Did you breastfeed staight after birth?

[Laur_250]

Hi, I'm planning to breastfeed and have always wondered if its compulsary that the baby is fed immediately after birth??

I would quite like to freshen up and change 1st, is this un-realistic?

The nightie I have for labour doesnt have straps or buttons to enable breastfeedig and I wouldnt wanna be naked (I know its no time for dignity but I'd like to keep some!) so would I need one that I can wear during labour and can breastfeed easily wearing it once he's out or will I be able to clean up and change into one that is suitable and then breastfeed??

Thanks!xx

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I didn't think about it beforehand but I didn't attempt breast feeding until a couple of hours after the birth when I was changed and had had a bath.

Then baby wasn't interested at all anyway!

I have no idea if this is the norm but yes, i got to freshen up first

 

[LisaJ1986]

I had a cuddle for about 45mins then they insisted i tried breastfeeding. I, like you, was a little off the idea of being naked. I went into labour in my pj's. Got to hospital still in pj's. I was wearing an old shirt from OH so with buttons down the front. Then i got so intensely hot that i made them strip me down to nothing! And still soooo hot! And believe me i have no confidence in my body whatsoever! I just didn't care. But i fed for about 30 mins then they dressed her and i had my shower.

 

[Tiggy26]

As soon as my little boy was born he was put staight in my arms and he breastfed for about an hour.

Txx

 

[beanie]

tbh after the birth I just wanted to hold my baby, I couldn't give a fig about how I looked, smelt etc. The advice is to deliver baby straight onto your chest so they can smell you and find the boob for a feed. I went for a shower about twenty mins after Seren was born and she had had a feed at 10mins. Straight after they will be getting the placenta out of you and examining you so you won't be ableto go for a shower straight away.

I wore a buttonup nightshirt for both of mine so I could get my boob out but still have some dignity

 

[Becky]

I had an emergency section so about 30/45 mins after she was born and I was back in my room the midwife asked if I wanted to feed her - I said yes and she had a good feed.

Obviously I wasn't going anywhere for a while to freshen up but I wasn't bothered, I just went with the flow!

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

I had skin to skin with Evie straight after she was born for about half an hour then I had to be transferred to a hosp (was at a birthing unit) to be stitched up in theatre. It was about 5 hours before I was able to have a proper bash at BF and then couldn't get her interested at all. In fact it was 24hours+ before Evie fed - I was on panic mode but thankfully had great support from the birthing centre (I went back after my little hosp trip as the main hosp was disgusting ). I was told it was because she was a big baby (9lb 1oz) that she wasn't feeding and that she was just living off her fat reserves and sleeping but I also think it was because I didn't have that one on one time initially.

This time will be different, even if I am all torn up again

 

[Sherlock]

I was BF'ing within 40 minutes of LO being born. I had skin on skin for a while, my stitches done, showered quickly, he was dried off and put into a sleepsuit and then given to me to feed.

They don't expexct you to feed as soon as baby is born. You will get a chance to freshen up for sure. But the sooner you can get LO to your boob the better.

 

[katie05]

Ive always wondered what happens if your milk doesnt come in till a few days, how can the baby feed?

 

[Laur_250]

Thanks everyone , i think I will buy a button up nightie to wear for actual labour just incase then, that way if Im up to it I can have a go at breastfeeding straight away or at least before getting cleaned up. Sounds like those of you who got to do it sooner had more success. Can use the other nightie for at home.xx

 

[beanie]

Ive always wondered what happens if your milk doesnt come in till a few days, how can the baby feed?

before the milk comes in the baby gets colostrum which is high in carbs, proteins and contains loads of antibodies

 

[Happybunny]

I gave birth in a t-shirt nightie. They just popped my little girl straight under the nightie and I could feed her whilst snuggled up and retaining some diginity (not that I really cared - I had paraded my piles for all to see by that point! ). She fed pretty soon after birth.

 

[Gem & Leland]

u wont be worrying about getting cleaned up even tho u think u will now

he was put straight onto my boob but he couldnt breastfeed and was tube feed in neonatel ( he was 6 weeks prem and didnt have the sucking action)

 

[Redshoes]

You don't have to BF straight after birth, no, its a personal choice, whether you're going to BF or not it is best for baby to be placed onto your chest for skin to skin, and if baby is uneffected by the birth process ie no drugs effected them, then they will seek out the breast naturally to feed.

Isaac was taken away for a canula fitting in his hand and wasn't returned to me for over an hour but when he was he went straight to the breast and fed very well. I'd had a spinal block so I couldn't move more than an arm and my head so there was no way of getting cleaned up anyway, but tbh I didn't give a hoot about my appearance, as has been said

 

[kalia]

No, I was only occasionally slightly conscious. I have no idea when we first fed but it would have been hours after I think. And we didn't have skin to skin for about 6 weeks as I was worried about her getting cold The hospital tried to put her on me but I was still wearing the stupid hospital gown and my arms had pins and needles from the spinal block so I was worried that I would drop her.

 

[Sherlock]

Ive always wondered what happens if your milk doesnt come in till a few days, how can the baby feed?

As has been said, initially its colostrom that comes out. Really good stuff for baby because of what it contains in those first few days till milk supply kicks in. Its plenty for LO to go on

Babies are evolved to survive fine on it and the body fat store they have (iirc they store extra round their kidneys or somewhere for those first few days) and they always drop from their birth weight the first week or so before gaining again. All quite normal

 

[elaine22]

I breastfed after a couple of hours once they'd stitched me up and everything, I think she fed pretty well.

 

[maybebaby]

After I had ds I had about 10 minutes skin-to-skin then handed him to OH while I delivered the placenta and had a shower (one of the perks of a home birth ! I didn't hold him again until about 45 minutes after he was born. I then insisted they weighed him before I BF in case it changed his weight! So he had his first BF at about an hour old. He wasn't too interested though, he didn't really feed properly until a couple of days later.

I think I'd like to try BF straight away this time round but it depends how everything goes.

 

[poppy160]

I breastfed as soon as I got her back, she had sticky lungs and had been taken away from me for about an hour so she could be given oxygen. She latched on stright away and fed for a good while, which was good because I wanted to comfort her as she had been distressed.

 

[Jade&Evie]

I didn't want to be naked either until the pain was so intense that even the hospital gown irritated me! I paced up and down the labour ward starkers with the midwife and my mum shielding people's eyes!

Evie latched on straight away- TBH for me it was the easiest feed. Then I had a bath and came home 6 hours later. Make sure you get loads of support with the boob feeding- it's not as easy as it looks!