Practical tips needed for post-ELCS feeding please

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Looks like I'm having an ELCS on medical grounds, next week, just before 40 wk mark, although I think my real due date should have been a little further on in Feb.

I really struggled with BF last time, rubbish support, bad start post traumatic EMCS, Christmas baby, weight-loss gross over-reaction by midwives/HVs, pain, miserable baby shark, etc etc. Despite this demoralising and upsetting experience, I'd really like to try again, but as I'm using same hospital and having another section, I think I need a pretty bullet-proof system in place to get the best start and into a positive frame of mind about it.

So what are your top tips to prepare, deal with time in hospital and early days at home? Should i be getting in any supplements to boost supply, booking a lactation consultant or some other kind of support. Really want to make a good go of it, without all the distress of last time. TIA

You may not suffer any of the distress of last time - think of all the breastfeeding knowledge and experience you have gained from when you first child was born, focus on what you do know rather than what you don't. If you feel more comfortable having a back up plan of supplements and counsellors on hand, go for it, but I think you will probably manage just fine without. If you are determined, committed and have some support at home, you have every chance of breast feeding successfully.

I don't mean that to sound dismissive - three years ago i had similar worries prior to the birth of my DD. I had a dreadful breast feeding experience with my firstborn, who was an EMCS, would not feed, went to scbu with low blood sugar issues and was returned to me 48 hours later. I had been expressing colostrum by hand which they had added to the formula they'd given him by tube so when he came back neither of us had a bloody clue what to do. We went home and muddled along with breast feeding til he was 7 weeks, but I hated it, he didn't enjoy it much and I was glad to stop. When DD was born by failed VBAC resulting in another emergency section, i put her to the breast in recovery and she stayed there suckling for 45 Minutes - she seemed to know exactly what to do, but looking back it was probably just as much that I knew what to do, and what not to do. It went perfectly with DD from day 1 til I stopped gradually at 9 months. She has a totally different personality to my DS.

Also you may find the hospital has updated its policies or pulled the staff together a bit more when it comes to supporting breast feeding. Whatever you do, if you need help ask but don't let them manhandle you, one of the HCAs tried it with me second time round and got very short shrift from me! If you feel it is going well don't let them butt in and tell you how to do it. I spent the first 36 hours lying on my hosp bed with DD next to my bare breasts and felt like this was frowned upon in there, but you'd do it at home so bollocks to them. Just make sure the staff know you want your curtains pulled round during visiting hours

Hope this is of some use. Best of luck!

A midwife will be with you all the way - she'll introduce herself to you when you're in that bizarre waiting period when people keep popping in to check this and that. Tell her your concerns beforehandand ask for skin to skin immediately after the birth, and for her to help you when in recovery.

(you may be in no fit state to ask at the time!)

If I'd known about the midwife for my first cs I'd have been in a differen bf boat! Consequently my 2nd cs was fab with no bf problems at all!

Oh, and if poss ask for no painkillers in your drip afterwards that will make you daft. Take tablets by mouth instead,

Good luck!

Thanks ladies. I know myself too well that I won't be able to cope without some hard-core pain relief post op, so I'll have to compromise on that. It will make a difference that the CS won't be in the middle of the night though.

As regards my knowledge/confidence on BF, it's not so great.

When I had to give up last time at 6-7 weeks, I hid this section of MN, because I found it too hard going and brought up too many painful memories of how hopeless and tired I felt at the time, and massively disappointed that it didn't click into place. So, if anyone has additional simple tips to get me on the straight and narrow and to stay motivated, they'll be very welcome indeed

I'm so sorry you had a rough time last time.

If it's going that way again - or even if not - do do do go to a bf group. I had probs last time because of a shitty cs and post op experience. The expertise of a counsellor and support of other mums kept me mix feeding then. For my second child I really needed the support in the first few weeks - now I go for a chat and to be a friendly face to new mums. Worth looking around now to see where one meets up - just in case you fancy it.

Good good luck!

You may find this from kellymom useful information.

It may be worth finding out if your hospital has an infant feeding coordinator or a specialist breastfeeding midwife and speaking to them beforehand. Or have the breastfeeding helpline numbers to hand and don't be afraid to use them. Similarly, insist on help from the midwives (or do you have someone that can insist on your behalf?).

Skin to skin from as soon afterwards as you can will be really beneficial for getting things off to a good start. Keep the baby close if you can (I'm aware that this may be tricky if the baby is prem as you suspect?) and ask for help from the staff to find a comfy position to feed in.

You're unlikely to need supplements to boost milk supply- as long as the milk is being frequently removed (either by the baby directly or by hand expression).

I really hope things are better this time - it might be worth talking to 'debriefing' with one of the breastfeeding helplines about how things went last time.

I had a very traumatic long labour ending in an emergency section first time and although I did manage to bf with no problems after a shaky start nothing was easy and I had no support or help from midwives etc so I was just lucky it all worked out. 2nd and 3rd times were elective and everything was just SO MUCH easier. The first thing to realise is that everything is much calmer with an elective. you have quite a lot of time to talk things through - so even before you go into theatre for the op tell the midwives that you want the baby to be tucked under your robe skin to skin while they stitch you up. Tell them that you will need assistance in the recovery ward to start bf so that they know as soon as you are wheeled back in. One thing I found is that everyone in the recovery ward is a million times more helpful and friendly than on the main wards. You usually have about 6-8 hours in recovery before they move you to the main wards and so make the most of the super efficient staff there to help you in the first few hours after birth. You will not feel washed out / exhausted / traumatised - so be strong and basically demand the help that you need (I found this so much easier second time around).

Once back on the general wards - one of the most useful tips I found was to get DH to bring in a couple of pillows from home (use coloured pillow cases so they don't get mixed up with hospital ones), then I found that I could sit up in bed and lie the baby on the pillows at breast level making feeding much easier and more comfortable.

Each time after the section I found lifting the baby in and out of the basinet rather difficult and it was annoying to keep ringing for the super unhelpful night staff to help so during the night I kept the baby on the bed with me. Make sure the sides of the hospital bed are up and that there is no possible way the baby can roll out. This meant for the first 2 / 3 nights I was in hospital I simply fed lying on my side whenever the baby cried.

Thanks for the messages, the Kellymom article also seems very sensible and I'm taking a print out for the hospital stay. Pillows from home are a definite priority.

Hello, just a quick one to say 5 days in, it's going alright. Hard work and you need your stamina, but so much better than my previous experience. The elective was very straightforward. It was too awkward to get skin to skin in theatre, but got plenty in recovery room and got ball rolling right away. My little boy is much more enthusiastic than DD, providing I can just get him to quit with the nipple nipping and get a nice big open mouth.

Had a raw deal 1st time, I totally see that now; but feeling like a more confident mum, less exhausted and being selective about the advice I choose to take on board, makes such a huge difference. Thanks for getting me in the right frame of mind a week ago ladies