I feel better prepared about meeting with the surgeon.

    Thanks again!
    Cheryl :)

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