Elective C -Section and breast feeding

[WizzardMum22]

Hello!

I am due in May 2023 and have booked an elective c-section after a traumatic birth with my first. I really struggled to breast feed first time around and ended up giving up after a month. I have since learnt from my midwife that traumatic births can affect breast feeding and milk supply especially after a big blood loss (I had no idea!)

this time around we’ve made the decision for an elective c-section for our own personal reasons and with the advice of our drs and midwives, we feel it’s the best option for us.

I would like to know from those of you who have had a c-section, how did you find breastfeeding? This is something I really want to try and achieve this time, and a friend of mine has already scared me by saying I won’t be able to again (she’s never had a c-section so not sure how she knows this.)

Advice and your own experience would be really appreciated xx

I've had two (emergency) caesareans and breastfed both babies easily.

Milk production is triggered by the removal of the placenta and while milk might take very slightly longer to come in, a caesarean should be no barrier to feeding.

I have had 1 emcs and 1 elective and breastfed both afterwards for over a year with no issues. It was easier to establish after the elective section…it’s a complete myth that a c section means you won’t be able to breastfeed

I had a c sec, milk didn’t come in for five days. I would speak to your MW, they’ll be able to help you.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the milk takes about 5 days to come in for me, but keep going as it does happen!

I had one emergency caesarean with heavy blood loss and two electives.

I breastfed all 3 for around a year each - all exclusively to six months - but it was certainly harder the first time (whether just because it was the first time or because I lost a lot of blood and didn't see the baby for five hours after an initial couple of minutes of skin to skin because I was back in surgery I'm not sure - probably a mix).

Both the older two had tongue ties too. Breastfeeding DC3 (no tongue tie, elective caesarean, knew what I was doing) was as easy as anything.

My milk came in fine with each section. We did struggle at the start both times but that was for issues unrelated to a c section. With my second, DD2 latched on and was feeding before we had even made it to the recovery room!

One emergency c section and one planned c section. Both breastfed easily with no issues. Good luck.

I had a traumatic first birth and my milk took ages to come in, around 6 days. Struggled with breastfeeding for 5 weeks and gave up due to static weight gain despite supplementing. Was told the same as you afterwards, that my milk would not have been good enough quality to fill baby due to the body prioritising my recovery rather than milk production.

Had an ELCS with DC2 and my milk came in day 3. For various reasons we could only breastfeed a few days, but nothing related to the section!

I had a miserable first birth and found breast feeding hard. I had a C-section second time and breast feeding was a complete joy, and much easier from the beginning. But that's me - I fear there may be no universal rules so my advice would be not to have a plan in your head, you have to go with the flow as every baby has different ideas....

Having an elective C-section is certainly not a barrier to breast feeding, it can sometimes take an extra day or so for your milk to come in but colostrum is highly calorific and gives babies what they need in the first few days. I would recommend trying to do some colostrum harvesting (hand expressing) from 37 weeks so that you have some colostrum to give the baby if you aren't feeling up to feeding or aren't able to feed in the first hour or two. Lots of skin to skin after delivery is really important, and keep asking for help with latching baby until you feel confident latching baby yourself.

I had an EMCS and we established breastfeeding. DC was exclusively breastfed until we started weaning, and continued breastfeeding well into toddlerhood. The milk didn’t take any longer to come in with my EMCS than it did with my vaginal births.

The biggest problem we had establishing breastfeeding was that my DC was too sleepy to feed properly at first because he had a severe enough case of newborn jaundice to need phototherapy, but that’s not an issue that was caused by the EMCS.

I used a pillow when feeding, to cushion the CS scar until that healed, and I found that very helpful at first.

Had an emergency and planned, no issues feeding and know others who were the same.

Emergency caesarean twins, breastfed both for six months no problem

My first was a straight forward birth and second an emc, both breastfed until they where almost 2. The section did not affect breastfeeding, breastfeeding is hard no matter how you give birth, I really struggled to latch both times for the first 6 weeks, it was painful, frustrating and I thought about giving up many times. I felt even worse the second time because I had already breastfed my first for two years so couldn't understand why I wasn't getting the hang of it with my second. After the first 6 weeks it was the easiest thing in the world but the first 6 weeks where so hard. Not trying to put you off just seems like women see breastfeeding as such a natural thing that should just come as second nature and then beat themselves up when they struggle, it's not easy it takes time to get into the swing of it, one thing that helped me was watching YouTube videos on how to latch properly, good luck 🍀

I had a traumatic birth, resulting in an EMCS, and like you, only managed a month of breastfeeding. It's was very stressful. And like you, for my second I went for an elective section. I was also desperate to breastfeed and was determined for it to work.

I breastfed her until she was 3. It was difficult at first, she lost a lot of weight at first. And the midwives and health visitors tried to get me to stop breastfeeding. But I powered through, with tops with expressed milk and formula. And by 3 months, she was exclusively breastfed. So it's definitely possible. But it also depends on the baby. My son just wasn't interested in the boob, he'd had a lot of bottlefeeding in the hospital as he was poorly and wouldn't latch. I think he was a bit lazy 😆 but my daughter only wanted the boob, and looked like she had been personally insulted when giving her a bottle. It was difficult to get off her 😆

I had emergency C-section. Milk didn't come in at all. Never managed to breast feed. Sorry OP, I know that's not what you want to hear but you do need to know that can happen.

I had an elective c section in November I also had one due to a lot of complications with me and baby and seemed like the safest option compared to induction I really do regret the way I gave birth now, but with regards to breast feeding he latched on as soon as he was born my milk came in on day 2 and haven't had any issues with supply so it definitely doesn't affect your milk. According to my midwife expressing colostrum in the weeks before I had him helped my milk come in quicker to I hope this reassured you as I was worried about not being able to breast feed too