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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

After CS - how soon could you hold baby?

71 replies

Angelico · 09/07/2012 22:17

Just that really. Was talking to midwife today and asked about feeding baby in recovery after CS (it has it as option to put in birthplan). Apparently that 'doesn't happen' in my hospital

I feel a bit down about it now to be honest as I really want to BF and don't like the idea of delay for such a long time. In fact she admitted that I will be separated from baby at least an hour and a midwife may give her a bottle which will fuck up my BFing attempts.

The thing is they are always going on about skin to skin and BFing so why can I not have my baby with me in recovery? It's actually making me consider changing hospitals although have to admit current hospital is just round the corner and v convenient. Having my CS due to medical history and have been quite accepting of it as it wasn't unexpected but this is making me feel a bit :(

Someone tell me I'm being silly...

OP posts:

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Beamur · 09/07/2012 22:22

Wasn't like that where I gave birth.
DD was taken away briefly to be wiped/weighed etc while I was stitched up, held by DP for a little while and then put onto me, skin to skin and almost immediately tried to feed. She was given back to me while still in the operating theatre.
Can you look into alternative hospitals if they are really rigid on this? It seems enough of a deal breaker to me to consider it.
I don't think you're being silly.

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:22

bollocks to that "not happening" you can have skin to skin straight away and they have NO RIGHT to prevent you from BFing, deffo challenge it

would you consider having a trainee doula with you for support? they are free if training and half price if newly qualified

hermionestranger · 09/07/2012 22:25

That's rubbish. With both my CS' my dh held the boys first and within my reach so I could stoke and feel them. I had terrible shaking with ds2 and
very low blood pressure with ds1 so kept drifting. Once I was in recovery I was given them to hold and feed, neither wanted to.

I would look at a different hospital in all honesty.

Pumpster · 09/07/2012 22:27

Have had 4 sections and with the last dc I was given her to hold and feed in recovery

WhatSheSaid · 09/07/2012 22:27

I fed dd2 (elective cs) while in the recovery room, very soon after the birth - probably within 5 minutes of leaving the operating theatre. Dd1 I think I fed a bit later but she was an emergency cs and my memories are a bit blurry. It was still in the recovery bit though, I remember that.

Claire2009 · 09/07/2012 22:28

DD - emerg cs - I was in recovery about an hour or so, held and bf'd her straight after that.

DS - planned cs - I was in recovery 6hrs - held and bf'd straight after (even though he'd been given a bottle)

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:29

I had a general anaesthetic so I don't know exactly how long till I BF, think it was about an hour and a half and I was woken and DS was put on me for a feed, meanwhile DS was with DH, he wasn't taken away for an hour I was just unconscious

travellingwilbury · 09/07/2012 22:29

I held mine in the theatre , I wouldn't let them go once I had them and slept with them in my bed with a weird extra bit added to the side of the bed .
How pregnant are you ?
I would speak direct to the hospital as I have never heard of this before .

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 09/07/2012 22:31

I had a planned section with DS2, I fed him in recovery less than an hour after he was born.

Original poster

Angelico · 09/07/2012 22:31

Thanks for replies :)

Claire did you feel okay about being separated from baby so long? Because the idea of it is upsetting me :( I do understand btw that sometimes it's out of your control because of complications / blood loss / whatever but it's more the idea it's just 'not the done thing' there that bothers me.

If I am awake and lucid I don't understand what the problem is :(

OP posts:

emsyj · 09/07/2012 22:31

I had emcs under general anaesthetic and didn't hold DD for ages as I was unconscious - they gave DH a bottle of formula and told him he had to offer it to her as she couldn't wait til I recovered (he told them I wanted to bf). DD didn't take it (too sleepy & not interested) but I still boil with anger when I think about it. I did establish bf but it was difficult & slow (once we got going we never looked back though - no pain, no problems, bf for a year) - my understanding is that babies do not have any nutritional needs immediately after birth so there was no reason for her to have been offered formula.

Look into this and sort it out before your birth - I was ignorant but will be more careful next time! I don't plan to have another CS (now expecting DC2) but if my experience ends up with another emcs I want it absolutely 101% clear in my notes that the baby is NOT to be offered a bottle.

DueinSeptember · 09/07/2012 22:33

I had ELCS and had similar experience to everyone else here. Had CS, DD was taken to be weighed, checked over and dressed (maybe a couple of mins or so, and DH went with the midwife to do this). DH then held her (near me) and gave her a bottle (had chosen not to breastfeed beforehand) and they offered me to hold her almost straight away. I declined as I was a little bit shaky after the drugs and was scared of dropping her (!) but held her about an hour later in the recovery room. She was with us both all the time.

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:33

FWIW didn't do much skin to skin, was woken for that one feed that night then passed out again from the GA after effects and didn't attempt to feed again till I woke the next day, DS was in a fish tank think in recovery cared for by nurses but not bottle fed.
I BF exclusively

He did I think have a bit of skin to skin with DH before I was woken for that first feed maybe that helped?

mrswoz · 09/07/2012 22:34

WTF no way would I accept what she's saying, is she a community midwife? If so I'd be interested to know how many c sections she's attended (for the actual birth part!) recently!?

I've had 2 sections, due a third in September, held my babies both times while still in theatre (while they sew you up etc) then tried a feed as soon as in recovery. Didn't work so well the first time, DS not at all interested (other reasons, nothing to do with the section), but DD got straight in there in recovery and was attached, mostly actively suckling, for 45 minutes! They never seem to be keen on skin to skin in theatre, I was told this is because it can be a bit chilly for babies?

If you wish to breastfeed there is no reason a healthy baby should be given formula by any means, before attempting to breastfeed. I say a healthy baby, because there are circumstances where it may be necessary to give your baby formula, mostly from my own experience this is to do with blood sugar levels after birth (the baby's, not yours) have you had gestational diabetes or anything like that?

I can't understand why she would say these things without thinking she had a good reason, obviously we don't know your medical history so can't comment on whether baby will need to be apart from you at birth...I would challenge her for more details on it tho, don't just accept it without someone explaining the reasoning behind it!

zgaze · 09/07/2012 22:39

2 sections, first emergency and second elective - I fed both babies within minutes of leaving the theatre, as soon as I was in recovery. The first time because of the circumstances I wasn't particularly with it but I had told the midwife before the op I wanted to BF so she just went ahead and latched my DS on for me! Fab lady. The second time I was a bit more alert and despite having the epidural shakes I managed to feed my DD immediately.

I'd definitely challenge it. That first feed is very special (emotionally I mean) particularly if your whole birth experience was as medicalised as mine. Perhaps it's just a case of talking to a different midwife. Also remember babies are designed to only need the minute amounts of colostrum for the first few days, they don't need a great big bottle feed!

Original poster

Angelico · 09/07/2012 22:42

No mrswoz will not be just accepting it and it's helpful to hear stories from other people so thank you all. No medical reason to affect it, no GD - ELCS is basically because of surgery I had previously which would make me much higher risk for continence problems after a VB so CS is really to protect my continence.

I'm in Northern Ireland and in fairness was told this at an AN class at hospital (in passing when I asked a question). Both the reg MW and student MW seemed very clear on this. Seeing consultant next week and will ask for reasoning then as he may well be doing section. I don't really understand the problem but today wasn't the kind of time you could get into the nitty gritty of it all as it was in a group setting.

They do seem to be very 'old school' in my local hospital and indeed in NI generally :(

OP posts:

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:43

Do you have the option of a hospital tour? maybe that would be a better place to ask about this then a community MW?

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:45

"They do seem to be very 'old school' in my local hospital and indeed in NI generally "

do you have a birth partner, can they brush up in latching the baby on so you don't have to rely on the MWs to do it for you if you can't manage it yourself?

Meglet · 09/07/2012 22:51

I didn't try to bf in the theatre after either of my sections (emergency followed by a planned one for DC2), and TBH I found skin-to-skin tricky and uncomfortable so only lasted a couple of minutes.

But after the theatre staff checked my DC's each time they were passed to (X)DP and he held them for a while then popped them in their little fish tanks when he went to get changed back into clothes while I was being wheeled through to high dependency, one of the midwives wheeled the baby.

With my planned CS I think it took about 30 mins to get settled in the bed, get the tubes sorted, pads in place, pain checks etc then I was able to start bf. So it was about 90 mins after the cs that DD had her first feed. I really can't imagine the midwives taking a baby away from a mother to feed them for such a short period after a cs .

My consultant was very pro-skin to skin.

Original poster

Angelico · 09/07/2012 22:52

Cherie I can't be sure but my impression is they take baby out, show baby from a distance, cart her away (possibly with DH in tow) and then stitch me up and take me to recovery where I have to lurk for half an hour before finally being reunited with DH and new bean :(

God it really is crap isn't it?! I would be more forgiving if someone had come along and said, "Well actually there are good medical reasons why we do this, her's why..."

I got the impression the MW was a hospital MW as AN class was at the hospital She and student both seemed very confident about this.

That said, they may have been using it as an opportunity to get the knife in about the downsides of CSs anyway - I am the only person in class to have said anything about CS and I found the AN classes incredibly dishonest about intervention rates - but that's a whole other thread...!

OP posts:

AThingInYourLife · 09/07/2012 22:55

I'm in NI. I had my 3rd section a week ago, held DD3 in theatre, fed her and had skin to skin in recovery.

Same happened with DD2.

With DD1 I got really bad shakes and couldn't hold her for a while, but the midwives were very keen to get me skin to skin as soon as I could manage it.

I was briefly separated while they finished the op (10 mins) but the babies were with DH and no fucker went near them with a bottle.

No way would I accept the treatment they are planning for you and your baby.

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 22:58

there is no reason to take either of them away from you if the CS all goes to plan! Can you brief your OH to stand firm for you? You haven't answered my question about having a doula there to fight your corner?

Original poster

Angelico · 09/07/2012 23:02

AThing do you mind if I ask which hospital you were at? PM if you prefer but would be great to know in case I do change!

Cherie my DH is lovely but one of life's diplomats Not sure he would fight the good fight! As for the doula thing I have only heard of one in NI (bizarrely it was today in the Belfast Telegraph) as I looked into it early on and couldn't find any. I didn't know they were interested in doing much if you're having a CS - always got the impression they might be quite judgey-pants about ELCS whatever the reasons! :)

OP posts:

bigredbook · 09/07/2012 23:07

What!

There is absolutely no reason why you can't have the baby straight away if everything is alright.

I had an ELCS 4 months ago and requested to have the baby skin to skin immediately which happened. Everything (e.g. weighing) took place when we were about to leave theatre. DD was skin to skin with me and made a good attempt at feeding whilst I was being stitched up.

They can be a little iffy about having the baby on you in theatre though if my experience is anything to go by I have no idea why. I really can't see why you would not be able to feed in recovery. You won;t exactly have anything else to do!

I would change hospital if the consultant does not back you up on this TBH.

Is the hospital baby friendly?
See here
progress.babyfriendly.org.uk/htables/all_hospitals_acc_status.asp

Cheriefroufrou · 09/07/2012 23:10

some seem very waterey woo birth oriented but most say they're happy to support any kind of birth and particularly breast feeding!

a doula doesn't have to be official, a friend in Ireland had one and it was a woman who had had children and was a good strong advocate type - she wasn't trained or registered, really you just need the breast feeding support aspect of a doula, many BF peer supporters do it with a view of getting experience before applying to train as midwives so perhaps you could approach some local BF supporters and ask if they would be interested in being your doula?

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