Breastfeeding after a C Section

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

I will be having an ELCS. I wonder is it worth taking my own pillow into hospital to maximise my chances with comfort and therefore success. If so, what would anyone recommend?

With my first baby, I had an awful labour and birth and an absolutely awful time of it all really. I had to have surgery afterwards and DC was hungry so the midwife choices them while I was on the table. I recall trying and trying in hospital and it seemed sort of successful eventually but in hindsight there was possibly not a good enough latch. Having said that, I was very traumatised and still have not got over the birth!

I ebf for 7 or 8 days but DC did not gain enough weight and I could not get an adequate supply. I was exhausted and it just wasn't working.When the midwife suggested I express inbetween feeds, I could only express a teaspoon or so. I did not know about a breastfeeding support group that was actually very close to home; the one they told me about was in the hospital I had just had a traumatic time in and who wants to bother with a hospital with no parking etc. Not that I felt up to leaving the house anyway.

I'm just looking for a decent pillow/cushion that may help, as, I'm hoping for a bit more success this time, although I will not beat myself up about it if it doesn't work out this time. I'm also conscious that they generally kick you out of hiatal after 48 hours after a C section, so my milk supply might not actually have got going yet.

Many thanks.

[BaskingTrout]

Meant to say, definitely talk to the community midwife. Mine was reassuring because I wasn't sure if the hospital would help. Also, look on the LLL website and search on here, I found a couple of useful threads.

[BaskingTrout]

I think so, but I'm no expert! All I can say is my hospital were very encouraging and helpful. When I said I was doing ante natal expressing, everyone seemed approving and said it was a good idea. I stored it in the fridge on the ward and DH took it home each day at visiting and put it in our freezer. He brought some back each day after ds was born, although I didn't need it so much because my supply was much better and I was still expressing in between feeds.
I know what you mean about the birth affecting the supply, my emcs in my first pregnancy was at full dilation after 2 days of active labour and 2 hours of pushing. I was utterly exhausted and physically wrecked.
Having said that though, my elcs was also a very difficult delivery for medical reasons and I had a big PPH, but my supply seemed less affected. But also maybe the expressing helped and maybe I was just a bit less stressed second time round.
As regards amounts, the amount of colostrum I was expressing to begin with was tiny, less than 1ml. But it did begin to build up and after the birth, it increased a lot.
It just felt like I was giving myself the best chance I could.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

BaskingTrout, is this a widely practiced and accepted thing in hospitals? Would the hospital put the colostrum in a freezer for me? I suppose I can ask my midwife. I found that they couldn't give me a hot water bottle for health and safety reasons when I was recently admitted to hospital for back problems, I don't see them doing anything like this to help me ( I have no faith in my hospital!). Also, if you can't express any or much colostrum antenatally, does it follow that you'll struggle after the delivery too?
I think my previous labour and birth had a lot to do with my difficulties with feeeding last time.

[BaskingTrout]

I struggled to bf after my emcs with dd but am now 4 months into bf'ing ds who was an elcs.
I know this isn't really what you asked but it might be worth looking into ante-natal expressing of colostrum. I really struggled with supply first time round and it gave me such reassurance to know that I had some already in the freezer in case we needed it. It gave me a bit of breathing space whereas with dd, I went straight to formula when I didn't have enough milk to give her.
The LLL have a good information sheet you can order which shows you how to do it and I ordered a load of syringes to store it in.
As it happened, I had a week of bed rest on the ante-natal ward before ds was born, so I spent most of it hand expressing and watching the olympics!

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Bohemond do you mean half polo as in looks like a polo mint in half? Something like this:

www.mothercare.com/feeding-pillows/widgey®-nursing-pillow/LX1522.html?dwvar_LX1522_color=White&cgid=feeding_breastfeeding_pillows#sz=12&start=26

[Bohemond]

The midwife helped DS to latch on straight away in the recovery room. I then used the rugby ball position for a few days as I found it easier (small boobs). I am quite small generally and used one of the half polo type solid pillows. It went most of the way around me and DS lay on top.

[welshgirlwannabe]

Just to offer a bit of encouragement - I bf fine after my emcs. It was possibly a little bit trickier than my first, vaginally birthed baby, as cs babies can be sleepy and full of mucus.

However - this sleepy stage only lasted for the first 48 hours and I dealt with it by stripping him down to just a nappy and leaving my top off. We stayed in bed like that as much as possible and I just left him with permanent access to a nipple, even if he wasn't latched on. This really helped.

The hardest part was having to lean over and get him out of the bassinet. I eventually insisted that we be 'allowed' to co-sleep so that I didn't have to keep reaching over which hurt.

With both of my babies cosleeping has been the number one best thing I did in terms of establishing a breastfeeding relationship that works for me. I wish I had read more about it in ng first pregnancy as it could have saved me a horrendously exhausting time during the first two weeks of ds1s life.

Good luck. You may be suprised and find it easier this time. I hope so!

[perfectlybroken]

Sorry to hear about your first experience. I had 2 unplanned c-sections, with both of them they gave the baby to me immediately and I cuddled him while they sewed me up and breastfed in the recovery room. Remember that even with a c section you can still have a birth plan so write it down and tell anyone of everyone what you want. I really struggled with bf the first time but there was a lot of support available and eventually it settled down. Best of luck

[PosiePaRumPaPaPumParker]

I breast fed after all four of mine.
Emcs with a spinal after long labour
Emcs with GA resuscitated baby too.
Two planned sections. One took 45 minutes to cut through...

Bf all. Had bad advice first two times and gave up before six months.

[Somersetlady]

Go for it! Two sections here and two ebf boys!
First son no problem milk came in and colosrum was day 1.
Second had to have some prem formula due to complications with me and having low blood sugar but i insisted on a dropper to feed him it not a bottle with teet.

Your milk will come just keep trying if you can and best of luck.

[HopelesslydevotedtoGu]

I breastfed successfully after c sections

Most important thing is knowledge - what is normal, how to do it, what to do if you have problems
Kellymom website is great
kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-prep/

Does your hospital run a breastfeeding class in pregnancy?

My area have a breastfeeding advisor who visits new mums at home, check if yours does

There are Facebook groups where you can ask for advice / support from other breastfeeding mums, eg breastfeeding yummy mummies

The day before your milk to come in can feel a bit mad, so some support from mums who have done it before is invaluable

[Eminado]

Just wanted to encourage you as ive had 2 sections one em and one el 4 months ago.
I asked for immediate skin to skin (discussed at pre op apptment), and i had her on me within minutes. Loads of people helped me with latch, positioning and syringing colostrum.

I got sent home the next day.

I had LOADS of issues afterwards but bfeeding was not one of them. So stay positive.

Very best of luck to you.

[Booboostwo]

Everyone is different but CS recovery need not be awful. A week after having DS he spent all day in a sling going from office to office to apply for a passport and two weeks later we flew back home. You never know, you may have a very good recovery.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Yeah that's what I thought! If they had problems with their lungs they would not send you home (I hope).

[Wolverbamptonwanderer]

Of course crying doesn't open their lungs! Everytime they cry you need to offer the breast. That's 99% of the time what they want

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Is it true that you don't want to make them cry too long as then they're not able to latch on so well? Plus it tires them and makes them burn more off when you're actually trying to get them to gain weight?

I only say this because a well meaning family member kept reiterating it is important to let them cry because " it opens up their lungs", which sounded a bit like an old wive's tale to me, an in any case, DC was hungry!

[Wolverbamptonwanderer]

I wouldn't worry to much about LLL, their reach is quite narrow in terms of locations. NCT BF helpline is good, and I found HV/ NHS BF clinics based in children's centres very good. When you get back from hospital you'll have midwife visits and the HV- make them all watch you BF even if they seem busy and rushed. Go to BF clinic everyday if you need too.

[Bertieboo1]

After my c sections the midwife in the recovery room put him onto the nipple and this seemed to really help, especially with my second. With both I had to mix feed for the first few days then cut out the formula gradually as my supply built up. Good luck!

[Sparrowlegs248]

Yes I think skin to skin helps a lot. Ds had a quick rub down then straight on my chest where he stayed for ages.

Bf can be hard going, everyone told me how well I was doing, then all of a sudden it was like I was doing it wrong. The best advice I got (after four different versions from mw, HV and bf support) was on the infant feeding board here.

Goid luck.

[Haggisfish]

My hospital had bf helpers and trained volunteers who would visit you at home.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Thanks notalotta. Perhaps I just had a bad time of it all. DC was a bit jaundiced, hungry all the time, not gaining weight and I'd had enough. Maybe it'll be a tree experience this time.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

It seems like early skin to skin contact is key- is this the so called golden hour?
As I tore so badly with the delivery, I only had brief contact with DC then had to hobble to a side room and get myself on a bed for a registrar to examine me and then got taken to theatre etc.
My local LLL is too far (for me to drive myself there and find parking etc) when I know the first few days and weeks will be awful. There is a local children's centre that does breastfeeding support if I can bring myself to venture out of the house after DC2 arrives.
To be honest, I'm dreading the postpartum period. Im physically and mentally worn out from my first and this pregnancy is not being kind to me so far!

[Haggisfish]

Both dc were skin to skin after cs and I fed both of them in the recovery room.

[SharkBastard]

I had an EMCS and didn't take a pillow in, just used a hospital pillow. I had no problems breastfeeding, and managed to 14 months as that was when DD wanted off the boob.

Good luck and remember to ask for help when needed!!

[Sparrowlegs248]

I bf ds after having him.by elcs. Didn't take a pillow, but spent most of the time in hospital with the head of the bed raised up.

Re not gaining weight etc - it's not unusual for ebf babies to be slower to regain their birth weight. It took ds three weeks.

And milk coming in, had him lunchtime Friday, boobs of steel by Monday morning.