C sections - when did your milk come in?

[milkmoustache]

Last time round I had a failed induction (lasting 3 days), emergency C section plus was on antibiotics. Unsurprisingly my milk took ages to come in and the wait was absolutely agonsising - not just the physical pain of trying to latch DD on, but hearing her furious screams and experiencing a massive sense of frustration.
Am overdue again and looks as if I am heading towards an elective this time. Without huge amounts of prostin/oxytocin sloshing around my system, should I expect my milk to come in any faster this time, or do I start gritting my teeth NOW? Have been massaging boobs in the shower on midwife's advice, is there anything else I can do?

4 days later.

A c-section should not prevent your milk from coming in as it is the removal of the placenta which triggers the process.
I don't know what you were told last time, but when my DN (aged 24 hours) wanted to suckle all of the time my SIL was told that her milk hadn't come in (of course it hadn't yet; this is normal), her baby was starving (he was not - in any event colostrum is just drips, not exactly gallons of food) and she had to give him formula (the thin end of the wedge for her). Sometimes midwives give the wrong information IME.

Mine took nearly 5 days which we thought was stress of being in hospital etc but the same happened with dd2 after a vbac and only being in hospital 12 hours, so it might not be cs related.
dd2 was a lot calmer about it though if that helps, she would just feed and sleep, probably cos i was freaking out a bit less as i knew it would come eventually!

4 days

I can't remember exactly around 3 or 4 days I think. Had 2 c/s and bf both babies to a year old so no problems.

5 days - dd born Fri morning, milk came in following Wed - so maybe that is day 6, not 5? Dd was absolutely fine on colostrum for those days.

Both kids born on a Tuesday, both times the milk was in by the Friday (before I went home)

DD - emergency section after a day of labour - came in on day 4 (3 days old)

DS - elective section at 38 weeks - milk never came in. He had colustrun but I never got any milk. After 2 weeks of trying pretty much constantly, he'd lost so much weight 25%, that I bottle fed. Midwives kept telling me milk not coming in was nothing to do with elective section though. It might have been because I was so ill all pregnancy my body could not cope - not sure. No biggie though, DS has turned out just lovely and no differences in his health or bonding.

I don't think c-sections affect when your milk comes in, i may be wrong but I thought it was down to the individual rather than the type of birth. I've had 2 sections, one emergency and one planned, I was lucky in that my milk came in very quickly - both times within 48 hrs of birth.

I am sure you will find everything much better and easier with an elective then with 3 days of failed induction and then an emergency section. I was in labour for 36 hrs before my first section and was so exhausted and destroyed after it, but after the planned section everything (including bf) was an absolute breeze.

Ooh Nelly - that gives me so much hope!! I will print out your last sentence and look at it on Friday...

Had emergency CS. Milk came in about day 3 and I breast fed successfully.

hi milkmoustache - i had a failed induction (2 days)and c-section as well, so similar levels of vile syntocinon in the system. milk came in on day 3 or 4 iirc though.

I delivered DD at 30+6 due to severe Pre-Eclampsia.

Managed to pump about 0.5 mls within 24 hrs of Emergency C section and then 30ml every 3hrs within 48hrs and by end first week upto 180ml every 3hrs for 9 weeks until DD could breastfeed. Just call me daisy

Mine didn't. Don't know if that was due to the C section or because DS was 5 weeks early and in neonatal unit.

Sorry my post wasn't that helpful only read the title.

Lots of skin to skin with baby will help your milk to come in, putting baby to the breast often (which weill be encouraged by skin to skin) is the best thing to help initiate and maintain breastfeeding.

I had an emergency cs and it came in within 48hrs.

Mind you, I had no sleep for 3 days as he was literally latched on every hour day and night.

As the midwife said when i was sobbing in sleep deprived delerium 'he's making his own milk'.

failed induction (3 days) emcs, milk took 5 days to come in. The waiting was horrendous. Gave 1 bottle of formula cos midwives were telling me to but managed to never give another and am still bfing now (she's 26 months!)