Breast feeding after c-section and with enormous boobs

[SantaLucia]

I'm heading for an elective c-section for DC2.

DC1 was an emergency c-section and my milk was delayed for 5 days - leading to much crying, feelings of failure, torn nipples and pointless hours expressing nothing while plugged into the kitchen side like an appliance.

Even though my first experience was bad I would love to try breast feeding again because of the convenience. My worries are:

1. Will milk be delayed by c-section rather than natural labour hormones kicking in?

1. Is there anything that can be done to stimulate milk supply after c-section? (diet, attitude, anything?)

1. Can anyone with massive areolas (the bit around the nipple - sorry if tmi) and small nipples reassure me that breast feeding is possible? I was convinced last time that my baby couldn't fit the right bits into its tiny mouth!

Any help gratefully received. Any tips or experiences at all.

Thanks so much in advance!

1. AFAIK, it's the removal of the placenta that starts milk production - labour doesn't make a difference.

1. Baby doing lots of feeding/sucking with a proper latch.

1. It's amazing what does fit in their mouth and so long as they've got a good mouthful then it should work.

I've had 3 CS - 2 after labours and 1 elective. Have bf all 3 without too much trouble... With each of them, I had them on the breast within about 30mins of being born, and they all fed almost continuously from about 12-24hrs old...

It sounds like you had bad support after your first DC. Maybe get contacts for local bf counsellors now so that you're prepared?

Good luck :)

I also had a negative feeding experience with DS1 after an EMCS (we lasted 6 weeks), so when DS2 was due to arrive in August last year I made sure I knew what to expect and had the breastfeeding helpline numbers on stand-by.

In the event, I had another EMCS and wasn't able to feed DS2 right away due to low blood pressure. Like the PP, he fed pretty much constantly from 12-24 hrs, milk came in by day 3 and we're still feeding 11 months and 4 teeth later.
Good luck!

I'm only going to comment on 3 as I have no experience with CS except through friends that have had them. Though there may be a link with the IV fluid needed during/post c/section and the slight delay in milk coming in. Having said that 5 days is well with in normal ranges.There is a full Pediatrics journal article here if you are interested in it but it is a bit long

The amount of breast tissue that a baby needs to get in their mouth isn't dependent on the size of the mother's areola.

A mum with small areolas doesn't need to stop their baby taking a big mouth full and getting non-pigmented skin in baby's mouth. They just let baby take what is comfortable and if it doesn't hurt, and the nipple isn't compressed it doesn't matter what is or isn't visible outside of the baby's mouth.

In the same way, an large areola'd mum doesn't need to cram masses of pigmented skin into baby's mouth just because it is showing.

That's all an areola is - pigmented skin with a ring of lubricating glands around the edge.

Letting baby latch on themselves and not worrying about the amount of areola showing is going to help. Getting to a support group or meeting up with your local breastfeeding counselor is also a great way to reassure yourself and get lots of help set up for when baby arrives. You could ask to be shown bfing post c/section positions, or if anyone has any ideas to help with the early days with colostrum feeding.

I've had 3 ELCS.

My boobs/areola are large.

DD was 4lb 4oz at birth and i was amazed that she could fit the whole areola in her tiny mouth.

I found a pillow on my stomach helpfull.

I also used to feed DD with her under my armpit iykwim. ( no kicking legs then!)

Hi :)

1. Will milk be delayed by c-section rather than natural labour hormones kicking in?

I had an elCS with dd and my milk came in as normal after 1-2 days (can't emember) but dd crawled over me and latched on all by herself and knew just what to do; fed often to stimulate milk and I bf her for 2 years. So it can be done, even after a CS. I laid a pillow over my tummy to protect my scar and laid her on that to bf. More comfy.

1. Is there anything that can be done to stimulate milk supply after c-section? (diet, attitude, anything?)

Rest, plenty of fluids, carb-rich food like fruit cake, oats, etc will help in milk production.

1. Can anyone with massive areolas (the bit around the nipple - sorry if tmi) and small nipples reassure me that breast feeding is possible? I was convinced last time that my baby couldn't fit the right bits into its tiny mouth!

Hmm, me again ;-) - had some help with latch from a nurse on the post-delivery ward. She showed me how to position baby - tummy to mummy, nipple to nose - get baby to open its mouth side and hold your breat above and below the nipple to point it in the right direction. Worked for us.

The NCT website is helpful - www.nct.org.uk/parenting/feeding-positions-new-mothers

hth :)

I had crap time elective Cesarean but placenta accreta and associated blood loss, resulting in emergency hysterectomy, despite that and fairly abysmal bf support in hospital at 10 weeks we are ebf. Please get hold of support before you need it as hospital help is crap.

EMCS here - with an hour in recovery separated from baby before he had his first feed from HHs (please god let them go down a bit when it's all over) - also huge aerolas , my milk took about 5 days to come in (he lost nearly 10% of body weight), and a year on we're still going.

It's amazing how much they manage to get in (I still giggle seeing him open his mouth wide and lunge at me when he wants a feed)

The worst thing I did was try to use a machine to express for top-ups. I got almost no milk, and horribly bruised, sore and bleeding nipples.

The best thing I did was give up on top-ups and try to feed him whenever he had his eyes open for a couple of days until my milk came in and he started putting on weight.

When dd was tiny, i used to squash my boobs a bit to help her get it in her mouth. And now that she is 19mo she still doesn't get all of my massive aereola in her mouth. Don't worry about it too much