Last time trying.

amandajmonceaux · December 2015

I'm having one last baby in July 2016. I really want to try and breastfeed this one but with all my others I have had multiple problems. My first child I had no milk. My second couldn't latch on good and I had no milk and my third well he used me as a pacifier. And all of their latches made sores on my breast. I'm not sure if the c sections and meds have anything to do with my milk supply but I would like any suggestions. I have also pumped in between feeding to try and get my milk to come in. It just never does. I'm at a loss of I should even try with this one or not.

ladythrice · December 2015

/waves! I'm also due in July 2016 with my next one!

I had a C/S with my first and while they can affect breastfeeding success, it is completely possible to be successful at BFing after having a C/S.

While in the hospital, it is imperative that you get as much skin to skin with LO as possible, and to get their latch evaluated by a LC if possible. Knowing that having a C/S adds additional road blocks to your success will keep you forearmed.

Potential 'issues' that can result from having a C/S that can affect BFing:
-IV Fluids: Excess fluids in your body can delay milk coming in (it did for me). This is where constant nursing will be imperative. Remember that your breast is not replacing a pacifier, a pacifier replaces your breast. It is completely for your LO to want to be at the breast constantly.
-No immediate skin-to-skin. This can also delay your milk coming in.
-Supplementation: of breastmilk or formula can reduce supply. We supplemented in the hospital on the advice of the nurses because of weight loss. By the time we'd left the hospital, LO had lot 9% of his weight (10% is the max hospitals like to see). Supplementing (with anything, formula or breastmilk) early on GREATLY affects your body's ability to know how much milk it needs to make. Milk production is a supply and demand process. When a baby is supplemented, it demands less from the breast which ultimately affects your supply.
-For us, supplementing led to a weak suck which took MONTHS to fix. A weak suck also contributes to low supply.

These are just a tiny tip of the iceberg of tips I have directly related to post-C/S breastfeeding success. I spent the entire 19 weeks of my maternity leave educating myself on breastfeeding because I wanted to be successful. It was hard work, one of the hardest things I've ever done, but today I'm still breastfeeding #1. I'm proud I was able to make it work!

chelseaepley · December 2015

I had a cs and breastfeeding is going great for us. In the hospital, ask them to take the IV out asap. Do skin to skin immediately. If its a scheduled cs the hospital should let you if you and baby are okay. Let baby nurse as much as he wants. My son nursed what seemed like 24/7 but my milk came in on day 4. He lost a lot of weight and his ped wanted me to supplement but I didn't because I knew it would effect my milk. Best advice-just nurse on demand. Every time baby cries out him on the breast and you shouldn't have any problems.

jenniferamcooper · December 2015

Great advice here! I had a c section and EBF until I introduced solids at 6 months then supplemented a with a few feeds of whole milk when I went back to work at 12 months. So it can be done!

To be honest I didn't know that having a section was supposed to effect BFing until much later on. I was lucky to have lots of skin to skin and immediately started BFing while I was being put back together.

If your LO has trouble this time maybe see if you can talk to a LC. I also know a mom who couldn't BF her first 2 kids but was fine with her 3rd after a lip tie was fixed. Her doctor checked her other 2 kids and they had lip ties too.

Also in the first few days apply all of the lanolin even if you think your nips are okay, things can go south quickly.

NurseRieger · December 2015

ladythrice said:
/waves! I'm also due in July 2016 with my next one!

I had a C/S with my first and while they can affect breastfeeding success, it is completely possible to be successful at BFing after having a C/S.

While in the hospital, it is imperative that you get as much skin to skin with LO as possible, and to get their latch evaluated by a LC if possible. Knowing that having a C/S adds additional road blocks to your success will keep you forearmed.

Potential 'issues' that can result from having a C/S that can affect BFing:
-IV Fluids:
Excess fluids in your body can delay milk coming in (it did for me). This is where constant nursing will be imperative. Remember that your breast is not replacing a pacifier, a pacifier replaces your breast. It is completely for your LO to want to be at the breast constantly.
-No immediate skin-to-skin. This can also delay your milk coming in.
-Supplementation: of breastmilk or formula can reduce supply. We supplemented in the hospital
on the advice of the nurses because of weight loss. By the time we'd
left the hospital, LO had lot 9% of his weight (10% is the max hospitals
like to see). Supplementing (with anything, formula or breastmilk)
early on GREATLY affects your body's ability to know how much milk it
needs to make. Milk production is a supply and demand process. When a
baby is supplemented, it demands less from the breast which ultimately
affects your supply.
-For us, supplementing led to a weak suck which took MONTHS to fix. A weak suck also contributes to low supply.

These are just a tiny tip of the iceberg of tips I have directly related to post-C/S breastfeeding success. I spent the entire 19 weeks of my maternity leave educating myself on breastfeeding because I wanted to be successful. It was hard work, one of the hardest things I've ever done, but today I'm still breastfeeding #1. I'm proud I was able to make it work!

This. 10% is the max weight loss a hospital wants to see before wanting supplementation. Keep in mind that the IV fluids you receive will give an inflated birth weight. CS, induction, epidural may all give larger birth weight and consequently more weight loss. And colostrum is drops so BF babies drop a little more because of less intake in the beginning. Find a pedi beforehand that is pro-BFING and more conservative with supplementing. The problem is that once baby gets a feel for the bottle ease, they may not want the breast again. This was a problem for me because the hospital basically strong armed me into giving a bottle. Took a good week and a major headache to gethim to latch again

doodleoodle · December 2015

I had a c section and I didn't know it could impact breastfeeding. In the hospital though we pretty much did skin to skin the entire time. Anytime my baby is fussy I first change her diaper and then give her the option to eat. My milk came in on day 4 or 5 and low supply has not been an issue.

klirwin82 · December 2015

Personally I think people who say C-sections make it harder to breastfeed are midwife lobbyists pushing their own agenda for intervention-free births.

I had a c/s and they put LO on my chest (after they checked him and took measurements) while they sewed me up. We did skin to skin in recovery and throughout my 4 day hospital stay. My LO was only 5 lbs and initially had problems with blood sugar and a weak suck. So I put him on the breast to encourage him to latch, then my husband fed him his high-cal supplement while I pumped for 20 min to collect colostrum and prompt my milk to come in. We mixed that colostrum with the supplement so he could get some of the benefits despite not successfully latching. By day 4 my milk had come in and he was latching much better and we went home breastfeeding, no more supplementing.

He'll be 6 months next week (yay July babies!) and still going strong on the boobie juice. EBF and we just started playing around with solids a few weeks ago. He's had no formula supplement since leaving the hospital.

I've not had supply problems any worse than anyone else, LO eats like a horse while I'm at work so I take some herbal supplements to keep supply strong. Plenty of women with vaginal births have the same supply issues, especially when returning to work.

Don't let anyone convince you a c/s will make BFing harder than it is with any other kind of birth. And supplementing in the hospital isn't the end of things either, just make sure you keep up with the pumping!

Best of luck to you!

ETA: we did the Breast/supplement/pump routine for every feeding in the hospital, every 2 hours RTC. Also, my LO did not have a problem going bottle to breast and back. Not to say every LO is that way but we haven't had a problem so don't think that using a bottle early is indicative of future BF success.

ladythrice · December 2015

klirwin82 said:

Personally I think people who say C-sections make it harder to breastfeed are midwife lobbyists pushing their own agenda for intervention-free births. I had a c/s and they put LO on my chest (after they checked him and took measurements) while they sewed me up. We did skin to skin in recovery and throughout my 4 day hospital stay. My LO was only 5 lbs and initially had problems with blood sugar and a weak suck. So I put him on the breast to encourage him to latch, then my husband fed him his high-cal supplement while I pumped for 20 min to collect colostrum and prompt my milk to come in. We mixed that colostrum with the supplement so he could get some of the benefits despite not successfully latching. By day 4 my milk had come in and he was latching much better and we went home breastfeeding, no more supplementing. He'll be 6 months next week (yay July babies!) and still going strong on the boobie juice. EBF and we just started playing around with solids a few weeks ago. He's had no formula supplement since leaving the hospital. I've not had supply problems any worse than anyone else, LO eats like a horse while I'm at work so I take some herbal supplements to keep supply strong. Plenty of women with vaginal births have the same supply issues, especially when returning to work. Don't let anyone convince you a c/s will make BFing harder than it is with any other kind of birth. And supplementing in the hospital isn't the end of things either, just make sure you keep up with the pumping! Best of luck to you! ETA: we did the Breast/supplement/pump routine for every feeding in the hospital, every 2 hours RTC. Also, my LO did not have a problem going bottle to breast and back. Not to say every LO is that way but we haven't had a problem so don't think that using a bottle early is indicative of future BF success.

Except that it has been clinically proven that C/Ss can affect breastfeeding success... Your opinion, while interesting, doesn't negate the fact that a variety of things that occur during C/Ss have the potential to make success at breastfeeding more difficult to obtain. I am absolutely living proof of that and am by no means a midwife lobbyist pushing any sort of agenda for intervention-free births.

No one is saying that you can't successfully breastfeed after a C/S. Every single person here has in fact said the opposite. While your personal experience was positive, the OP (and others, myself included) did experience very real issues that were a direct result of having had a C/S. Knowing what those issues are ahead of time will help mothers prepare for them when the next C/S comes. Dismissing those concerns as fodder contrived by "midwife lobbyists" is completely ridiculous and serves no utility in this discussion. Sharing your personal experience however is great. It is wonderful to see that some women experience no issues after having a C/S.

klirwin82 · December 2015

There is a fine line between being knowledgeable about the difficulties one may encounter when BFing (regardless of birth method it is HARD), and scare tactics that convince c-section mommas that BFing and c/s are incompatible. It has the double effect of making people terrified of c/s because they think they won't be able to BF, and then they pressure their provider to attempt a contraindicated vaginal birth.

ladythrice said:

-Supplementation: of breastmilk or formula can reduce supply. We supplemented in the hospital
on the advice of the nurses because of weight loss. By the time we'd
left the hospital, LO had lot 9% of his weight (10% is the max hospitals
like to see). Supplementing (with anything, formula or breastmilk)
early on GREATLY affects your body's ability to know how much milk it
needs to make. Milk production is a supply and demand process. When a
baby is supplemented, it demands less from the breast which ultimately
affects your supply.

Here you're trying to employ those same scare tactics about supplementing and I take issue with this because it's dangerous. Yes, BFing is supply and demand. If baby needs supplementing, as long as you simulate demand by pumping in place of the missed feeding, your supply is not going to suffer. You'll only have problems if you supplement and then skip the pump. Rejecting medical advice to supplement is not good for the baby and the hospital could end up calling CPS if you continue to refuse to supplement.

I work for a large hospital. Nurses and doctors don't have any secret hidden plans to undermine women's BFing plans. Most providers definitely encourage BFing because they're aware of the health benefits to mom and baby. They have the baby's wellbeing foremost on their mind and yours as well. If they tell you baby needs supplementing, it's because baby needs supplementing. By no means does that mean your BFing journey is ruined. It means you get to enjoy pumpin' & Bumpin' a little sooner, that's it.

And while I completely disagree with you about supplementing (and midwife lobbyists), I say congrats to all of us for sticking with it. We are proof that birth method is not an indicator for long term BFing success.

krissyberb · December 2015

My big thing is to make sure you have good support. Breastfeeding is the hardest thing I've done. Get your partner on board with you. Establish a relationship with a good lactation consultant before baby comes to talk about your issues with previous babies. If baby won't latch, get help. There may be an underlying issue like a tongue tie.

ladythrice · December 2015

klirwin82 said:

There is a fine line between being knowledgeable about the difficulties one may encounter when BFing (regardless of birth method it is HARD), and scare tactics that convince c-section mommas that BFing and c/s are incompatible. It has the double effect of making people terrified of c/s because they think they won't be able to BF, and then they pressure their provider to attempt a contraindicated vaginal birth.

-Supplementation: of breastmilk or formula can reduce supply. We supplemented in the hospital on the advice of the nurses because of weight loss. By the time we'd left the hospital, LO had lot 9% of his weight (10% is the max hospitals like to see). Supplementing (with anything, formula or breastmilk) early on GREATLY affects your body's ability to know how much milk it needs to make. Milk production is a supply and demand process. When a baby is supplemented, it demands less from the breast which ultimately affects your supply.
Here you're trying to employ those same scare tactics about supplementing and I take issue with this because it's dangerous. Yes, BFing is supply and demand. If baby needs supplementing, as long as you simulate demand by pumping in place of the missed feeding, your supply is not going to suffer. You'll only have problems if you supplement and then skip the pump. Rejecting medical advice to supplement is not good for the baby and the hospital could end up calling CPS if you continue to refuse to supplement. I work for a large hospital. Nurses and doctors don't have any secret hidden plans to undermine women's BFing plans. Most providers definitely encourage BFing because they're aware of the health benefits to mom and baby. They have the baby's wellbeing foremost on their mind and yours as well. If they tell you baby needs supplementing, it's because baby needs supplementing. By no means does that mean your BFing journey is ruined. It means you get to enjoy pumpin' & Bumpin' a little sooner, that's it. And while I completely disagree with you about supplementing (and midwife lobbyists), I say congrats to all of us for sticking with it. We are proof that birth method is not an indicator for long term BFing success.

@klirwin82, you are completely misrepresenting everything I said and continuing to spread misinformation.

First, I agree whole-heartedly that there is a difference between being knowledgeable and what you are calling so called "scare tactics." If you are inferring that my statement above is a "scare tactic" I'm absolutely baffled. I never once said BFing and having a C/S is incompatible. Never. I in fact said, multiple times..., THE EXACT OPPOSITE. I'm really beginning to think you need to check your reading comprehension.

Second, I also never indicated... anywhere... that a person should attempt a contraindicated vaginal birth. I don't even know why would you would bring up that erroneous conclusion...

Third, supplementation absolutely affects supply. This is not a 'scare tactic,' this is a medical fact. And simply pumping in place of a missed feeding is not a substitute for the physical act of nursing. The fact that you equate the two clearly indicates your lack of education in this area. Pumping can absolutely help prevent the loss of supply but all women are not created equal and some women do not respond to pumps as well as they do to a child nursing.

Fourth, again your reading comprehension is lacking because I never once argued that a woman should reject medical advice and skip supplementing! In fact, I wrote that I took that medical advice myself!

ETA: I truly feel like you carry a large amount of animosity for women who seek 'intervention free births' or 'natural births' a topic that has absolutely nothing to do this with conversation. Your ranting and raving over that topic is completely misplaced and targeted at the wrong audience.

NurseRieger · December 2015

I am not a LC or a midwife but I did receive a lot of my nursing education from both. The word straight from the pros is that any kind of birth intervention has the potential to interfere with nursing. Mainly anesthesia screws up the latch because of groggy baby. That being said I have a friend who had an emergency CS under general anesthesia and BF no problem. I have a coworker who had routine CS and had problems. Every situation is a little different and medical intervention is sometimes necessary so for some it takes a little help to recover. Nothing wrong with wanting natural childbirth, nothing wrong with wanting pain relief it's a very personal decision. Disagree with midwife agenda. They are all about natural births but in this country of lawsuits I doubt there's many out there wanting to take on high risk pregnancy for natural delivery. In my area you can't even find a doctor or midwife to do a vbac. Midwives are all about low risk pregnancy and they work under a doctor so when an intervention is needed the supervising OB comes in. I forgot to add in my last post if supplementing is needed ask an LC for an at the breast supplementor. The baby still latches onto breast and formula is dropped in so they don't get the faster flow and ease of bottle.

Last time trying.

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