How soon after giving birth did your baby bf?

[FoodieMum3]

And did you put baby to the breast yourself or did baby seek the breast?

Just curious!

[fledermaus]

DC2 was probably about 20 minutes after, I'm not sure - I think I was still being stitched up.

[Littleoaktree]

Ds1 about 5-10mins, the midwives cut the cord, weighed him, dh dressed him before I got to try bf, I put him to the breast. It took a little while to get bf established properly.

Ds2 about 1min, he was passed to me straightaway without the cord being cut and he started rooting so (as I knew more what I was doing) I moved him over towards my breast and he latched on immediately.

[RedCountryRoads]

While being stitched up. So about ten minutes after. I can't remember if she rooted or the midwife put her on. Not very helpful sorry. She wasn't dressed at that point. (my daughter not the midwife)

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

Ages! Offered straight away but they all wanted a big sleep first!

[beccajoh]

I had casaerians and had them latched on within about an hour. The midwives helped me latch them on. Neither of my babies tried to latch on themselves.

[PterodactylTeaParty]

I think about 40/45 minutes? EMCS and she first fed in recovery, not long after we were taken through. I was lying back and midwife plonked her on my chest to try biological nurturing - she latched on right away.

[WantAnOrange]

DS took hours before he was interested. I had pethedine and it knocked him out so he was too sleepy to feed, resulting in jaundice so more sleepiness and less feeding - vicious cycle! BF was very difficult for us and lasted about 8 before switching to FF.

DD latched on within the first few minutes. She was rooting furiously so I put her on. No drugs this time which made all the difference for us.

I've seen a video of a baby allowed to search for breast and latch on herself and it was amazing. Took about an hour though of undisturbed skin to skin which I can't imagine happening without parents being quite firm in hospital. Seems to be standard practice to whisk them off for weighing and dressing quite quickly in our local hospital. I'm aiming for this next time!

[feekerry]

both babies about 40 mins. both c sections. the midwives rolled me onto my side and both babies latched and fed straight away. dc2 latch wasnt great but sorted it as soon as i was more mobile.

[choirmumoftwo]

Exactly the same as WantAnOrange. Wrongly sited epidural essentially knocked DS out for 3 days (hospital wouldn't admit this but it's true!) but he eventually latched on and fed at 72 hours old and I fed him for 9 months, with much perseverance! DD knew what she was doing instantly and of course I had experience by then so she latched within minutes and I fed her for 13 months.

[bronya]

He came out, they cut the cord and he was breathing irregularly. MW said to put him on me for some skin to skin, and the first thing he did was root for a nipple, find it and suck! So a couple of minutes...

[YouveCatToBeKittenMe]

DD1 was about 30 mins iirc
DS1 I think was straight away but was quite sleepy so not very successful on the first day.
DD2 err....can't remember but prob straight away
DS2 - I think it was about 5 or 6 days as he was in PICU

and I think they were all shown it rather than looking for it

[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs]

It was hours - maybe about 7 hours IIRC. Baby was born just before midnight and I had a full nights sleep before I fed for the first time. And it was because I put him to the breast because I was worried he would be hungry. He wasn't really interested.

[Beesandbutterflies]

Immediately :)

[bouncinbean]

I think it was minutes - not sure if they were doing anything else but DP cut cord and then she was put on my chest while I was stitched up. I think I held her so her mouth was by the nipple and she just latched on but not too sure if there was really any proper sucking and feeding. In all the photos she's attached on left boob which has always since been her favourite/easier. Don't know how long before midwife asked if I was ready for her to be cleaned up and weighed but I didn't feel rushed or hurried at all.

[makeminea6x]

Within half an hour for DC2. I insisted on interrupted skin to skin for about 2 hours.

Can't remember with DC1 as was a bit out of it on the drugs. More like a couple of hours later.

I make much more milk this time and he feeds much quicker. Dunno if this is related.

[Ilovenicesoap]

I was handed them and they lay on my chest and rooted around straight away
Both went for the right boob !

[biscuitsandbandages]

Ds1 about an hour. He needed resuscitation and I didnt know how to feed him so we both muddled along when we could.

Ds2 had the decency to let the mw weigh him first I think then skin to skin and generally shown thr right direction and latched on.

Dd was weighed after a baby led leisurely 30min feed. She was put on my chest after birth and latched straigh on so they put a blanket over us.

[BertieBotts]

Same as Penguins. I offered straight away but he wouldn't take it. They put us onto the ward and we both slept for about six or seven hours! When we woke up I went into a panic because "He's 8 hours old and I haven't even fed him yet!" We went to change him and were quite amazed by the amount of meconium and I immediately felt bad because he'd been in that same nappy for all that time as well.

He was fine though. Although just as he got going the paediatrician came round to do his checks and I was really thrown. All went fine though.

[Liara]

Ds1 - nearly 24h. Took a lot of insisting to latch him on. Went from bad to worse, and had serious issues establishing bf (he had very, very severe reflux)

Ds2 - 12h. Took over 3h of continually latching him on and him letting go before he had a proper feed. He also had reflux, but not as bad as ds1.

[glenthebattleostrich]

Minutes. The midwife lay DD on my tummy and as soon as she smelled the milk she scootched up and latched on. Didn't let go for 3 bloody years! Still likes to stroke left boob for comfort (her favourite was always the left)

[helensburgh]

After my caesarean with my second he actually wriggled his way onto my boobs and rooted.

The midwife was amazed

[dashoflime]

Not for ages
He was in SCBU for a good little while, on a glucose drip. Then taking tiny amounts of expressed breat milk (when I managed to express) and formula (when i didn't) through his nose.
We finally craked breastfeeding in transitional care about a week after birth.

[Singsongmama]

Ds was whisked away for a wee touch of resus but was back within minutes and as soon as I held him he was rooting, his tiny mouth opening and closing like a sweet little fish, he latched on and seemed jolly content! Aren't babies incredible!

[bakingtins]

DC1 and DC3 within about 20 mins, had lovely uninterrupted skin to skin with them for the first few hours I think I put them on ( guided by MW for DC1) because they were rooting.
DC2 about 8 hours and he was given syringes of expressed colostrum by a MW whilst I was in high dependency unit recovering from surgery, I was too weak to hold him for the first 24 hours. It took us a while to get going after a bad start but BF for 2 years in the end.

[Safmellow]

About 16 hours. I tried continually and she just could not latch on. Asked for help repeatedly to no avail. Finally became almost hysterical in the middle of the night and a lovely nurse from SCBU came and sorted me out.

Managed to get her on by myself 24 hours after that, it sounds odd but it was one of my proudest moments as it was so hard to achieve.