Breastfeeding After C-Section
Is breastfeeding after a C-section possible? I am planning on having a C-section, but I am concerned that I may have trouble breast-feeding and this is extremely important to me as I have been reading how vital it is to my baby that I nurse.
While a mother who has delivered through a cesarean section may face more difficulties when trying to breast-feed, she can be just as successful as a mother who delivered vaginally.
One of the biggest roadblocks to breast-feeding your baby after having this operation is that you need adequate time for your recovery. This may delay the time it takes for you to hold and ultimately nurse your baby for the first time. Some mothers may be able to nurse right away, while may take others a couple of days or more. However, it is entirely up to you once you are fully alert after having a C-section when you want to start breast-feeding.
While you should not feel any pressure to nurse quickly after your baby is born, do keep in mind that breast-feeding your baby soon after he is born is very advantageous as it is important that your newborn drinks your colostrum. This is known as the first milk and it is what your baby will be drinking for the first few days of his life until your milk comes in. Colostrum is full of the anti-bodies and nutrients that your newborn will need to thrive, and it is all packed into tiny doses, as your baby’s digestive system is very small at this point.
This is why you want to be sure to ask to see your baby as soon as possible after delivery if there are no complications. This will not only give you a chance to breast-feed, but to bond with your baby and have skin to skin contact.
It is normal to have concerns about nursing while being medicated, but it is believed by most experts that these medications will not harm your baby. There is also a benefit to breast-feeding while you are on painkilling medication, as you will find it much more comfortable, and pain is known to suppress your milk production.
To keep the baby from putting pressure on your new incision, you will want to have a nurse show you how feed your newborn in the side lying position. Your baby will then be placed on his side, facing you chest to chest. Be sure to remind your partner to pay close attention to how the baby is being positioned for you to nurse, as you will need plenty of help in the weeks ahead getting your baby into the proper breast-feeding positions.
As you start to recover from your cesarean section, you will begin to nurse just as any other mother does and start to find that there is very little difference between breast-feeding your baby, no matter how he was delivered.
Related posts: