Failed breastfeeding after an emergency c-section?

[nori]

Hi all,

as you no doubt know i decided to change to formula after only a week or so and was gutted. Im so adamant that had i not had a c-section which delayed my milk coming in and prevented me from moving to get baby properly latched then i would have been more succesful. Having spoken with a couple of friends who also had a c-section they had the same problem. Was just wondering how common this is and whether any of you ladies had issues after a section.

I know its nothing i can change now and i had to do what was right at the time (still upsets me though).

Claire x

 

[xmcnickyx]

I had problems with feeding ater a section but in my case, there were other factors which made it all the more difficult.

Mainly that Molly was jaundiced and that I was bullied into bottle feeding by the midwives but there are a lot of things that went against us. I lost a lot of blood during the op and so it took them a while to get me put back together right so I didn't get to hold her for 2 hours. I had gestational diabetes too so the midwives were obsessed with her blood sugar and making sure it didn't fall which meant she was given formula by cup. She was taken to Special Care because her blood sugar was low and given more formula, then she got jaundiced and too sleepy to feed. To top it all off I had a total cow of a midwife who shouted at me and pretty much said it was my fault that she was jaundiced and that I had to feed her every 3 hours.

I am still really pissed off that it didn't work. If I'd had problems because of me then I'd probably be able to accept it a bit more but I feel like the decision was taken out of my hands a bit. I'm still producing tiny amounts of milk so am trying to re-lactate at the moment, stimulating the breast every couple of hours and have managed to get Molly to latch on for comfort...if nothing happens at least I know I've tried - twice!

 

[Charlie:-)]

I know how upset you have been with the decision to switch to formula but you need to do what is right for you and your baby so please don't beat yourself up about it what is more important is that you have a very healthy and happy baby.

I had an emergency section but I didn't experience any problems with breastfeeding Maia, I stipulated in my birth plan I wanted lots of skin to skin once she was born and that I wanted to breastfeed. Once I was in the recovery room she was put straight to the breast, latched straight away and fed for 45 minutes and my milk came in 2 days after she was born. I also have 3 other friends who had emergency sections who breastfed successfully. I didn't have any problems with trying to move if she came off the breast, and there were lots of midwives about so I would just call for one of them to help me.

My experience with some medical professionals is that you really have to make it known and state your wishes very firmly before you get listened to and taken seriously. Sorry that you feel your section has hindered your breastfeeding, all I can suggest is maybe next time you really harp on about how important it is and talk about what you want to happen, i.e. straight to breast lots of skin to skin and lots of help afterwards

 

[ninjawomble]

Hun I completley understand. I tried putting Isla straight to my breast after my section, and she just screamed. I tried this for the first two days, and she got so distressed. There was just nothing there for her
I was expressing like a demon, by hand and using the hospital pump, but NOTHING.
I had to give in and feed her bottles as was so worried she was gonna starve (she was in scbu with dehydration and feeding problems due to being full of mucous from the section)

I felt like such a failure The MWs explained that it was prolly the section that was delaying my milk coming in and the lack of colostrum. Ive tried and now given up on expressing and putting her to my breast since, she gets so angry

I feel really crappy

 

[nori]

[quote="CharlieMy experience with some medical professionals is that you really have to make it known and state your wishes very firmly before you get listened to and taken seriously. Sorry that you feel your section has hindered your breastfeeding, all I can suggest is maybe next time you really harp on about how important it is and talk about what you want to happen, i.e. straight to breast lots of skin to skin and lots of help afterwards [/quote]

I cant really complain about the staff tbh.. they were so supportive. Ollie latched great but was on the breast constantly. My milk took 5 days to come in and by then i was a mess. It all went tits up after giving him bottles as i had the nipple confusion thing. Good to hear you managed it ok though. Oh and you are right i have got to stop beating myself up! lol

Claire x

 

[babynumbertwo]

I had a normal birth first time around and an emergency section with my 2nd. My experience was that it definately affected my milk supply. My milk came in a few days later this time compared to my first which meant baby was quite unsettled. Fortunately once my milk did come in I didn't have any problems with my supply so I was lucky to be able to continue feeding. I know it's easy to say but you tried your best so you really shouldn't feel guilty. My midwife said to me that having a traumatic birth often means your body doesn't do exactly what it's supposed to afterwards so I'm sure there are lots of people who have had this experience xx

 

[purplebluered]

I think it's much more common than we realise. My milk took 8 days to come in after my emergency section. I look back and I wonder how I coped with it, it was a combination of sheer perseverence, my DH supporting me so well, supportive midwives, and thankfully Isaac was fine with it all, he took it all in his stride. He was traumatised after the birth so I didn't get to feed him till 4 hours after he was born and even then didn't feed him properly till the next day. Just one of these things not happening e.g. midwives, DH etc and the balance would have tipped, I feel, there was one point where I felt I couldn't do it any longer, then it got easier. The one thing that kept me going as well was hearing from quite a lot of my friends who gave up and listening to their experiences - I remembered what they had told me and it's credit to my friends that I carried on.

I think as mothers there's always something we can find to beat ourselves up about! Breastfeeding worked for me, but I beat myself up about the birth and things that happened, or didn't happen and I feel like a failure for that. Somehow we'll always find a way to feel guilty and beat ourselves up!!

 

[charlotte_]

i struggled after my emergency c-section. i had a general anaestetic, and when i came round was far too dopey to feed zach proeprly, and for the next few days because i couldn't sit up/turn on my side properly he wasn't latching on properly (not helped by me having really flat nipples), he made me really sore, my nipples were black & looked like they were going to fall off! the MW's took him from me, and gave him formula, against my will (and a dummy ) i ended up having to express like mad while i was in hospital, and now we're home i'm using nipple sheilds, which just makes the pain bearable. i'm determined to stick at it, but i think i'll be using nipple shields permanantly. the whole experience, this far has been so negative.

 

[Lisamj]

It was hard work to get things going, but I BF Sam for just over 4months after a c-section due to him being breech (and a month early so my boobs really were unprepared). I always had a low milk supply which I don't know if that had anything to do it but I doubt it.

I was out of bed and walking about the day after the section though so I could feed on demand.

Lisa x

 

[heles7]

I had an emergency section and am still breastfeeding but it hasn't been without some tough hurdles. LO took a feed from me in the first few hours but after that he wouldn't feed and did a lot of screaming; he was jaundiced and midwives were okay with a couple of exceptions which made things very hard for me. I refused to let them give him a bottle but agreed if they felt he needed some formular they could offer some from a cup to avoid confusion.

I was in hospital for 7 days after he was born and I am sure if i has been let out after 3 days, I wouldn't have managed to maintain the breastfeeds. Things got harder with me getting ill later on too but I stuck it out. The last doctor at the hospital who had to check james for his weight loss commented on how well i had done when so many things went so wrong.

I haven't followed your story nori but is it too late for you to still try to get lo on the breast? I managed after a few days being unable to breastfeed cos of an operation to resume it but i needed a lot of help from the breast feeding co-ordinator.

 

[Becky]

I had an emergency section with DD and although my milk took till about day 4/5 to come in I managed to successfully breast feed until she was 8 months old.

It was very hard getting positions right and at one stage I had blood blisters on my nipples, I was an emotional wreck in hospital and kept thinking I'd failed her because I was having such problems with b/f. In reality I was just tired after a long induction/labour and thankfully I had some good midwives and a daughter who seemed to breastfeed on instinct.

I think breastfeeding, like labour and birth is one of those things that comes down to circumstances that are out of your control. You can only react to the events as they happen and the outcome is not something that you should "blame" yourself for.