Want to hear successful stories of breastfeeding after a C section, please.

[Martha200]

My first was an emergency section, and beat myself up like hell when deciding to go to formula though stuck as best as I could with breastfeeding initially, though things went pear shaped as my DS ended up with jaundice and was a spit away from needing a blood transfusion in hospital, his nipple shield fetish won over me in the end as he needed to put the weight back on rather than lose it

Anyway, this time around I am having a planned section and really want another stab at breastfeeding. I am hoping that because it wont be an emergency at least I wont be so dog tired as well, and that maybe things might work (well if things don't repeat themselves) so what I would love to hear are positive stories about breastfeeding after a section. I realise it can be a bit more difficult because of the anesthetic.. but please, please share some stories for me to think of

My elective section was a lovely experience from beginning to end. It was such a relaxed, happy atmosphere in theatre which was very reassuring. After ds was checked by the paediatrician, he was handed to dh who took charge of him while i was being stitched up. DS wasn't dressed or washed, just wrapped up. As soon as i was in recovery he was put skin to skin and happily latched on without a problem.
As it was planned, i left hospital as soon as i was allowed, 48 hours (almost to the exact minute!) later. Whilst in hospital i was helped by each mw i met to get the latch perfected. Each had something different and useful to add.
My milk came in after 3 days, accompanied by baby blues which lasted about 2 hours! (i had gone for a rest on my own and found myself crying because i hadn't been on my own for 9 months!)
A planned caesarian is a very different thing to an emergency one, and so can be a very positive experience.

Thank you all for your responses
They have been really good for the mental preparation mode I am in

Have spent the last 4 yrs not having to think about the bf experience my son and I had and the more I think about it, I can spot some points (i) he was born late at night, I was so tired when it was section time that I remember thinking I was going to die of exhaustion, and though he was put to my breast we were then whisked off to the ward where he was left in the cot and slept the night, the staff on that first night were completely unhelpful, and with those boots on in bed, I had no way of even getting him to hold

(ii)The staff during the day were very mixed in help, one nursery nurse told me she could not check me doing the rugby ball hold for feeding as she 'didn't know it well enough' and to opt for another postion and when I bawled my eyes out because I feared he was getting a littlye too orange it was put down to baby blues and he's a boy, boys take longer to bf Of course being a first time mum everything is so alien and though I was forward in asking for help, I just found the responses disheartening, only till he ended up in transistional care because he was too poorly (spotted by a nurse who was passing by ordered his move) was his feeding and my concerns taken seriously.

It was the one thing I had overlooked about being a mother, assuming I would BF, no problemo, so found it really hard but necessary to make the decision when my milk flow was reducing and he started to lose weight again to go to forumula at which point one very contented baby

My intention as already said is to give it another crack which is why your advice/stories mean a lot

I had an emergency (under GA) with dd1 and put down the fact that I HAD a section to successful breastfeeding

I had midwives at the end of a buzzer to manhandle me about and teach me to do it

AND you are in hospital for 5 days so can concentrate just on baby and doing it instead of looking at piles of dirty washing and dust balls

I have had 2 c sections and breastfed them both, fed them both in recovery no probs. Did have to be forceful with getting the midwives on the ward to keep passing them to me and putting them back though. Oh and tips about feeding pillow and about feeding lying down are fab.

I also had em cs with dd. She spent 2 weeks in scbu, first 10 days being fed ebm via ng tube. Eventually managed to persuade staff to let me try to latch her on and successfully bf her until fully weaned (and went back to work full time).

Good luck, it CAN be done !

Am typing this with one hand while bf 5 weeks after 2nd emergency section. DD2 fed in recovery and by day 3 I was bf with one hand while reading Hairy Maclary to DD1 with other. All so much easier than first time round,which was much more stressful (although ultimately still successful). Good luck

Martha I had an emergency section (did I just tell you about the size of my bump on your 'Paranoid' thread? - it wasn't ds's size, he just Wasn't Coming Out, thankyou very much!) and we were bfing within an hour or two. I did not remember this, I was so out of it, I only found out recently when dh showed me the video he'd taken of the first day! I had no problems, apart from the usual 'ouch!'

don't worry, it can certainly be done. I spent the next two months with a pillow on my lap and ds affixed to one side or another...

Breast fed both of mine after c-sections - one emergency and one planned. With my ds2, I had fabulous skin to skin after the birth, in the delivery room, under my gown as they were finishing the procedure. I did find bf better the second time, and I don't know if this is linked. I also bf with shields the first time, for four months. This time, with support I was able to feed without, using a combination of holds, and by squeezing my nipple into a licquorice comfit shape. Still feeding once a day now at six months and no intention of giving up yet.

HTH

I've also had 2 sections and BF both in recovery without any problems. DD1 had to be held to my breast by MW as the spinal worked too well and I couldn't move my arms . I had lovely skin to skin BF in recovery with DD2. I fed dd1 for 18 months and am still BF dd2 at nearly 3.

I had a planned c-section 3 weeks ago and have exclusively breastfed since. We did skin to skin in the recovery room and my son almost latched on by himself; a midwife gave us a little help and we were there. My milk did take longer to come in and we ended up back in hospital because my son was a bit dehydrated, but we're still fine now and he's gaining the requisite amount of weight. Good luck! (And my recovery from a planned c-section has been very very quick, much more so than people I've met who've had emergency ones. I couldn't deal with the rugby ball hold, it felt as though he was going to slip all the time, but the ordinary front one works fine with a pillow).

I've had two emergency CS, the first ended up with DS on an NG tube and being fed breast and bottle as well and by 9 wks I gave up breast feeding as he hated it.

The 2nd was alot calmer (I knew what to expect) tho v similar BUT they put DD on me for a 40 min feed an hour after she was born (rather than 6 hrs after the first time) and it has made the world of difference, she has a very decided preference for breast over bottle even at 3 days old when her weight dropped and the paeds said I needed to top her up (she flat refused it the first two times and sicked it all back up at the 3rd attempt) and she still loathes bottle feeding at 4 mths+.

So that would be my tip, make sure they get your new baby feeding ASAP

Good luck!

i had my dd by elective section in january this year and i am still feeding her

i fed her in the recovery room about 20 mins after she was born and i think that really helped. i also spent the second night after she was born feeding her constantly - i mean constantly - in 12 hours she was not off my boob for longer than about 30 minutes at a time. i think when you have an elective the baby has to work a lot harder to get your milk production going as your body hasn't twigged that you've had the baby in the same way as if you'd laboured. she calmed down a bit then when my milk came in and we have never looked back - but be prepared for that 2nd night! it was hellish, but worth it iyswim

good luck and get an experienced midwife who is specifically trained in bf or a bf counciller to watch you feed before you leave hospital.

I had an em c.s.

Was in recovery for 5 hours but couldn't get DD to latch. She just kept licking my chest!
The midwives did that pointless thing where they force the baby's mouth onto the nipple and it did bugger all.
In the end, I let her nestle in my nightie top and at some point in that first night (can't remember when - was too blurry from the drugs) she latched on. A friend later told me that letting her live in my nightie might have really helped - all that skin to skin and it gave the baby a chance to figure out what she needed to do.

The midwives did claim at one point that the reason DD was sleeping for long periods and then sucking for long periods was that she was hungry and "needed formula". I explained that I thought she was sucking so much because she was pre-programmed to do so to try to bring my milk in and that I was happy to let her carry on in that way for as long as it took. My milk came in on about day 3 or 4 and then we never looked back.

After a pretty unpleasant birth, it really was the saving grace. I wish you lots of luck.

I had an emergency CS after being awake for 72 hours and 14 hours of failed induction. DD bf at 30 minutes post partum and seems to have been doing so ever since (she's 13 months old now). The epi had no effect on my milk. I did need help getting started and you have to get quite shirty to get it sometimes but after a few days it got easier. My top tip is to get a pillow to nurse on, helps hold the baby steady and you can see him/her better to latch on.

Oh and YES you do have enough milk, just keep right on feeding and you'll get there.

Good luck.

Lots of positive stories here!
I had an ems after 24 hours when they then discovered dd was posterior position.
I fed her at around 40 mins in the recovery room, and continued exclusive bf until she was 17 months old (well, she was on food as well by then, but YKWIM).

I was extremely lucky with feeding though- she knew exactly what to do, and we never had any difficulties with latch-on, supply, or weight gain, for which I am extremely thankful.

my neighbour has also had an em cs and is bfeeding her bub with no issues whatsoever - another story to share with you!

i had em cs and initially had a lot of difficulty establishing bf, ds didn't latch on for 5 days and then dodgy latch. it was pretty bad for a while but with help from bfcounsellor all was fine in the end and i am still feeding 2.5 years later.

so make sure you know exactly where and how to get help and don't rely on the hospital to help you. midwives actively sabotaged me. they had something called a breastfeeding counsellor but she was worse than useless.

Me again

I am booked in on Weds and have another question.

For those who had planned sections, I remember with my first, I had leaky boobs before the birth, but this time I don't and wondered how this could effect the whole BF thing (sorry if sounds a daft question)

Guess I am concerned if it takes awhile for the milk to kick in what the hell I do to avoid any jaundice issues which my son seriously had and so did DH apparently.. guess the best thing to do is hold baby as much as I can skin to skin and wait patiently if the milk takes awhile

I hope mine will be a success story but only 3 wks into it so far! DD was a vaginal delivery and bf her for 18 months. DS was an unexpected crash section under GA 3 wks ago. Milk came in day 2. He was in SCBU for 2 days and not allowed to feed for first 9 hrs due to breathing issues but he didn't have any formula. He's been feeding great (touch wood - no soreness at all etc and gaining weight well) so hopefully it will continue to go well as I know I would've been so upset if the bfing hadn't even been able to get started.

Had an emergency c sec and dd latched on in recovery suite. BF for 10 months until she decided she wanted to stop. Good luck!

Emergency section, no problem breastfeeding, lots of lying down doing it but no problem with milk. All the best.

Two sections, first emergency, second elective. Breastfed both times. I didn't find it at all easy to begin with with either. The key thing for me was that I sought (and received) help. You may find it easy, you may not. Success often depends upon your own determination and the support you receive.

Emergency section without labour at 34 weeks, ds in SCBU for 7 weeks, now 17 months and still breastfeeding! I was lucky to have good support from the breastfeeding councillor in SCBU (not so great support from some of the nurses).

Afraid I don't know about the jaundice though - ds had it and was put under those blue light things but my milk had come in by then. Good luck!