Did you have a medicated birth and still Breastfeed?

[doddy0402]

Baby #1 epidural - breastfed for 6mths
Baby #2 was induced with pessary but the rest of the labour/birth was natural - breastfed for 9 mths.
Baby #3 emergency c section - almost 4 weeks breastfed so far and hope to continue!
It has definitely been a lot harder to feed after the c section, but it's definitely not impossible! X

 

[daneuse27]

My birth was as medicated as a birth can be firs an induction, and then epidural and anesthetics during labour, and when it turned out I needed a C-section, there were more drugs involved with that.

Obviously it was a little tougher to get started breastfeeding, but we did it Breastfeed strong for over a year.

 

[LockandKey]

my first I had an epi and assisted vaginal delivery with forceps and shoulder dystocia, 4 weeks of struggling to get her to bf, saw a lc, all problems were solved after first month, and bf her for 13 months

2nd baby I had the epi in for 3 hrs only, complication free, non assisted vaginal delivery, fed him 10 mins after his birth and have had no issues since. 5 weeks in and he's still bfing very well. Hoping to make it to 18 months this time.

 

[NurseSooz]

Ventouse delivery with no medication (brief gas and air and spent 2hrs in the pool). Breastfeeding was so painful to start and my nipples were in shreds. They were so bad I ended up with mastitis and a breast abscess. However - 5.5 months now and going strong!

 

[9jawife]

C-section here and while we had major problems in the beginning, we are now exclusively bfing 5 weeks + now.

 

[patch2006uk]

I don't rate "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" as a book tbh. I found it very black and white on issues where there is actually a hell of a lot of grey, and I didn't like the tone of the book.

Of course, if you're a woman who can give birth without assistance or pain relief, then it's more likely to be easier, as you're mobile and baby is (hopefully) healthy and alert and ready to feed. Sometimes life doesn't work like that, but that doesn't have to spell a disaster for BFing.

Isaac was an EMCS, he was suctioned at birth (due to seriously heavy meconium) and didn't latch on for over a week, and wasn't EBF until day 10. I could barely sit up to feed him, and mentally I was all over the place. My unmedicated birth ended in a stillborn baby, but I can 100% tell you that it would have been easier to BF afterwards, as I was able to sit upright, could get into comfortable positions and was mentally 'present' in a way I wasn't after emergency surgery - but I know that even those obstacles didn't stop me in the end.

Don't let the idea that a 'medicated birth = no breastfeeding' colour your experience. If you end up having to have an intervention for whatever reason, then you'll get through it with the right support and a bucket-load of determination. Don't right yourself off before you've had the chance, just because the birth doesn't go to plan.

Hope things are straightforward for you

 

[babyface15]

I had an unmedicated vaginal delivery, except about 30 mins of NO during transition. My baby latched and fed off both breasts within 10 mins of being born. We had 2 hours of skin to skin and delayed cord clamping as well. if you're thinking of going without epidural I highly recommend some type of hypnobirthing class or practice

 

[Leids]

I was induced with pitocin and had an epidural - no issues whatsoever with breastfeeding. He latched on like a champ and is still nursing at 16 months.

I think they worry more about IV pain meds causing issues but I think they become more problematic when you've been in labor for an extended period of time.

My favorite childbirth DVD was Laugh and Learn about Childbirth by Sheri Bayles (there's a breastfeeding dvd from the same person). She's all about natural childbirth but is open about options and the advantages and disadvantages of certain medications.

 

[AmeliePoulain]

DD1 I was induced with pessary and then syntocin (due to gestational diabetes) at 38 weeks. I had an epi, forceps delivery. DD latched fine and she wasn't sleepy and I was well in myself. I don't see that the birth made bf any harder despite all the drugs. I did combi feed and it took 8 weeks to get to ebf - but that was due to pressure about her blood sugars and my own inexperience. She was (and is) a slow gainer and that worried me as a first time Mum.

DD2 - waters breaking induction at 40 weeks (GD again) but just gas and air. I actually had much more blood loss with that delivery and felt much more 'unwell' after.

BF was quite easy again, I had antenatally expressed colostrum to give her if her sugars were low. It still took her 3 weeks to regain her birthweight though despite being a good feeder I think that it just how I make them to be honest!

 

[sue_88]

Medicated normal delivery.

Was induced at 9 days overdue - Millie arrived on day 12

Syntocinon administered, epidural, normal delivery.

Millie fed within 15mins, and when the MW's came to check on feeding during our two day stay we got many comments like "well you don't need my help!" "that baby read the breastfeeding book!"

Breastfeeding journey couldn't have been any easier or amazing honestly, and we've been at it exclusively for just a week shy of 3 months

 

[SpringerS]

Back to back labour with a 9lb14oz baby meant that I was in labour for 80 hours. I had an epidural at about hour 68 and oxytocin at about hour 71. I eventually needed a spinal block and c-section after a couple of hours of pushing. I lost quite a lot of blood, needed a platelet transfusion and projectile vomited quite a bit from the spinal block as they finished sewing me up. My son latched on and fed like a pro within minutes of them giving him to me. It took 3 and a half days for my milk to come in but he was quite satisfied with the colostrum until then.

 

[Marythefairy]

I was hoping for a water birth and minimal intervention which is how my Labour was going until 8cm but my LO turned transverse and got shoulders stuck so after pethodine syntocyn epidural failed venteuse I finally had a c section. Unfortunately she was so big I had a badly torn uterus and needed 3 hours of surgery and 4 blood transfusions. I saw her 4 hours after birth and she latched straight away. Had been practising sucking daddy's finger whilst he waited in recovery for me. Milk came in day 4 so first few days were tough but we made it to 16 months and loved it.
I think the medical-Ness of her birth made me more determined to bf and do that bit the natural way. Good luck

 

[Jadie]

Very heavily medicated throughout 24 hours of labour and then csection. Bubs even had formula before BFing and still latched on and fed like a trooper!

 

[icklemonster]

Not read all the responses, but I had an epidural and am still breastfeeding at 9 months in.

 

[charlie15]

I had an emergency c section after a long labour that would not progress. I really wanted a natural birth but hey, you get what you get!

I managed to breastfeed and still am, however it was a real struggle at first as my milk took over a week to come in. I think that wasn't to do with the medications but more the stress of a long labour, then surgery. My body was like WTF!! The only way i got my milk in was letting my baby cluster feed LOTS and LOTS!! and after 4 days with still no milk and a starving baby, we decided to give a small feed of formula every night. My OH gave it while i slept for 5 hours. You need your rest to produce milk as well as food and lots and lots of water!

So we went against the conventional advice of giving formula, but i needed rest and my baby was cluster feeding for up to 6 hours. We got there in the end and 11 months on are still enjoying it. You never know what birth you will end up with or what medication you end up wanting or not until it happens. My advice would be to prepare to start breastfeeding after all sorts of potential births, not just the one you want, especially a c section! best of luck x

 

[minties]

Baby #1: labour started naturally, augmented later on with syntocinon due to failure to dilate. Epidural for pain. Emergency c-section. Breastfed fine!

Baby #2: gestational diabetes. Scheduled c-section at 39+2 due to the GD, suspected large baby, previous section and previous failure to dilate. Breastfeeding fine. Milk was in by 40 hours.

 

[JessPape]

I went natural, till it ended in a csection. Though it was tough getting started and It was WAY easier once we left the hospital. We nursed for 14.5 months!

 

[CupcakeBaby]

I had pethedine which wore off a couple of hours before DD arrived and gas & air the rest of the time.

DD fed as soon as her cord was cut (around 15-20 minutes after birth) and we're still going strong.

Never had a feed from a bottle or any formula. Although we're starting to give her some expressed milk in a sippy cup now as daddy takes her swimming and I don't want to always have to go just so she can have a drink afterwards.

 

[twobecome3]

cervadil, induction, gas and air, morphine, epidural, delivery with ventouse.


absolutely no issues with establishing bf. xx

 

[Here_we_go]

With my son, I had a spinal block, Demerol before that, Pitocin before that to regulate contractions, vaginal delivery. Was able to latch right away, no troubles at all breastfeeding until I had to return to work. Couldn't pump, became lazy nurser just ended up switching to formula at 4 months

With my daughter, I had a C-section under general anesthesia, wasn't able to hold until 4-5 hours after her birth, didn't want to latch, didn't feed until that night but my goodness she fed off and on (mostly on) ALLLL that night. Milk came in by the end of the second day My milk didn't come in that quickly with son!!
She had a horrible latch causing sore, cracked, blistered nipples but she got better at around 3-4 weeks old and we're still bfing