How much does having a c-section really affect BF-ing?

[Yeni]

I had a bad vaginal birth first time and managed to bf for a few months, then I had a straightforward section with a much better recovery and I didn't manage more than a few days. I'm sure I've read somewhere that it's a myth that c-sections affect breastfeeding significantly, and I don't think the section was really a factor in my not breastfeeding this time.

If I have another baby it will be by c-section again so I want to know if this really does have an effect on breastfeeding.

I had bad vb with dd1 and fed her for 8months, had emcs after long labour with dd2 and found feeding horrendous, managed to 6months but only by forcing myself

am not sure if it was just down to the CS though, certainly sitting on a sore fanjo AND scar didn't help but there were other factors too

it is, however, influencing my decision on how to deliver this one so will be watching this thread with interest

yeni do you want to bf this time?

if so i think you should get some expert advice now, so you have a good undestanding of what happened last time

i am still feediing ds2 who was born by ecs 2 years ago

sorry for bad typing baby on lap

Planned c-section for me (breech) and absolutely no probs with breastfeeding.

my mw did point out that I was making a few basic errors with dd2 so I'll be getting a refresher this time too, maybe that will help?

emergency c section.general anasthetic here...bf for 7 months without problems.
baby was 4 weeks early as well.

we all made basic errors, its a learning process for you and baby

you just need the right support at the right time

Yeni, I'm not sure what the official chat on this is but I had an emergency section when I had my dd at 42 weeks and bf her until she was 16 and half months (for final 4 and half months I was pg). Ds was a planned section at 40+5 and is now 10 months, he's still bfing and will for a while I hope. Now I know the first time one mw in paticular was adamantt that at 2 days old dd was thirsty and I wasn't producing enough because I'd had a section, so I think there is def a school of thought that along the lines of section = diff bf, but I could have fed most of the hospital once my milk came in and in our opinion and that of the bf advisor at the hospital dd was fine and just had a hoarse sounding cry. I think from what I've vaguely heard that a section can mean your milk takes longer to come in. I'm currently expecting number 3, will have another section and don't anticipate any probs.

Someone with heaps more knowledge will be along soon I'm sure but I hope this helps. Might be helpful if you're able to post what other facotrs may have effected bf second time round as this may help people answer your query further.

thank you kristinaM
both my girls were big and by the time dd1 was 8months she was huge, when I had dd2 I wasn't holding her properly to feed as I was remembering feeding an 8month old rather than a newborn, regardless of her size.

will give it another whirl and see how I get on this time

There were so many factors in me not feeding this time, and I don't think the section was a major factor if at all. I did find it easiest to feed lying down and when I was in the hospital I couldn't lie on my side at all due to the hi-tech bed I was in and when I got home I found rolling over in bed a struggle after the section.

I am planning to contact a bfing counsellor in the near future to find out if the problems I had are likely to recur if I have another baby.

I made up my mind this time not to soldier on like I did the first time if it wasn't working, but I feel a lot more guilt this time and it has only hit me in the last few weeks. At first I felt hugely liberated.

I need to take a bit more time to get over the emotional aspect of it first because what I really want from the bf counsellor is practical advice and at the moment I'm a bit weepy and rambly about it all.

Sorry, forgot to answer the question! Yes, I think I would like to try again next time. I've never had a burning desire to bf but feel I ought to.

3 emerg c-sections, breastfed with no probs for 8 months each. All 3 dc's were nearly 2 weeks early, but milk came in early too!

I had a scheduled CS with son no.2 after a very traumatic emergency CS with no.1. With all the trauma of birth one the importance of breast feeding took second place after being relieved we were both alive!

The fact that no 2 was non emergency and scheduled meant I was relaxed, lots of staff around, i wasn't shattered and had lots of patience and support to get DS no.2 on the breast. Surely all of these elements are as critical as the method of birth?

Should mention once he was on it took a very long time to convince him he should go onto the bottle and solids he liked it so much!

yeni - i think that the Bf counsellor shoudl be able to help you talk through the emotional aspects as well IYSWIM. i think most of us are weepy and rambly at times, especially about something as emotional as how we feed our babies. so i assume they will be used to women sobbing all over them

i think its also normal to feel quite angry, especially when we realise that so many of teh problems that we face with Bf coudl be helped with teh right advice at teh right time. With Ds1 i was told so much CRAP by so many "experts" eg MW & HV it makes me fizz. i didnt even knwo how wrong it was until i came on MN

There are tons of threads on this and there is a resounding 'it's fine' coming from most of them tbh.
It may hurt more to sit in certain positions, therefore having to find another way to sit, plus baby may be more tired/mucusy, but apart from that it's pretty much the same as feeding after a vaginal birth.
Ihad two ELCS's with ym boys and have bf DS1 for 8months and am now bfing DS2(4weeks) after no initial problems.
Good luck.

I think the issues are chiefly that it typically takes a bit longer for milk to come in after a c/s and that soreness can make various positions more uncomfortable (although stitches after a tear can make other positions uncomfortable, so I think that bit's swings and roundabouts).

I bf DS to three years following an emergency c/s with no physical problems (just the emotional drain of "why is he feeding all the time?". So far it's been pretty much the same with DD who was a VBAC (although, as mentioned in each case some positions were more comfortable than others in the early days).

Had no probs with milk coming in after cs. Did get soreness as it was hard to get a comfy poition but this got better as I got better.

I believe it is thought bf can be harder to establish after a cs because of the following:

The mum is often sore after a cs so the latch can be harder to get right, because you of the positioning of the baby and your scar.

The best way to get bf'ing established is to feed asap, and lots of/constant skin to skin contact. Being in recovery and not being able to lift/move the baby around easily when you are back on the ward can hinder these processes.

After a cs you are given routine iv antibiotics. This makes it more likely for cs mothers to suffer from nipple thrush. If not addressed, this can cause mother to stop bf'ing.

Theoretically cs should not delay your milk, as the last trigger for your body to produce milk is the expulsion of the placenta. However anecdotally this doesn't always seem to be true. I think the jury is out on cs's delaying milk production.

So, I would say that the above shows it can be harder to establish bf'ing, but it doesn't mean it should be any less sucessful if you are aware of the potential pitfalls.

I hope this makes sense, I'm typing in a hurry!!

I've only had 2 sections, no vaginal birth so can't make direct comparison, but I don't believe they affected my ability to bf at all.

Milk took quite a while to come in 1st time (crash section, no labour, general anaesthetic, took 4 days), much quicker 2nd time (emergency section, only mildish contractions for half a day but didn't dilate at all, took 2-3 days) other than that had no pain/discomfort at all related to baby putting pressure on wound etc I am v tall with long torso though so have plenty of "room" to comfortably hold a baby.

I did have problems with 1st baby latching on initially but that wasn't section related, just poor positioning.

I've had 2 c-sections, first was emergency, second was elective because breech and managed to breast feed both sons. But I did have problems with 2nd son (now 16 weeks). He got a bit cold & wouldn't take a first feed so ended up in special care where he was given a bottle. I spent alot of the next 2 days in hospital feeding him - he latched on well but seemed to feed for ages (1 hour+), especially at night. I couldn't cope with the exhaustion so he had a couple of bottles. I felt a complete failure and sobbed in the toilets! But, once I was home and my milk came in (day 3 I think) all was fine.

I think part of the problem was that he was / is a very hungry baby - he started off on 25th centile for weight and is now on 98th!!

We do occasional (no more than once a week or so) bottles of formula and he's happy switching between the 2.

My experience in the first few days of not being able to feed him enough did make me feel like giving up, but after a couple of weeks and lots of tears I was glad I'd persevered.