Postnatal treatment
After the surgery, your baby will stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The length of stay will vary, depending on the severity of the defect and the course of the diaphragmatic hernia repair surgery, but is usually in the range of 1 to 3 months. Your baby will be intubated and will not breathe on their own. Before and immediately after surgery, the newborn will not be fed through the mouth. However, it is important to stimulate lactation and collect breastmilk for the baby whenever possible. You will able to consult directly with neonatologists and midwives. The post-surgery recovery period involves gradually reducing the doses of medication and trying to remove the endotracheal tube so that the child can breathe on their own.