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Parenting

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Original poster

Post c section night feeds

14 replies

Lolarosemama · 04/03/2023 06:33

Anyone get any top tips for survival? Brought our dd home yesterday and the night was so hard due to my limited post op mobility.

Any advice for managing and persevering with the night feeds being breastfed? It’s important to me to stick with it this time as I was unable to with previous dc.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Unic0rnSparkle0405 · 04/03/2023 06:35

Apologies no tips but following with interest as I'm going to be in the same situation soon too

StarsSand · 04/03/2023 06:41

I had a swivel bassinet.

www.amazon.com.au/Halo-bassinest-swivel-sleeper-premiere/dp/B0812B5YLB

A lifesaver. Saved bending down to get the baby. Saved getting out of bed, could just pull the bassinet across and then lift the baby out.

The other tip is to make it clear breastfeeding is a team effort with DP at the start. If you don't have the bassinet, he gets the baby, changes the baby, brings it to you, burps it, settles it etc.

You feed (hopefully lying down if the baby is ok with that) and he does the rest.

You need to prioritise your own rest and recovery as much as possible.

Also- make it clear to the partner that for six weeks your only jobs are feeding the baby and recovery from surgery. You're not cooking or cleaning.

Happitwist · 04/03/2023 06:42

I managed by getting my partner to hand me the baby / change the baby so all I had to do is force myself to sit up. It was tough, I was also immobile due to preeclampsia swelling, but I am still breastfeeding 7 months on because of it.

The inability to do it myself lasted about a week. After that I could pull the baby from the next to me, though it hurt a bit so my partner still helped for another 2 weeks.

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FrizzledFrazzle · 04/03/2023 07:22

For me, I found it easiest to stand up out of bed before picking the baby up, then feed him sitting on the sofa so I had support for my back and my feet were on the floor.

Trying to feed in bed with my legs sticking straight out was really uncomfortable, as was trying to lift him out of his side sleeper onto me in bed.

One other thing: I was given ibuprofen and paracetamol to take on a schedule through the day with oramorph to take as a top up at night if needed. I found the oramorph made me dopey and sleepy but without doing much for the pain, so I swapped it round to make sure I was able to take the paracetamol/ibuprofen at night because manoeuvring in/around bed was the most difficult thing for me.

RebeccaCloud9 · 04/03/2023 07:32

I have a comfy feeding chair rather than feeding in bed. I used a big pillow when feeding her that was comfier for me. DH would change her if needed and put her on me so I just focused on getting myself to the feeding chair. I have a table next to the chair for water, and I have my phone/tablet and headphones within reach. In the early days, DH would hand me everything so I didn't have to reach out. Have a good ebook or something to watch to make it more enjoyable!

Mainly, just remember that the painful days will be over really soon, and you'll start getting more sleep soon too.

Wrongsideofpennines · 04/03/2023 07:34

I had to stand up to pick her up, so we didn't attach the bassinet to the bed because otherwise I couldn't get up. But for the first 2 weeks at least my husband generally got her up, changed her then passed her to me. It needed to be a team effort.

I had lots of breastfeeding problems but we eventually fed until 22 months. Make sure you get lots of support if you want to continue this time. And congratulations on your new arrival!

YearoftheRabbit23 · 04/03/2023 07:35

For the first week or so my husband would hand me baby.
I had a "next to me" cot but actually it made no sense as it meant the only way I could exit the bed was from the foot. And impossible to pick up baby when sitting/lying anyway, I found it much easier when standing. So we forgot about having the crib attached to the bed, used it as a proper cot next to the bed and an armchair right in front, so I'd feed baby in armchair, stand up and immediately put him in cot. After about a week I was fine getting baby out of cot myself.

Suprima · 04/03/2023 07:37

My dh woke up every night, passed her to to me and put her in position until I was well enough to do it myself

he also did all changes

Aftjbtibg · 04/03/2023 08:11

Lots of cushions and pillows; a breastfeeding pilllow is great but I managed with pillows all around me and under my knees while I slept so I felt less stretched out and slow manoeuvring to get baby

chillichutneysarnie · 04/03/2023 11:37

Yes don't do what I did and swivel to lift baby out of the next to me cot. I healed so nicely on one side and the other was bad for ages

chillih · 04/03/2023 11:56

DH got up and changed baby's nappy then passed him to me to be fed

BabyB2022 · 04/03/2023 14:20

Keep on top of pain relief, get partner to pick baby up and lots of Pillows to prop you up.
I found the first 2-3 days the most painful, but it got much easier after that. I'm 3 weeks post c section and now feeling good, it does get much easier but those first few days are tough so take all the help you can get. Hope you are feeling better soon 🤞.

MrsFionaCharming · 04/03/2023 17:23

We had the next2me on DHs side of the bed for the first 3 weeks. He’d wake up and get the baby out whilst I positioned myself, and then he’d pass him over for me to feed.

Novella12 · 04/03/2023 19:36

These were so hard in the early days but don't worry they do get easier. Some things that helped us:

I had a bb hug me pregnancy pillow which I used to prop myself up both to sleep for the first week and to feed.
I had a bag with everything I might need during the night hanging from the bed. It had everything from painkillers to snacks. My partner sorted this for me each night before bed.
Like a previous poster, I wanted to use the next to me but couldn't get out of bed around it or lift her from it initially. Stuck with a Moses basket to start with.
Again, a previous poster mentioned painkillers. Keep up with them, on schedule, for the first two weeks.

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