Elective c-section and breastfeeding - positive stories please!

[hotmama]

I am expecting ds1 who is currently breech (34 weeks) and as my last birth was an emergency cs I am expecting to be booked in for an elective section. A major concern is re successful bf!

I bf dd1 for 10 weeks - was a hard struggle.

I bf dd2 for just over a year - was determined to succeed!

I'm worried if I don't have "labour hormones" kicking in that bf is going to be difficult. Or is it the case that as soon as the placenta is removed then bf hormones kick in anyway.

I would like to bf ds1 at least as long as dd2.

Any advice or top tips are gratefully received.

I had an emergency CS with DD and an elective with DS (at 42 weeks as didn't go into labour). Both times have fed them straight away in the recovery room and gone onto BF with no problems at all. Is just a bit more difficult to find a comfy position with a sore tummy but definitely possible. Good luck, sure you'll be fine

I had an emergency c-section in August - ended up with a spinal drip where the epidural went wrong and couldn't do anything but lie in the hospital bed for a week (agonising headache when i stood up). Midwives were fantastic - helped me have skin to skin whilst being sewn up in the theatre. Then helped me express into a cup as she had trouble latching on. Taught me to feed lying down and bought her to me every time she needed feeding for the week i was in hospital. I have never had any problems with her feeding. My advice is get lots of help (if the midwives are any good!) and get skin to skin as soon as possible.

Good luck x

I had a planned section and very successful breast feeding. I wrote a birth plan to include lights down and immediate skin to skin. My hungry little one was latched on whilst we were still in theatre!

I had excellent after care and hours and hours of skin to skin.

A lovely experience from start to finish

Good luck!

I had an emergency c-section for breech and DS has always been a fantastic feeder! Latched on almost immediately and hasn't stopped guzzling since and he's now 7 months. He barely lost any weight in the 10 days after he was born - 20g I recall. Good luck!

I had an elective and an absolutely brilliant midwife who put him to the breast as soon as I was out of theatre and my milk came in by the following morning (my CS was at 5pm).

I think I might have forgotten (or certainly not really known what to do) without her help.

I bf my DS exclusively until he was 6 months

I only met midwife minutes before section as there had just been a shift change.

However, within 40 minutes of being born dd was feeding and continued to do so for 8.5 months.

I could barely move but she knew what to do.