Breastfeeding after Elective Section?!?!?

[MyBunnyRabbit]

Hi all,

my 1st was an Emergency C-section after long traumatic labour, baby taken straight to Neonatal unit. This time round I'm really keen to breastfeed but will be having an elective C-section.

Please share your experiences of BF after an elective. How soon and how successfully did you manage this? Is it really hard when your dosed up on drugs and cant move??

Will my hormones still kick in even if I havnt been in labour?

I really want this time to be different but am worried.

Thanks in advance

Both times as soon as I got back into the room. Just sort of plonked them on with some help. It was fine both times, although DS was keener than DD who took a few days to get enthusiastic about it.

Am very annoyed they wouldn't give me skin to skin after realising that other hospitals will do this on the operating table. Will insist if I ever have another baby.

sorry, skin to skin immediately after delivery

Had 3 elective sections and had skin to skin in recovery room.
No problems establishing feeding, used to find lying on bed was comfortable when I got home.
Good luck

I had an emergency section, but the baby and I were fine all of the way through and after the surgery.

I bf ds when I was in recovery, so something like an hour after the section. He wasn't interested though and I have to say I'm not surprised. I was flat on my back and it was more of a case of the MW putting him on the breast rather than him and me finding our way.

I also only had an epidural for the surgery so there was never any feeling of being dosed up on drugs.

Anecdotally it is thought your milk can come in a bit later after a section, however it shouldn't make any difference because it's to do with a hormonal change when the placenta detatches. But remember you have collostrum first.

This time can be different for you and your baby, make sure your dp and the MW's you have are aware and sensitive of your wishes.

Good luck

I did with my elective, I fed my DS in the recovery room. You can have skin to skin straight away, insist on this as it will help you bond with your baby and stimulate your supply. Also a baby placed on your chest is very capable of the birth crawl & will find the breast itself, amazing.

Ask for lots of support and find out the number of your local breastfeeding counsellor should you need it so you're prepared.

Good luck x

yes, you can have skin to skin (if you feel up to it, some women feel nauseous/too woozy and just sort of have baby next to them held by dad). In my experience it is easier after an elective as you are not exhausted from hours of labour and it tends to be during the day. The main problem I've encountered is just a practical one of trying to hold baby with drips in hands, not being able to get into a comfy position may be a disadvantage too but this only lasts for a few hours. Good luck

I had elcs on a Thursday. Milk was in on the Saturday night. Fourth baby. No problems establishing feeding in fact was more successful than after my svd births as I wasn't able to do anything else.

I didn't have skin to skin on the operating table, but I was in the recovery room very shortly afterwards, where I shoved DS, who was wearing a nappy and a hat, down my gown so we were skin-to-skin then.

I just plonked him near my nipple, squeezed some colostrum out, rubbed it on my nipple, on his lips, and that seemed to get his interest. He started head bobbing and pecking, so I put his mouth onto my nipple and he started chomping.

Not very sophisticated but it did the job. We had no physical problems BF-ing, DS gained weight v well, wasn't drowsy afterwards etc.

My tips would be - make sure you know how to work the reclining bed, if you get one, as it's much easier to BF largely sitting up, and the bed can do all the work if you know how to operate it -

Keep hold of your baby. Let them sleep on you, lie on you, skin to skin as much as poss. Once a MW takes your baby off you, puts it in one of those fishtank cribs, then you have to keep ringing and asking to have your baby handed back to you (as movement is pretty limited for the 1st 24 hours, or more).

Get a nice comfy big V shaped cushion, or bring plenty of pillows into hospital with you, to prop yourself up and get comfy with. Also putting your baby on a pillow on your lap can be easier than trying to hold them up all the time.

I found I had an easier time BF-ing after an elective CS than my friends who had vaginal births/EMCS's, as I wasn't exhausted to start with - so there are some positives. A lot of the problems with BF-ing after a CS are associated with emergency CS's, not electives, which is worth bearing in mind.

If you manage the 'rugby ball' hold that is supposed to be the saviour of CS mums, you'll be a better man than I! But then I couldn't BF lying down either, which is also supposed to be a CS favourite....

You can do it with a little help :-)

I had an elective C section at 11am and as soon as he was out he was on my chest having skin to skin while they continued operating. I did have to push a bit for this though.

Managed to breast feed in recovery, allowed him to crawl up my tummy to the breast - check out biological nurturing videos (sorry can't link)

Kept him skin to skin until 11 pm when I had to go to bed to try to get some sleep.

I tried to feed after an emergency CS and failed miserably. More to do with it being an emergency, birth trauma and a completely unrealistic expectation of breast feeding.

Just keep asking for help from the midwives.

PS key accessory - a large refillable sports cap (flip top) type water bottle. You can prop it next to you on the bed within reach, without it leaking, and can have water when you want it, without having to ask someone to fill you a hospital plastic thimble-full every time.

I've had three sections (4th due in June) & haven't had any problems breastfeeding - skin to skin in theatre & then first feed in recovery. Rugby ball hold is really good in the early days when the wound is sore. The cots that clip onto the side of your bed in hospital are good too.

Another here who bf in recovery room straight after elcs. Was the most incredibly euphoric feeling - was only later I realised that this was partly caused by the drugs. Was great though - and I managed 6mths of exclusive bfing afterwards.

I had an elective recently for dc2 and was really worried beforehand because I'd had an emegency section 1st time which was a total nightmare and establishing BF had been really difficult. But the elective was a totally different experience. No pain at all. No problems establishing BF. Asked for skin to skin on the table as they were sewing me up, not much room, she was kind of draped under my chin! Sat up in recovery and started trying to bf - she didn't really get it until the next day. So during the night the MW showed me how to syringe feed until she got the hang of it. A very positive experience.

you need to play about to get a good position but it is fine-for me painful at first but i found a c section very straightforward and am so happy to have a c section for the next one! it was not as painful as i thought it would be.

hi my bunny rabbit, i just asked a similar question on breasfeeding board. I can now say that after an elscs 2 1/2 weeks ago feeding has been no problem. DD was wrapped in theatre and given to me once she had been seen by paeds ( wrapped as ot was cold so not skin to skin but thats ok) i fed laying side by side and it was fine. My concern was milk supply without labour but no problems, she is thriving! the midwives were great and helped alot when ever i needed it! i was offered maxalon by my obs as she knew i was anxious about my supply but no need.

Put your gown on backwards so you can have skin to skin in theatre more easily and ask anaesthetist to put the sats monitor on your feet - that way you have one less set of wires to contend with!

Hi. I had an emer section (undiagnosed breach until belly cut open, we were losing heartbeat for some reason!!) and placed baby on breast in recovery. Bf for 6 months with only usual probs (sore nipples and worrying I wasn't producing enough - you will, baby will not starve, though you will think she will!) as others have said rugby ball hold is good, lying down together also good. Also, get an old lady bra extender - milk came in over night and my bra felt so tight round me I thought I was burning until I woke up and realised what was going on - bit of elastic with bra hooks on it. Good luck.

I had an ELCS and didn't feel steady enough to do skin to skin in theatre (got a great cuddle with help from DH though). I was very keen to feed in recovery but they were short staffed that day so DH took DD and had a magical hour with her. My first feed was two hours after she was born and 7 weeks later we are still going well. My main advice is ask, ask, and ask again for help if you feel you need it! Good luck too :)

i had an emergency cesariasn in 2006 and straight after he was weighed he was placed on me and htey helped me feed him, i had an elective caearin in 2009 but baby had breathing problems i didnt get to feed him for 4 hours- but he fed after 4 hours straight away and has had no problems feeding.

Is there any danger to the baby breastfeeding right after anesthesia or while taking pain medication after a c-section? Do the narcotics get transferred to the baby?

No there's no danger - pain relief immediately after c-section is intrathecal morphine/diamorphine, diclofenac suppository & then oral paracetamol - none affect the baby.