BFing post section - help and advice please?

[WorrisomeHeart]

Hi all

I'm due to have an ELCS with DS2 on Monday and am really keen, after failing with Ds1, to establish BFing properly. My plan is to have skin to skin ASAP after the op and get feeding once in recovery. Is there anything else I can do to help get it going? Had a horrendous experience with DS1 with tongue tie, initial NNU admission (not feeding related) and then PND which all culminated in moving to full FF by about 3 weeks. I really want to give BFing a proper bash this time.

I would suggest finding out in advance about the support available in hospital and at home. Think about what you will do if things don't initially go as well as you hope e.g. if DS2 has a tongue tie, who can snip it etc.

Other than that, just spend as much time as you can with baby to breast, let your DP/DH look after DS1 as much as possible until the breastfeeding is established. Oh and lots of Lansinoh.

Perhaps think about different positions you could use rather than the classic cradle hold. I didn't have a C section but had loads of other issues with Bfing and on reflection I think I was trying too hard to feed in a certain position. Once someone suggested using Laidback breastfeeding (look it up on NCT website) things really clicked. i think this could work after a section as the idea is that you get comfy, lay back with pillows supporting you and put baby on you at whichever angle is comfy and let the baby find its way to the nipple and latch. It encourages baby's natural feeding reflexes rather than forcing the issue and it means you can chill out while feeding too. This worked brilliantly for my forceful let down and it instantly made feeding more comfortable and easier. Good luck!

www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/Laid-back%20Breastfeeding.pdf

Thanks both - have Lansinoh, compresses and Lansinoh heat/chill pads already prepped!

Good idea re the alternative positioning, I'll do some YouTube-ing to see some examples.

Oh and thanks for the laidback link too!

Post section if you've said you want to breastfeed the staff in the hospital should help you have skin to skin as soon as possible in recovery. I found my section experience to be very positive and although the recovery was difficult, feeding has gone really well and am still breastfeeding exclusively at 12 weeks.

I found laid back nursing to be best for me. I had a v shaped pillow on my lap for weeks after the op as it just made me feel safer(was worried our rather bouncy dog was going to knock my stitches) and the baby just kind of laid on that while I laid back propped up with more pillows and found the breast herself. I still feed her more vertically against my body now at 12weeks.

The best advice I could give you is not to put too much pressure on yourself, I always said I wanted to breastfeed if I could but if I had found it difficult or the baby hadn't taken to it then I already had it in my head that it was okay to formula feed and it wasn't copping out. I think if you go in to it with realistic expectations you are less likely to get stressed out about it and its more likely to click. My husband was great and really helped me keep going with it at the beginning, just by bringing me food and drink, painkillers, changing nappies and telling me I was doing great. Be prepared to spend lots of time in bed if you can and have lots of lovely newborn cuddles just feeding and sleeping while someone watches your ds, or if he is little too, encourage him to cuddle up with you and watch telly or read a book.

Good luck!

I breastfed two babies after c-sections, the best advice I could give you is to stay confident that you can do it.

Your milk may take a little longer to come in, but that does not mean you cannot breastfeed. You've done your homework, you know skin-to-skin is a good idea, and not just after the section but in general with a newborn its great for breastfeeding and bonding so get as much of it as possible.

If you have any problems it's important to ask for help as soon as you need it and not wait. Sometimes midwives do not have much 'in depth' knowledge past the basics. I asked to see a breastfeeding counsellor on the hospital ward, even though they did not really want to publicise the fact that one even existed there and it was the best experience, an experienced woman who had breastfed herself and knew a few tricks and tips for getting me started.

Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience, best of luck

Thanks both. Have started colostrum harvesting in preparation as suggested by the mw so will hopefully have a couple of syringes full by the time the section happens on Monday. I'm hoping that will help kick things off promptly too. Last time I had plenty of milk, it was purely a latch/TT issue so hopefully this DS will be a bit more amenable to the whole process!

I've had two ELCS - with DC1 he just wouldn't suck and milk never came in. DC2 was a completely different story, I had her skin to skin lots post-delivery (was too ill after DC1) and she fed like a champ without any special positions or intervention from anyone else. Be confident you can do it and have a pillow handy to prop you up and baby too. Good luck - I've loved it this time and am still BF DC2 at 9 months. So much less hassle than when I FF DC1!

I had an emergency section and we didn't do any of the things right in relation to establishing breastfeeding - baby was taken away to SCBU for the first few hours and given a bottle of formula. But I'm still feeding almost a year later. So try not to panic if the skin to skin straight away doesn't quite happen for any reason, it doesn't mean breastfeeding won't work.
I got a lot of backache related to feeding after the section so make sure you are properly propped up with lots of pillows.