Anyone had planned section & now breastfeeding???

[Keano_Forever]

Hi everyone

Just wondering if any of you ladies out there have had a planned/elective section and were able to breastfeed straight away and are still doing it successfully?

My heart and mind are set on breastfeeding but I am concerned about how this will happen after my section

I breastfed my last baby for 14 months and was so pleased that the hard work paid off but she was a normal delivery.

Will I still be able to bond with the baby after the section?? What is the best position after the section to breastfeed?

Any advice would be very gratefully received ladies

 

[CoreysMummy]

It wasnt planned, or elective... more emergency...

But, I was able to breastfeed as soon as I was in the recovery room, he latched straight on and sucked away.

EDIT: I was able to feed in 'normal' accross my front position, and rugby hold... both were fine for me, but eveyones different. You will only know when you've had the section im afraid.

 

[Sherlock]

Might want to post this in Ask A Mum as I am sure you will get a few replies there as many Mums don't make it over to the tris. Just a thought

 

[CoreysMummy]

^^ This is a good point, I dont know what im doing in here, must be reminising (sp) about before I had to get up at 6am to feed a baby... oh those were the days

 

[Keano_Forever]

Thanks guys will try copy it over to there

Hi Sherlock, hope you are well

 

[CoreysMummy]

That or mabey Mods will be nice and shuffle this over there for you!!

 

[zebrastripes]

I had a planned section, DD latched on 15 minutes after we arrived in recovery, and we've been happily breastfeeding ever since.

 

[hels]

Thomas was rooting while I was being stitched and BF for over an hour, and has been fine ever since. We bonded instantly.

With Charlie it took a bit longer to BF after birth (also a section, but emergency) but we persevered for over a week to get going and I fed her for 3 months.

Do you worry about movement and positioning after the section, as in your ability to get around etc?? For the first day or so the MW would come and pass the baby to me to feed so I wasnt lifting them out of the bassinet, but after that I felt more than capable to do it myself.

As for positioning, I favoured being laid down, it meant I could doze while feeding lol! (I still do !!)

There are no reasons why BF should be a worry after a section, so good luck with it.

 

[MissThing]

I had a c-section and breastfed straight after (weel, straight after they stiched me). The first night was a bit of a struggle ( you cant get up, so you have to ask nurses to help you all the time) but then it was ok. I did have problems with breastfeeding, but it wasnt connected to c-section. Still, I breastfed till my LO was 4 and a half months old.

So, I dont think you should have problems with breastfeeding, especially if you have experience

 

[valentine]

Hi there,

I've merged all your replies into one post for you Keano, in the Ask a Mum section - thought that might be easier for you to keep track of the replies.

Good luck!

Valentine Xxx

 

[Leese]

My section wasn't planned (though I kind of expected it!) and breastfeeding was very difficult for us, I only managed for 7 weeks and am so sad that I didn't manage more. However, I don't think that was to do with the section as I recovered v quickly from that. More just James and I not really gelling. Maybe next time! Anyway, I had difficulty with the rugby ball hold but feeding lying down was great. Good luck, I'm sure it'll be fine, especially as you managed for so long last time. I know I'll be more confident next time.

 

[Keano_Forever]

Thank you Valentine for moving me over to here!!

Yes my main worry is getting comfortable and what position I will be in after baby is born as it will dictate how and if I can breastfeed.

I had an emergancy section in 2003 and I never got to bond properly with my little boy as I was wiped out for 2 days solid, even after then I could'nt look after myself never mind a baby. I really couldn't deal with that sort of detatchment again.

Thanks everyone for your replies

 

[Bexie]

Hi Keano

I had an elective c-section with my daughter, once she was taken out of me she was taken down to the maternity ward, I was then stitched up (about 30 mins) then another 30 mins in recovery. Once I was taken down to the maternity ward the midwife came along and showed me how to breastfeed in the rugby position and she latched on straight away and I continued to breastfeed for 13 months and loved every minute of it (excluding the cracked nipples and engorged breasts at the begining). I think after a day or so I started to breastfeed her the traditional way using a v shaped pillow, which we still use now when we bottle feed her at bed time.

I did kind of feel quite detatched from her at the begining, I'm not sure if this was cos I'd had a c-section or if I was drugged up or just cos I was in a lot of pain, but to be honest, the more I breast fed her the more I fell in love her. There is chemical released when breast feeding (can't remember what it is called), but apparently it is the same hormone released when you orgasm, I just remember I use to feel a real rush of love for her when I fed her.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

xx

 

[Charlie:-)]

It wasnt planned, or elective... more emergency...

But, I was able to breastfeed as soon as I was in the recovery room, he latched straight on and sucked away.

EDIT: I was able to feed in 'normal' accross my front position, and rugby hold... both were fine for me, but eveyones different. You will only know when you've had the section im afraid.

DITTO exactly the same for me.

Emergency section & I fed her in the recovery room for 45 minutes, fed using all positions no problem and still feeding. Having a section didn't interfere with our bonding.

You could invest in a BF V shaped pillow, I know some people prefer to use these when they've had a section and take them to hospital with them if its planned. I never took mine as it wasn't planned so fed without the pillow and it didn't hurt or aggravate my scar. Now Maia is bigger I hardly ever use the pillow.

 

[hels]

I hope that since your section is going to be planned this time, you'll find things much better.

I never got to bond properly with my little boy as I was wiped out for 2 days solid, even after then I could'nt look after myself never mind a baby. I really couldn't deal with that sort of detatchment again.

I was very much the same, had an emergency sectoin after 30 odd hours of labour, I dont remember 3 days post natal. I didnt bond very well at all with Charlie.

But with Thomas's birth I did a birth plan, which often gets overlooked with a planned section, I knew what I wanted and things went amazingly this time, bonding was instant.

You'll be fine, key is not to over do it and ask for all the help you need.

 

[mayday]

I had an emergency section with father extreme complications, which resulted in me being given a general anaesthetic after the spinal block wore off and suffering blood loss complications. Baby was not well - she had to be resucitated (Agpar score of 1 ) and ended up in SCBU. I ended up in a high dependency ward on 'machines that go ping!' I was not even allowed to see her for 18 hrs, but apparently I was so adamant about breastfeeding even while they were trying to put the anaesthetic mask on me that the SCBU sister made a plan about how we were going to do it.

My baby was drip fed to start with as a result of her condition, then fed by nasal tube, to avoid her getting used to a bottle but getting her used to a full stomach. I was helped by this sister after 3 days to get her to latch on, which wasn't easy to start with, but once we had it figured out there was no looking back. At no point did she tell me it wasn't possible, although later lots of people told me what I had done wasn't possible at all.

I breastfed my baby exclusively until 9 months, when I started to get her ready for my return to work. I then breastfed her morning and night when I was not at work until she was 11 month. I had hoped to get to a year but my baby had discovered how good her teeth were for hanging on while she looked around at all the exciting things in the world, and after drawing blood twice in one day I thought enough was enough.

There is no reason at all why you should breastfeed after a section, but sometimes it takes a bit (or a lot) of effort to start with.

 

[Anna23]

when i had my daughter 4 years ago i had a planned c section and then brestfeed her for 14 month (had to give up as i had to ahve a major opp) i LOVED it the c section was a amasing experiance and was so calm and i loved bfing
after they stiched me up they put her at my side and latched her on, she fead for a hour which was great, then after that i had her in the usual position when i was able to sit up, i did all the positions and they all seemed comfortable