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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Breastfeeding after c-section

50 replies

LunaDreams · 12/09/2021 08:58

Hi all.

I have a c-section booked for 39 weeks due to large baby/GD.

I saw my sister in law yesterday who told me about her c-section at 38 weeks for same reason...she told me having a section made it really hard for her to breastfeed as her body wasn't ready for baby to born, that her milk didn't come in for ages and that she felt really flat and detached with baby due to this and having a section versus vaginal birth. She basically implied that I shouldn't even bother trying to BF and should go straight to formula.

Whilst I appreciate her honesty and experience it has made me feel deflated as I would like to try BF but now don't know if I should even bother.

Is it worth taking formula/bottles/a breast pump in with me just in case?

Any other experiences greatly appreciated-
I'm a FTM as you can probably tell!

OP posts:

Amichelle84 · 13/09/2021 18:33

I had a section at 34w and we had issues breast feeding but that was because he was so small and couldn't latch, not because of supply. Milk came in the day he was born.

RandomCatGenerator · 13/09/2021 18:39

I had a planned c section at 38 and a half weeks. Colostrum came in the day after birth, milk ten days later - pretty average timelines.

I am pumping rather than direct breast feeding as BF was incredibly painful and the baby just couldn’t get enough milk even when he sucked for hours. Super distressing in hospital a day or two after surgery. But even a few weeks later it was still super painful so would probably have been the case regardless of c section.

Bear in mind you can’t sit up in bed after a c section for at least a day - so can’t hold the baby easily, which can make BF harder.

Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work for you - and on the other hand, don’t be out off BF if it doesn’t work in the day or two after the section and you have to top up with or replace with formula for a few days, ir won’t stop you BF later.

RandomCatGenerator · 13/09/2021 18:40

*put off BF

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 13/09/2021 18:46

I had an EMCS, so did go through natural labour (24 bloody hours of it!) but it did still take about 5 days for my milk to come in.

In the meantime we did loads of skin-to-skin, harvested colostrum and, yes, supplemented with formula.

On the evening of day 5, I fell asleep with DD on top of me whilst having skin to skin. I woke up sometime later to find DD, who's only days old, wriggling her way down my body to latch on and feed to her heart's content. Apparently my milk had finally come in, and she'd realised it before I did.

She then fell asleep, full and milk-drunk, using my breast as a pillow, and we then continued breastfeeding for the next 3.5 years.

So there you go, a positive post-CS BF story for you.

CottonSock · 13/09/2021 18:49

It can be sore getting into position but my milk came in fine. Best be prepared with a pump, some formula for topping up and nipple sheilds. I wouldn't have managed without.

iloveicelollies · 13/09/2021 18:51

Section at 37 weeks. Was worried bout this too. No problems at all. Baby fed well from the start. Skin to skin as soon as they are born and get trying as soon as poss. Midwives will help. I found a rolled up muslin under the breast helped position it well for my sleepy little baby.

I was hand expressing in the shower a couple of weeks before hand to see would that help and some colostrum was coming out. I think you'll be fine

Esbee1 · 13/09/2021 19:06

I had a csection and was able to breastfeed as soon as I left the theatre! I had no issues with milk coming in and am still breastfeeding six months later. Please don't worry or feel deflated, for me it was an amazing birth experience. Wishing you all the best with yours x

AmItheonlyonehere · 14/09/2021 09:22

I had an emergency section and I breastfed. I didn't get to see my baby for 15 hours after his birth and he had been formula fed in that time but I still managed it. He was born on a Monday night and by Thursday I was able to breastfeed. It is definitely possible with the right support. I had great help from the lactation nurse in the hospital.
Don't feel deflated or worried, everyone is different, it might work really well for you, if it doesn't that's not your fault and nothing to beat yourself up about.
Best of luck!!

Stroan · 14/09/2021 10:00

I had an ELCS at 37 weeks with GD, DS was 8lb 7oz. I'm still feeding him 2 years later. Breastfeeding didn't go well with my eldest and I was keen to avoid a repeat.

I hand expressed colostrum for a few weeks before birth, he was given that in theatre (they found a cyst which delayed moving to recovery). For a week or so after birth, he latched on happily and then promptly fell asleep. So I continued to hand express and fed him small amounts from a syringe. He struggled with mucous for about a week which affected feeding too. He lost about 10% of birth weight in the first 10 days but regained it very quickly, and then some. After two weeks, he was exclusively breastfed and thrived.

My milk came in quickly with no issues there. Possibly because of the colostrum harvesting?

usernotfound0000 · 14/09/2021 10:02

I struggled with my first after an emergency c-section, but that was down to the pain I was in and I struggled to get into a comfortable position. With my second, it was a planned section and I had no issues with feeding.

Rosejulia88 · 21/09/2021 21:18

I had an EMCS and DS was in SCBU for the first five days. He had formula/EBM through a feeding tube and in a bottle and I struggled to breast feed him up in SCBU and wasn't really encouraged too as the main priority was his health. When he was discharged I was fully expecting to have to either ff or top him up at least. However he took to demand feeding and once I could vary positions and didn't have to sit in a hard chair behind a screen as I had in SCBU he latched on fine. He is EBF and I've had no issues. I would have happily formula fed him but I was really pleasantly surprised after such a traumatic birth and post birth.

I know anecdote is not fact but it just goes to show all babies are different! I know people who have had textbook "natural" births and really struggled due to tounge tie/ milk supply/ positioning. Just be open to anything but don't beat yourself up about it if it doesn't go to plan.

Block · 21/09/2021 21:19

The only one of my children who successfully BF was ELCS, OP. So much depends on so many other factors.

Block · 21/09/2021 21:20

An afterthought, OP. I wonder if it was because I felt prepared and relaxed and not as if I'd been in a near-fatal car crash?

Luckyelephant1 · 21/09/2021 21:26

I had an emergency csection at 38 weeks. Baby latched on straightaway on the way to the ward from recovery. Milk came in properly on day 3, baby is now 12 weeks and still EBF and my supply is plentiful. I really don't think csection vs vaginal birth makes a big difference for BF.

YouJustDoYou · 21/09/2021 21:29

3 c-secs here. Your body knows, the breastfeeding is triggered after a baby is born, miraculously even with c-secs.

SmellyOldOwls · 22/09/2021 11:43

I found this with my first but not my second. I think it helped that I had been harvesting colostrum - I would definitely recommend you do this for a GD baby as they might need to get blood sugars up as soon as baby is born particularly if you're insulin controlled.

My midwife showed me how to do it and gave me colostrum syringes but you can buy them on Amazon and there's videos of how to do it on YouTube. I got very little before the birth but I am so glad I learned the skill because in the first few days in the hospital when she was learning to latch and feed I would express, suck it up in the syringe (they gave me some on the ward) and give her some to get her woken up and in the notion of feeding.

We did end up formula feeding but she was EBF the first week and I'm so pleased she got the colostrum, so definitely practice your hand expressing and gather up whatever colostrum you can.

Original poster

LunaDreams · 23/09/2021 21:30

Just to update:

I ended up having a EMCS as went into labour 4 days ahead of ELCS!

Baby took to breast in recovery immediately. Unfortunately his latch wasn't checked properly (I had no idea what was and wasn't normal as a FTM) and I ended up incredibly bruised and bleeding within the day.

This led to me formula feeding for first night and have had troubles with latching ever since so am actually now largely pumping with attempts still to BF each time.

Was able to express colostrum day of birth and milk came in day 3 so it seems as though EMCS had no bearing on this whatsoever, my issues have come from latching instead.

Just thought might be useful for any future readers to know!

OP posts:

SmellyOldOwls · 23/09/2021 21:41

Ah that's hard OP. My eldest never latched on properly, no idea why, he didn't have a tongue tie but we just didn't take to breastfeeding very well as a pair! Do what you need to, your baby will thrive whether you give them breast milk or formula or a mix. Congratulations

MajorNeville · 23/09/2021 21:48

2 sections, first baby bf for 1 month, second for 26 months, neuter had anything to go with the sections.

MajorNeville · 23/09/2021 21:49

Just seen your update OP. Your baby is being fed, that's the most important thing.

HalloHello · 23/09/2021 22:01

I had an election c section 4 weeks ago. My body didn't produce enough colostrum the first 2 days due to a larger than usual blood loss and generally being starved of food so the midwives in the hospital helped me cup feed my baby a few times just to settle him as he was constantly feeding and never satisfied but I just kept offering him breast first and then once he had had both, he had a cup of formula. Only needed it those 2 days and milk came in no bother. I EBF my first who was born naturally and she also had a cup feed the first night as she wasn't satisfied with how much colostrum I had so really wasn't much of a different experience this time!

The hospital should have formula for you to use while you're there so no need to buy, and a breast pump is unnecessary early on as you can just had express colostrum if you need to. Again midwives will help you with this if you need help.

Breastfeeding is hard work no matter what but once established is so great. Be prepared to not move off the sofa for the first week or so while baby gets sorted, and while you heal.

jackstini · 23/09/2021 22:08

I BF'd after both my sections, one emergency and one elective

First time in recovery and then continued with help - you do need to ask for baby to be passed to you in the first couple of days

My milk came in fully around day 4/5 both times but colostrum and early milk was fine - a baby's tummy is the size of a walnut so that was plenty

Peppermint81 · 23/09/2021 22:39

Try to breast feed, it takes few days for milk to come in properly after any birth. If it doesn't work out it's no big deal, formula milk is great too. Hospital will support you with bf and you could always bring the 70ml ready made formula milk pack in your bag incase

birdglasspen · 04/10/2021 03:17

Currently bf 2nd section baby. Give it a go! Also look into colostrum harvesting really handy for if you are struggling at first to get some colostrum into baby while you recover! I think it can be a bit harder trying to position baby but it’s doable! Your sil maybe had a bad experience and has put it down to baby being delivered by section, which may be the case but isn’t for every section!

MimiDaisy11 · 04/10/2021 03:28

I had issues with supply in the beginning and so did combination feeding. However I then went onto breast feed only once supply increased.

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