Feeding after planned section??

[NikiJJones]

My baby is due to arrive by planned section for medical reasons on Wednesday. I'm concerned that it will make breastfeeding tricky. I've heard that your body really needs the labour hormones to bring the milk in properly and that section babies often have difficulty feeding.
Has anyone had a planned section and then fed, and can offer me any advice and tips? Would love to hear from anyone who found that all went smoothly.

 

[coccyx]

Have had 4 sections and bf them all successfully. skin to skin as soon as you can

 

[Abismum]

Hi,
I'm possibly having a section soon and really want to breastfeed. I've been reassured by many people that it won't be a problem except that lying down to feed may be better because of the scar. I think the relevant hormones kick in as soon as the placenta has gone so that should be okay too. Good luck!

 

[Mervs Mum]

There are lots of successful BFing mummies on here. Just make sure your birth partner knows you want to feed as soon as poss and have it on your birth plan. You might need some help as you'll be sore but once your placenta is gone your body will do the rest

 

[Sonyax]

Had em c section have some tips that I hope will help

1. make sure they know you want to breast feed they latched mine on in recovery, I was laying down and he was on top you'd be amazed how they manage to breath lol!!!

2. Try different holds get mw to help. Rugby ball was great while in hospital (under arm hold) and also good to swap the holds a bit when nipples are sensitive. get them to show you how to latch on laying on your side too so you can do it at home. It helps some nights when you can't get out of bed so often
3. get a bf cushion to have in hosp and at home so the babies wieght is spread across your scar.

hope these tips help x

 

[maddiwatts19]

I had a section with Riley and i've breast fed him.
i basically had OH constantly go on ato everyone about the fact i wanted to breast feed and made him pester them!!
good luck!

 

[Shifter]

Nikki hun, welcome to the BF forum!

I highly recommend getting a v-pillow/feeding cushion to take into hospital. I had the presence of mind to grab it on my transfer from home! I had trouble trying to feed lying on my side, though lots of mums recommend it, as it actually hurt my wound area to lie on my side due to the remnants of my bump dropping down and pulling at the wound.

Make sure you get the chance to feed in recovery, in some BF friendly hospitals you won't even need to say you want to do this as they will encourage you to anyway. Make sure someone well trained in BFing is there when you try. I just had a random nurse plonk Jack in front of me (on my side) and got no help until we moved to the ward, by which point it was a few hours since the surgery and I believe that was the cause of our problems.

I'm sure you'll do great

 

[Samantha675]

It is the placenta coming away that sets off the hormones that you need for your milk to come in, not labor. After that it is up to you and your LO. Feed as often as he/she wants and your milk will come in. I had an emergency c-section on a Thursday morning, and pretty much let BRenn camp out on the boob, and my milk was well in by Sunday morning.

 

[beancounter]

i had a planned section and also Finn was ill and in neonatal for 4 days, so I didn't feed him for 3, but breastfeeding went really, really well for us. He was on a glucose drip and was supposed to need formula top ups, but I wouldn't have any of that. A positive frame of mind helps, a lot of people who had a natural birth can have difficulty, but if they were to have difficulty after a section, they would blame it on the section so you heard about it but there's no reason it would stop you sucessfully BF. Good luck!

 

[wishing4ababy]

I had a section and breastfed hun...i also recommend the feeding cushion. I found it a blessing. I made sure the midwives knew i wanted skin to skin as soon as possible and charlie fed off me whilst i was waiting to be taken back up to the ward.
good luck hun. xxxx

 

[NikiJJones]

Thanks ladies. This has made me feel tons better. My feeding cushion is all ready to go with the hospial bag, and don't worry: I will be telling everyone that I am going to breastfeed, so hopefully I'll get plenty of support. I've already requested skin to skin as soon as possible too. Hopefully all will go just fine. I've actually been dripping milk since about 4 and a half months, so FX there will be no problem with the supply, and Baby has been told in no uncertain terms that he is BFing whether he wants to or not!!
Great to know there is such a strong support network here though. Thanks!

 

[Samantha675]

Also take your pillow from home, my DH brought me mine, and I really appreciated having it, it made me feel more comfortable being in the hospital, which I think helped me relax and feed better. The most important thing is to be determined.