How long before milk is likely to come in after an elective c-section? Hunker, tiktok, anyone...?

[beansprout]

Will be having this at 39 weeks. Colostrum there already and still feeding ds (3.2) some nights.

Really don't want MWs trying to take baby off and give him or her formula while I am in hospital so just want to be clear on what is happening so I can confidently say "bog off" if they try to do this.

Hunker - you are the patron saint of this so would appreciate your advice (or anyone else's!!)

Many thanks

[chibi]

mine came in either day 2 or 3, no probs with feeding.

[Bridie3]

I am not Hunker but after having my first child by CS I did find that my milk seemed to come later than that of mothers who'd had vaginal deliveries.

My baby sounded quite desperate and I think he became a bit dehydrated and even his cry sounded a bit husky. It was the weekend and I was in a midwives' unit in a country town. If he'd been my second child I'd have boiled some water for him. It can't have been good for him to have been so dry. To be honest, if it happened to me again now (which it won't because I'm too old) I think I would be tempted to give him a bottle of formula because I felt so awful.

Because he was my first and because the nappies are so absorbent it was hard for me to see that he wasn't weeing that much.

[Cali]

Should be pretty quick if it is no2. If everything is ok afterwards there is no reason for MW's to remove your baby and give them formula.
I fed DD2 a feed within an hour of CS and milk came in the next again day. Did notice a difference this time as was an El CS not an Em as was with DD1.
Insist on giving a feed as soon after delivery as possible, take all the drugs they offer ,
Good luck

[tiktok]

No reason for anything to be different - you can have skin to skin immediately (though tell them in advance or they will whisk him away to wrap him up like a sausage) and your milk will come in normally (we used to think c/s meant a day or so delay, but no longer).

No reason to give formula.

Bridie - if it's thought a baby needs milk more quickly than the mum is producing it, then the baby can have expressed colostrum. No need for formula

[rahrahrahrahrah]

Mine never came in, I don't know if it was due to the c-section, I was leaking colostrum from about 33 weeks of pregnancy.

[Jackstini]

Mine came in after ecs late on day 4.
Make sure no formula and skin to skin immediately is in your birthing plan.
Saying that I had problems being stitched up as uterus refused to contract so dh had to hold dd whilst I had blood. I only started feeding a couple of hours after but it was fine. Still feeding at 21 mo.
V excited for you

[beansprout]

Thanks for the replies. Tiktok - I had somehow absorbed the old thinking about the delay - that's certainly what I was told last time!

Will feeding the baby lots speed up the process at all or will the milk just come in, in its own time?

[dal21]

my milk came in early morning of day 3, so no delays.

[Lomond]

Mine came in on day 2. She was feeding loads, I think that helped.

[beautifuldays]

hi there i had my dd by elective section at 39 weeks. i fed her in the recovery room which helped and then about 3 hourly for the following 24 hours ish. then the second night i was in hospital she just fed and fed and fed and fed. she was literally not off my boob for more than 20mins at a time. i just sat in a chair and fed her the whole night. i'm sure this was her way of getting my milk to come in. after that she settled into a 2-3 hourly pattern and we have not looked back since (she is still feeding and 1 in a couple of weeks
good luck and if anyone comes offering formula tell em to bog off!

[ScottishMummy]

BF in recovery - milk in few days later

hth

[gomez]

I was day 5 with all 3 (having laboured with number 2). I didn't however have straight forward deliveries so that may have influenced things.

Good Luck.

[gomez]

Oop probably should have added that in all cases I didn't feed until about 12 hours post-section so again that will, I think, have influenced things. I then went on to have gallons of milk and fed all three (large 9lbs 9, 10lbs, 10 and 10lbs 4)babies in excess of 12 months. So trying to say a less than ideal start doesn't necessarily mean it will be a diaster.

[Oblomov]

I had an elective and mine came in within a couple of says. Colostrum ds had, but he was also wisked away for formula, becuse of low blood ( I am diabetic). But these need not happen. I wish I knew then, what iknow now , (from Hunker). If I get another chance I will do it differently, knowing what I know now.

[ELF1981]

I had an elective and dd wasn't interested in feeding and I ended up expressing (I had a lovely midwife who really wanted to help me make it work) and feeding dd from a cup on day two as she looked a bit yellow. She fed well on day three. by day four, the day I got out of hospital, my boobs were springing leaks left right and centre

[ELF1981]

oh I fed til she was 18 months old as well so never experienced any problems

[NellyTheElephant]

Both mine were c-sections, one elective and one planned. I put them to the breast in recovery (about 20 mins after being stitched up). My milk came in really quickly - by about 36 hours for both of them. Is there really any difference with c-sections? I thought it was more related to you and your body than the method of birth but I'm probably wrong....

[TheIceQueen]

I had an EMCS with DS1 - but in all reality it was actually an elective (only classed as emergency as it was only decided on the day that I'd have one.......apparently) - my waters had gone but my body didn't quite realise it was supposed to do something LOL.

Anyhow, milk came in (with abundance) on day 2/3 and he fed brilliantly.

[SkittlesAreFruitGroup]

Oh beautifuldays you've saved me typing - I could just cut and paste your reply!

My response to well meaning midwife on second night when offering formula was "Are you feckin joking?" She fully intented to whisk him away to the nursery (he was a bit of a screamy wee mite) so mummy could have a rest and she'd 'take care of the feeds' for me. Sweet Lordy.

Thunderingly huge boobs late on day 3, made good use of cabbage leaves. Much to DH dismay

So actually did lots of typing anyway. Oh.

[TabithaTwitchett]

I was at home after an elcs - it was 5 days.

[Bridie3]

Indeed. I bf my son until he was about eight months and after this shaky start he did very well. I think I could have done with a bit more midwife help but it was the weekend and they were short-staffed. They were lovely when they were around though!

[thaliablogs]

My milk never came in properly after elective caesar, although I don't attribute it to the c-section.

A question for the experts, the midwives did take my baby to the nursery for one night as she was having probs breathing, I got them to bring her back when she needed a feed but when on the third night I still didn't have any milk, I let them give her a formula feed while I supposedly slept -actually I was awake worrying. Was this a fatal error or did it not make that much difference? She was always v sleepy and hard to keep awake while feeding. They told me she was using too many calories up by feeding all the time, and that I should let her get full up at a feed by giving formula until my milk came in. Any thoughts?

[Martha200]

Beansprout - have you had your baby yet? If so how did it go?

I have my planned section on Weds and it only dawned on me recently that first time around before a ES I was leaking, but this time nothing and am concerned how this will go with the bf of baby as this time soo want to perserve but worried abut jaundice issues my ds had.. I know things don't have to repeat, but it's there in my head the past experience and so don't want to re visit that experience!