Help! - breastfeeding question!!

[HelenEmjay]

Im going into hospital to have my third baby on monday by elective c-section, i breastfed my first baby for about 4 weeks and then my second baby for about 6 months, i plan to breastfeed this baby for as long as i can also, but i have never 'leaked' milk before they are born and i have always had difficulty in maintaining a good supply, my question is, with my last baby i fed him as soon as i could - he was about 45 minutes old and i wondered if he would have got anything at that point? i know the first few days you just have colostrum, but how soon does that come through after baby is born? is it straight away? and also any ideas as to how i can encourage a good supply?? i want to get off to as good a start as i can! and i think knowledge is a great help! any help will be greatly appreciated! xx

Cant really help, but know I never leaked with any of them before they were born. Fed on demand and soonish after they were born. All exclusivly b/f for 4 or 6 months!

Thanks mumtosomeone! im just hoping i will be more succesful this time! although i fed my second son for 6 months it was quite a struggle, i just want to try and understand if there is anything i can do to make it easier for myself??

Hi ive been breast feeding for 11months now. Your colustrom is there roughly afetr youve given birth. its high in suger so as long as you littleone is a good weight can survive until day 3-4 when your milk comes in. its best to try and feed your baby on demand in hospital. this can be tiring but if you offer supplements it may effect your supply. if however your baby is a nightmare and wont sleep and want to offer a top up try cup feeding and get the midwife to show you how to hand express so your breast are stimulated. go with flow try and get some rest before you go home your going to be one busy mummy. Good luck let us know if you get a boy or a girl

I never had any leakage before the birth. I think the colostrum is there though - certainly the babies I fed straight after birth were very happy feeding and stimulating the milk supply - whether they were actually getting anything is fairly irrelevant although I assume they were. When I had dd (9 weeks prem) I was asked to express the same day and managed to produce a few drops but expressing is generally less effective at getting milk out than a "real" baby

The quick answer to encouraging good supply is feed on demand. The more you feed the more your supply is stimulated.

late in pg, give your nipples a gentle pinch between thumb and forefinger, try after a warm bath - you ought to see a clear liquid. its colostrum. that is what I seem to remember anyway.

Doesn't matter if no milk leaks before the birth - what matters is that you bf your little one on demand and at least 8-12 times every 24 hrs. This will establish your milk supply that will come in from days 3-5 after the birth. This is when engorgement can happen as the body sorts out supply & demand. You will have colostrum before this. It is produced in small amounts but is just what your baby needs as it gives immunity, that is contiued in the breatsmilk and clears out the meconium. Your baby's stomach is as big as a walnut so this is why it needs to feed frequently.
Check your position to help avoid sore nipples. Make sure your baby opens it's mouth as wide as possibl when it latches on & that it takes in the nipple & as much of the areola, the brown area around the nipple, as possible. This will also help stimulate your breatsmilk supply.
For a cs bfeeding with the baby tucked under the arm - the "football position"!! works well as there is no contact with the operation site. Also good is lying down on your side.
The unicef website as a pdf brochure on breastfeeding with loads of useful info & tips on position to feed.
Wishing you all the best with this - and for the birth of your baby this monday xxx

unicef website - www.babyfriendly.org.uk/parents/byb.asp

I had 2 c-sections (1 emergency, 1 planned).
Fed both babies in the recovery room - i.e. within half an hour of being born.
DS always fed like a dream but dd was pretty difficult to start with because I didn't get her latched on properly and she fed all night so I got really sore.

Make sure the staff help you find a good position - not just baby on breast but you sitting/lying where it's comfortable. Ask for more pillows if you need them or for the bed head to be adjusted.

It will be difficult for you to twist about and easily get from lying to sitting the first couple of nights so make sure they put your baby where you can reach him/her.

If you have a wakeful baby, make sure the staff on the ward know to come and check on you. I was left to get on with it all night and was exhausted by morning.

Having said that, I'm still b/f dd at 8 months so it was worth getting over the first few weeks and ds was never any bother at all - the c-sections certainly didn't cause much of a problem.

Good luck with it.

I had an emergency & then a planned. They put DS (planned c-s) into a cot that fitted onto the bed, it was so much easier to get sorted out in to a suitable position. Much better than having to get out of bed then get baby then get back into bed or chair, da, da, da, da, da.

One piece of advice I was given, is if you find the milk isn't flowing, then try skin to skin. I don't mean straight after birth, but all the time and continue to do it until you find the milk is flowing.

Wow!!! thanku ladies! theres some brill advice here! - and i will be back to let u all know what we get! im really dreading the night feeds the most! - im crap without my sleep! I would really like to have more skin to skin contact with baby, i didnt last time and to be honest it didnt occur to me to ask but im more aware now of how important it is, so im definately going to get some little skin to skin going ASAP after the birth! god its only 3 days away - im just beggining to cr*p myself ooohhheeerrrr! lol!! Had pre-op today and the bloody midwife said 'dont get to wound up over it, most c-section mums dont breastfeed successfully as its to painful and they give up!' cheeky mare! so much for supporting breastfeeding! Anyway i refuse to be put down, i will feed this baby myself come what may!!!

Helenemjay - what a unsupportive & rubbish comment your m/w made about bf after a cs!!! Find a comfy position - football, on your side or in the cradle position with a pillow under your baby & you'll be fine.
I had a cs for my dd2 & the pain of a cs was difficult the first day & night - I had to ask the m/w's to pass my baby to me as too painful to move - but after than I was fine. Take the pain meds that are suitable for bf mums. Keep your baby next to you and the m/w's can't give formula if you don't want. They might think they are being kind to let you sleep but your milk supply is just getting going & then more your baby bf the more you will produce.
I found bf in bed lying down with little one gave lots of skin to skin contact plus I could sleep & bf as could baby!!!
Lots of best wishes xxx

Oh thanku milward! thats some good ideas! She was a crap midwife! i hope i dont see her again! i will be back on at some point after baby is here with more bf q's no doubt!! hopefully i will be ok though!