Breastfeeding after C Section

[InsideOut91]

Just looking for some more positive experiences of breastfeeding after c section. I’m a few days away from my second c section, my first was an emergency c section which went well without complications but despite my daughter being healthy, I had such a hard time breastfeeding her. Every professional I spoke to said she had so much tension in her neck and shoulders from not going down the birth canal that she couldn’t effectively tip her head in order to latch properly.

eventually I breastfeed her to two years, but we went through weight gain issues and a horrible feeding aversion and multiple methods to try to help her latch effectively.

im now really concerned that having to have another c section is going to cause similar problems feeding so I’m looking for some positive experiences to help ease my mind that maybe it won’t be so bad!

I had an EMCS and my son latched on straight away with no problems. It's probably more uncommon for CS to cause problems with breastfeeding than it is for it not to. My cousin had 3 planned ceseareans and all her children breastfed no problem as well.

Also, you got there in the end. Sounds like it was hard, but you both managed it together. You've got that experience now which will stand you in good stead second time round.

No advice but that's absolutely awful that they said that to you I bet that made you feel awful!!!
Perhaps research a paediatric osteopath and call them before your birth and ask about this - then if it really is that issue again you can go straight to see them?

My baby had a poor latch due to tongue tie and feeding never really took off for us despite my efforts, but all other c section mums in my nct group managed to

My planned section experience was such a positive one and I am having another with this baby BUT, the one downside is that you haven't gone into labour so for a lot of women there is a delay in their body catching up and their milk supply coming in.

This meant I really struggled to establish BF, especially as it was during covid, there was no 'lactation specialist' or anyone at all willing to help me at the hospital.
The HV tried once I was home but we had a hard time and my already tiny baby dropped 12% weight in the first few days! Long story short, I had to do top ups with actimel ready made milk bottles after every feed or she would have been readmitted to hospital.
Thankfully after the 2 weeks her weight had increased and my supply had caught up and I went on to breastfeed for a year.

I had a c-section and had difficulties initially with low supply. I believe c-sections are somewhat associated with increased likelihood of low supply but moreso emergency ones rather than planned (in my case I also had a PPH and this is definitely correlated with supply issues).

However with some support I was able to overcome this and breastfed to 17 months with no issues beyond those first few weeks. I would be mindful to offer very regular feeds and do as much skin-to-skin as you can in the first hours + days and certainly if you have issues early on try to get support (infant feeding team, possibly an IBCLC if you can). Good luck!

I had two awful sections (one emergency, one planned) and horrendous recoveries but successfully managed to breastfeed both.

Planned section - I got post op complications and couldn't actually bf for 7 days but once I could we got bf underway.

Had a c section and milk came in 5 days later, only issue I had was, baby had a posterior tongue tie so the c section didn't have any bad effects on our journey. Ended up getting tongue tie cut as it caused slow weight gain.

I've heard of heavy blood loss causing a slow/low supply initially but plenty of hydration and on demand feeding usually helps with this.

I had an emergency c-section and my milk didn't come in at all. I managed to pump a dribble a day for a few weeks, which I had to stop doing as I got an infection which needed antibiotics that weren't compatible with breastfeeding (I tried the baby-friendly ones first but they didn't work).

Baby was happy, thriving and fed on formula milk. I was upset that I never fed my baby myself but my body just didn't produce the milk.

I had an emcs and an elcs and breastfed with no issues both times. Despite m/w offering me formula every couple of hours because he was “feeding again”, and didn’t i want a break?

IME though most hcp/mw simply don’t have bf expertise and often come out with random bullshit as to why a baby can’t feed- if this tension in his neck stopped him bf wouldn’t that also stop him ff? Why not try and help it?

often the solution to any and all bf issues is formula. It’s easier, and means the actual issue need not be addressed.

like pp have said find a baby massage therapist or similar of you believe the “tension” is a real thing. I’d get discharged asap and find a proper bf adviser like la Leche.

Thank you for all your stories, it’s good to hear it can be a positive experience

I've genuinely ever heard anything about tension caused by not descending down the birth canal. TIL that's a thing.

I've had a vaginal birth, and an emergency C-section (got stuck). Breastfeeding was identical in both. Both babies mildly jaundiced at birth (so very sleepy) and had to hand express colostrum (nothing pre-birth). Milk came in day 3 and had to do 48 hour challenge of putting baby to the breast every 3 hours to flush out the remaining jaundice. Fed successfully for 23 months (fell pregnant) and 18 months (would not stop biting) after that.

I’ve not heard of it either. If it were a thing many more CS babies would have it, and it would be a known issue.

from my own experience of maternity wards, It smacks “oh you can’t bf because of made up reason, here’s a bottle”.

staff don’t have the time to be assisting with bf, and many likely don’t have the experience or knowledge to be fixing positioning, latch etc. it’s much simpler and easier for them to say there’s a problem, give formula. Solves it in seconds.

not blaming them, my mat ward had 4 staff to 32 maternity beds, minus one m/w to attend c-sections, minus any who needed to take babies for tests on paeds, minus any on sick or a/l. No wonder their bf advice was “struggling? Give formula, that’ll fix it”

Honestly, I could tell that this was a real thing from how DD was, and I was always still encouraged to breastfeed with different positions and methods for latching.
she also had a posterior tongue tie that was missed by nhs so we went private who at first said cutting the tie wouldn’t help as she would still have too much tension in her muscles.
eventually we got the tie cut anyway and it helped some.
anyway it was such a difficult time that I wanted to hear from some people who’d managed to breastfeed successfully after a c section so thanks all for your stories

Latched on first time perfectly in the recovery room. No issues.

I had two c sections, one emergency and extremely traumatic and the other planned and lovely, and I breastfed both babies with massive oversupply for 6 months each.

Two c sections, two EBF bottle refusers with zero issues beyond the usual soreness and cracks in the very early days.

My sister and I both needed physio as babies for weak muscles, only turning head one way etc - both trouble free natural deliveries.

You can just never tell!

I know you've had lots already but another positive post...
Dc1 was an emergency section after a failed induction, breastfed from day 1, had a home visit from a feeding consultant as I was unsure about positioning etc (first time mum nerves!). Dc2 was a full emergency section, had first feed in recovery room and no problems. Fed both children until 2+.

Two elective sections. No breastfeeding issues whatsoever. I wasn't aware that there could be.

Every baby is different. The fact that you breastfed for 2 years shows that you did brilliantly.

I suspect the tongue tie had more to do with the initial breastfeeding difficulty rather than the cs.

I had a emcs then vbac. Breastfeeding was harder to establish with the emcs but I put that down to him being in the ICU for a day or so (everything was fine, just had a temperature)

I wonder if perhaps your daughter got a bit wedged, hence the c-section, which could conceivably cause a bit of head/neck tension? Either way, you bf for two years despite the challenges, which is amazing.

I had two emergency c-sections - with the second, DD was wedged and ended up in NICU for 24 hours, while I had a haemorrhage. Breast fed both for a year each.

Hope your op goes well :)

I had EMCS and didn't have issues with feeding other than having to use shields but that was because of the shape of my nipples. I used nursing pillow every time and used rugby position so I didn't need to hold DD on my arms that much.

I've had 2 c sections, no trouble bf either time.

Thank you all 😊