Advice please! Breastfeeding after C-section

[Anonymous]

Due to pregnancy complications, I will be delivering my first by C-section somewhere between 36 and 38 weeks (I'm 35 weeks now). It is important to me to breastfeed, and I want to get off to a good start. Any advice or experiences to share? Specifically, how soon after the baby was born were you able to try a first feeding? Anyone able to hold the baby skin to skin while still on the operating table? How long did it take your milk to come in? Any problems with nurses supplementing with formula when asked not to? I will be delivering at GW.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I didn't hold my baby after he was born-I fell asleep. I had started to hyperventilate and was given drugs through the epidural to help me relax. Don't worry though-the surgery itself was much easier than I ever thought it would be. My husband held him all night until I woke up the next morning-so I don't feel bad. I only wanted a healthy baby-it didn't matter to me how he came out. My milk came in 3 days later but I did have him breastfeed right away for the colostrum. We supplemented with formula because he was only 5lbs. 3oz. He never had an issue with going from the breast to a bottle and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

I had an urgent C-section with my first, and got to breastfeed shortly thereafter in the recovery suite. Baby then stayed with me (except for a brief trip to the nursery for a bath) and nursed every 2-3 hrs or on demand. We had separate issues with nursing (tongue-tie) but no problems related to initiating breastfeeding.

You should be able to nurse the baby in recovery as long as the two of you are well. If everything goes smoothly, you should be in the recovery area less than an hour after the C-section. An hour or two is not going to make any difference, so don't worry! Let your partner/husband snuggle the baby in the meantime. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Don't fret!! I have had 2 c-sections and successfully fed both babies for up to 1 year. NO problems whatsoever.

To answer some of your questions:

YOu won't be able to hold our baby skin to skin right after birth because you will be immobile from the shoulders down. However, at both hospitals (neither GW) that I delivered at they were very good about giving my baby to me as soon as I felt my arms were strong enough - usually within about 20 minutes, and I attempted breastfeeding right away.

Most things i have read say to try within an hour of birth, so don't worry about 20 minutes here or there.

My milk came in about 3 days after babies were born, which I think is about the same for non c-sections as well. Babies drink colostrum the first few days.

I did not find the incision at all uncomfortable when I held the baby in my lap. A boppy is fabulous to get the baby into a comfortable position.

There are so many support groups out there, that if you find you have any difficulty, there are places to go. HOwever, having a c-section should have absolutely zero impact on your ability to breastfeed.

Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

No skin on skin, I was drugged. DH stayed with baby.

For me breastfeeding was a cinch. DS nursed right away (probably 2hrs after being born). My milk came in at the hospital on day 3 and he again was nursing beautifully. I was thankful to be at the hospital when my milk came in because the nurses spend hours upon hours with me helping me nurse and teaching me the "tricks". He also had terrible jaundice and we worked throught it and just tried stepping up the nursing schedule. He eventually worked himself out of it, with the assistance of the billirubin lights at home.

I exclusively BF for a year and never had to supplement. Even if I had a vaginal birth, I could not imagine a more easy and painless process breast feeding. I'm hoping #2 is a breeze, as I will probably end up with a c-section again.

[Anonymous]

With a planned CS, you should be able to hold your baby and try to nurse once they sew you up and wheel you into recovery. I got to see the baby right away on the table, but not hold him. Just make sure they know you want your baby asap. I found that both my CS babies were a bit sleepy for the first couple days - maybe from the drugs, maybe just because they were newborns. Made nursing a bit harder at first and I did supplement with formula some in the hospital some until my milk came in, but you don't have to.

[Anonymous]

After my c-section, one of the nurses actually got my son latched on in the recovery room before I even had full control of my arms. She just propped him on some pillows and kind of scooted my mostly dead arm behind him! Anyway, as the PP's have said, just let the nurses know that you want to BF as soon as you can and they will almost certainly make it happen. My milk came in on the third day, but he was drinking the colostrum before that and we also supplemented a little (I was so tired after the surgery and had the baby go to the nursery and get one feed in the middle of the night while I slept). Even if you don't want to supplement, OP, I highly recommend sending the baby to the nursery for a few hours at night--just tell the nurses to bring him/her back to you for feeds. But take advantage of the hospital and get some rest while you can! Congratulations and best of luck!

[Anonymous]

I had a planned C-section because my baby was breech. I couldn't hold the baby right away while I was being sewn up, but my husband was with our DD the whole time after she left the OR and went to recovery. Once I got to recovery (about 40 minutes after the baby was born), the nurses helped me nurse right away. The hardest part was that I couldn't sit up to nurse because I felt dizzy, but the nurses were great about helping me while I was lying down. My milk came in 3 days later and nursing's going extremely well now (my DD is 11 days old). I didn't have to supplement at all. I would recommend too that the baby go to the nursery at night. I was dead set against that before I went in, but it was so helpful to get a few hours of solid sleep in between feedings (I think that's helped me recover quickly from the surgery). And the baby came back to the room every 2 1/2 to 3 hours to nurse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After my c-section, one of the nurses actually got my son latched on in the recovery room before I even had full control of my arms. She just propped him on some pillows and kind of scooted my mostly dead arm behind him! Anyway, as the PP's have said, just let the nurses know that you want to BF as soon as you can and they will almost certainly make it happen. My milk came in on the third day, but he was drinking the colostrum before that and we also supplemented a little (I was so tired after the surgery and had the baby go to the nursery and get one feed in the middle of the night while I slept). Even if you don't want to supplement, OP, I highly recommend sending the baby to the nursery for a few hours at night--just tell the nurses to bring him/her back to you for feeds. But take advantage of the hospital and get some rest while you can! Congratulations and best of luck!

Someone had told us to do the same thing-check baby into nursery at night. Best advice we got! We didn't sleep for 4 months after we got home.

[Anonymous]

My first C-section was elective. I breast fed my son as soon as I got back to the room. Fed him on demand and honestly first time round had no idea about milk production. I just know he looked satisfied and a few days later I had to use 3 nurse pads to stop the leaking! this time had an emergency c-section. was unable to breast feed because babies are preemies. However, started pumping the next day. Unsuccessful for a while but now two weeks later getting better. as long as you are nursing/pumping and baby is getting milk on demand, you should have no problem establishing milk production. c-section itself should not inhibit the production in any way.
I didn't let them take my son to the nursery, I was paranoid and I think had the "blues". they tried taking him the the next night to let me sleep and I started crying within 30 minutes. we also left the hospital a day earlier. Very different with this pregnancy though!babies still in the hospital.

[Anonymous]

My DS was delivered via C-section and I was unable to breastfeed right away, because he was taken to the NICU. I requested a pump and started pumping right away. He's now 8 months old, and I EBF until just about a week ago.

[Anonymous]

I have had 3 scheduled c-sections at GW (the first two babies were breech) and my most recent delivery was in July 07. I was able to breastfeed all 3 children within 1/2 of being finished with the surgery. I was in the recovery room and encouraged by the nurses to start trying to nurse as soon as I could. In fact I remember with my first delivery feeling kind of out of it and wondering why she was pushing me to breastfeed so quickly! My milk came in all 3 times on the third day.

Try not to stress at all. I had wonderful deliveries at GW and the nurses were very supportive and helpful to me when it came to breastfeeding (especially the first time). They will bring the baby to you every four hours at night if you request it and are breastfeeding. Honestly with #3 I had them keep him in the nursery all night so that I could get some good sleep since I had a 3 1/2 year old and 2 year old at home waiting for me!

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I delivered my son at GW in July 2006 and feel that, at least then, they only give lip service to breastfeeding. the in-house lactation consultant at that time SUCKED and gave us bad advice. Another mom said the lactation consultant told her she only sees moms who are having problems - how is a new mom supposed to know if she has problems nursing? Yet another mom said the nursery staff gave her daughter pacifiers and formula without consulting her first - apparently they do this unless you tell them up front when you check in that you don't want them to give pacifiers or formula.

I had an emergency c-section and NOONE told me that this usually causes the milk to come in late. I had no milk at all until 2 days after my discharge after a 4-day stay. If someone had told me about the effect of a c–section on milk production I would have known to get a pump right away to get things going.

in case the lactation support at GWH is still terrible, I highly recommend going the Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington ASAP http://www.breastfeedingcenter.org/. I wish I had known to rent a scale from them as soon as we left the hospital so that we'd know right away whether my son was gaining weight. It is very hard for a first-time mom to know how breastfeeding is going without getting seen or at least using a scale that measures to the nearest ounce. By the time I finally saw a competent lactation consultant, my son was 4 weeks old and still at his birth weight. With a lot of help from the breastfeeding center I was able to keep nursing for 13 months and my son is very healthy, but he was mostly formula-fed because my milk production never really got going because I waited too long to get competent help.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't "immobile from the shoulders down." I had a spinal block, so I was perfectly able to hold the baby skin to skin right after he came out. I held him immediately and he rode to the recovery room in my arms. I nursed him as soon as I got to the recovery room; try reading about different holds so you have some options. My milk came in 3 days after, while I was still in the hospital. (Take a pump in case you get engorged.) You should be able to nurse with no trouble. I recommend getting a copy of Kathleen Huggins' "The Nursing Mother's Companion," reading it beforehand, and taking it to the hospital. Good luck, OP!