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Baby Hints & Tips

Experiences with Inguinal Hernia

My 4.5 month old son has an inguinal (groin) hernia and will be having surgery sometime in the next few weeks. I’d love to hear the experiences with inguinal hernia from other parents who are familiar with this surgery or have had similar experiences. I’d really like to know how your little one coped with the anaesthetic, if recovery was fast, if your baby seemed to be in much pain or was very unsettled with feeding/sleeping etc. How soon after surgery were you able to breast or bottle feed?

Medical disclaimer: Tips provided need to be considered in conjunction with medical advice. For immediate concerns, please contact HealthDirect (Australia wide) ph 1800 022 222 – to talk to a registered nurse 24hrs a day, and in emergencies call 000.

  • my son had this op. It went really well he had a bottle pretty much as soon as he woke up and he had no issues with it he was a bit tired the rest of the day and fine by the next day Mellanie
  • My son had surgery at 4 months. It was hard waiting for him. He sounded different crying when they brought him out but it’s because of the breathing tube they use during surgery. I fed him straight away. He only had a little then went to sleep. When he woke up, he had more. When we were allowed home, he acted as if he had never had surgery. Recovery was quick, he was happy, never seemed sore from it. The surgery is slightly different from how an adult one is done and they get better really fast. The scars are super difficult to see now. He is 4 Teagan
  • Our son had a hernia and was operated on at 7 weeks – they did a double to be sure. Was one of the worst times of my life, he’s our first and didn’t know what to expect. But once it was all done, he was back to normal pretty much straight away. he had to stay in hospital over night, because he was so young, under 2 months I think they keep them to keep an eye on breathing after GA. I fed him that night and he slept well. It is a common operation apparently. Tanya
  • I’m a paeds nurse and we care for so many inguinal hernia bubs, they all seem to heal so quickly and have no issues post op. Just need to remember to give them regular analgesia for the first few days if needed and keep an eye on the wound for signs of infection. Try to avoid swimming, bouncing them on your hip or holdong around the belly, they tend to get themselves into the most comfortable positions so let them. The worst part is the fasting before the operation and waiting for them to come out of recovery. Kate
  • My now 3 year old had his inguinal hernia repaired at just 6 weeks old. I think it was harder on me then him, I cried in the corridor the whole time he was in lol. The anaesthetic was my biggest fear but thankfully he had no issues. I fed him in recovery, He then slept all night after the surgery, he never really cried or seemed uncomfortable at all. He doesn’t even have a scar Rikili
  • My lil one had a bilateral ovary hernia operation at 4 months. I was told to be ready with a bottle the minute she came out of the anaesthetic as she had to fast before the op. She recovered quickly and was told to use Panadol and nurofen for the pain. This worked however the poor thing was understandably clingy and needed lots of reassurance during the day/night for about 3 weeks Caroline
  • My son was 8wks prem and had his first inguial hernia op at 6wks & 2nd at 8wks. It’s harder for mum than bubs. Regular Panadol & nurofen keeps bubs comfy and they recover well from the anesthetic. The only issue we had was it took some time to return to daily pooping, his bowel didn’t like being touched otherwise the scars as now invisible (almost 3) and he’s had zero problems. Jane
  • my son had an emergency op done for his inguinal hernia at 4 months because part of his bowel got stuck and wasnt letting anything pass that point, he was vomiting bile and very limp. the op went very well as soon as he woke up he wanted to eat, he breast fed well and then slept for a while, within less than 12 hours he was really alert and happy. the scar is really small. and after the op he started gaining more wieght quickly and was all round happier, and no longer had reflux, sleeping more and no longer screaming for 20 mins at least before doing a poo. good luck and all the best with your little ones op. Kirsty
  • Our son had his repaired at 16 months. He recovered well from surgery. Wasn’t in much pain and feeding mag sleeping wasn’t affected. He was able to feed in recovery so within a few hours of the surgery. Nathan
  • Our son had hernias done when he was 2 weeks old. They put an anesthetic in his back similar to an epidural so when it finished he was still numb I am guessing. He had some pain and they gave him a small dose of panadol which helped. We stayed in overnight cause he was so young and we lived 450km from the hospital. Sam
  • My boy had both sides done at 5 weeks old. He slept a lot for a day or two. He fed probably an hour after surgery, once he was awake enough. He was sleeping when we were called into recovery. Kept up with panadol every 4-6 hours for two days and he didnt seem troubled by it at all. After his surgery his jaundice went away and lots of his tummy troubles disappeared and he slept sounder. Shari
  • Both my boys had this surgery. One at 5months. He was fine going under and could feed as soon as he needed. He was drowsy for the day and slept between feeds. Recovery was fine. Hospital staff were wonderful. He recovered much quicker than my other son who was 6. But in both cases each were completely fine. Anna

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