RCS set at 39w4d - milk supply question

crystal8503 · September 2014

I had a cesarean with my son after 26 hours of labor with regression in my dilation. I had zero problems nursing, but my scheduled RCS has me anxious my body won't be ready to produce milk since it won't experience going into labor. My question is should I consider trying to pump in advance to help get things going or just wait and see how things go? If you suggest pumping, when should I start and how soon? I'm kind of thinking the most I'd want to do is the day beforehand, is that even worth it? I nursed my son for 19 months and really want to do that for this baby as well.

Justabean3 · September 2014

my body with a C produced Milk exactly the same at 41.5 weeks, induced to C

and RCS at 39 weeks (prob 38)

My RCS the milk actually came in faster and he was spitting up colustrum in the hospital.

I wouldn't worry but with GD they can have low bs and some people hand express or pump a few days before

vrj0522 · September 2014

I just attended a breast feeding class and the LC suggested hand expression at the beginning for better results. I agree that I wouldn't do it earlier than the day before.

Emerald27 · September 2014

I might not pump in advance of your delivery, but instead would focus on making sure my intention to breastfeed is well known by my medical team in advance (birth plan). It's the separation from the uterine wall of the placenta that causes the hormone release signaling your milk to come in, and this of course takes place whether your birth is vaginal or cesarean, so your body will know what to do.

It will take your body 2-6 days to begin producing mature milk regardless of the method of birth. Colostrum is all baby needs at first, and your milk should mature as your baby's unique needs grow.

Some mothers do find that after a cesarean, especially if it was a stressful or difficult birth, it takes a day or two longer for their milk to mature (so 3-7 days instead of 2-6). But frequent skin-to-skin and very frequent nursing help a lot. Avoiding supplementing is helpful too...just keeping baby close to the breast as much as you can.

If you try to arrange in advance for as immediate skin-to-skin contact as possible (some doctors will allow mothers to do skin-to-skin high on their chest with a blanket covering mom and baby even while the cesarean is being completed), and ask to initiate breastfeeding as early as possible (within the first hour after birth is preferred), you'll be setting yourself up for success. Sometimes if baby is rooting and ready to try breastfeeding, moms can even nurse in the OR while lying on their backs and with baby across their chest, with help from a nurse.

Even if you're not able to arrange for immediate skin-to-skin and breastfeeding, it is helpful to request that you be allowed to initiate breastfeeding within the first few hours after baby is born, and to plan to spend as much of your hospital stay as possible skin-to-skin with baby. Your body will regulate baby's temperature when you do skin-to-skin: just ask that a blanket be placed over the two of you.

You might ask that DH be able to do skin-to-skin while you cannot, and ask that no supplements be given to baby while he/she waits for you to be ready to breastfeed. Baby is born with a lovely layer of extra fat (that's that percentage that they often lose during their hospital stay) that acts as a security blanket for the time it might take for baby to learn how to nurse.

If you can request a visit from the LC at your hospital early after the birth too, that can help in case nursing this LO presents any unique challenges.

It really will all be ok.

You will be able to breastfeed this baby!!

ETA: if some of this makes no sense, forgive me. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 am and I am so so so sleepy, but this terrible heartburn isn't letting me sleep! I'll come proofread/edit my post in the morning to make it look like it wasn't written by an intoxicated monkey. :P

persephonerose · September 2014

I had a c-section with my son at 39 weeks, with minimal skin to skin for the first two hours and had no issues breast feeding once they brought him to me in recovery. We were delayed a bit in skin to skin because I had agreed to let DH take him to the nursery for his first bath, DH did skin to skin during that time instead of me. But I don't feel it inhibited us in any way. I was in full milk production by day 4.

SusieBW · September 2014

I had a c-sec with DD at 41w, 1d without ever being in labor and had no trouble nursing at all. It was about 45 minutes to an hour between when she was delivered and when I first got to hold her and try and nurse, and she latched right away and nursed like a pro from the start.

Like Emerald said, it's not labor that causes the hormone release to signal your milk to come in, it's the separation, so no matter what form of delivery you have, it shouldn't matter.

crystal8503 · September 2014

Thank you ladies for putting my mind at ease!!!! I know I shouldn't be stressing about this and it'll all work out, but my mind was going to all the negative places last night while laying here wide awake.

ss265 · September 2014

I have also heard that milk comes in faster the second time you deliver. I am planning to nurse as soon as possible after my RCS and nurse every 2 hours to encourage milk production.

BeckyH05 · September 2014

Thank you @crystal8503‌ for asking this and @Emerald27 for the detailed explanation. My baby has been breech for the last 4 weeks and I am looking at a c-section in 2 weeks. This has been one of my fears about a c-section, but I feel much better now!

sagegoodenough · September 2014

crystal8503 said:
I had a cesarean with my son after 26 hours of labor with regression in my dilation. I had zero problems nursing, but my scheduled RCS has me anxious my body won't be ready to produce milk since it won't experience going into labor. My question is should I consider trying to pump in advance to help get things going or just wait and see how things go? If you suggest pumping, when should I start and how soon? I'm kind of thinking the most I'd want to do is the day beforehand, is that even worth it? I nursed my son for 19 months and really want to do that for this baby as well.

Just wait. Your milk will come in like normal. I've never been allowed to start labor on my own, my milk came in early with the older two but with Wes, I couldn't squeeze anything out until after he was born and was able to bf him to 15 mo.

krazyinsane · September 2014

My girls were born at 39w4d (emergency c-section), 39w4d (RCS), & 40w1d (RCS) my milk came in fine with no pumping at all. I nursed each for 12-14 months.. . I was pregnant by that point and my supply had dropped.

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