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Breastfeed after C-section?
- Thread starter AnitaC
- Start date
Breastfeeding after a cesarean operation is fine. Of course you will need help to position your baby. Usually babies are happy and eager to feed straight away. Delaying the first feed and giving formula in the hospital are the two biggest predictors of breastfeeding failure.
Remember that the first milk, colostrum, comes in very small quantities. A normal colostrum feed is between 2 mls and 7 mls. And the babies stomach is also very small around 5mls (one teaspoon) on the day the baby is born. Please don?t worry about how much milk you have ? the colostrum has been waiting for your baby to be born since you were about 16 weeks pregnant.
What is colostrum? Does it benefit my baby in any way?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/colostrum.html
Also remember that in the operation you will be supplied with a saline drip. So although your mouth and throat may feel dry the rest of your body will be well hydrated.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Remember that the first milk, colostrum, comes in very small quantities. A normal colostrum feed is between 2 mls and 7 mls. And the babies stomach is also very small around 5mls (one teaspoon) on the day the baby is born. Please don?t worry about how much milk you have ? the colostrum has been waiting for your baby to be born since you were about 16 weeks pregnant.
What is colostrum? Does it benefit my baby in any way?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/colostrum.html
Also remember that in the operation you will be supplied with a saline drip. So although your mouth and throat may feel dry the rest of your body will be well hydrated.
Best wishes,
SARAH
Hi Anita,
I heard that many priviate hospitals not allow to feed baby immediately after the C-section except if you have a private room to room-in the baby. (all other rooms cannot room-in baby after SARS) You will be all covered during and after the surgery so the nurse and doctor said that it is impossible for baby to latch on. And you will not be allowed to get out of bed the first day after C-section so the earliest time you can breastfeed is the 2nd day.
All the above is what the private hospitals told me. This is absolutely disappointed. Sarah, would you tell us whether we can pump the colostrum on teh first day so the nurse can CUP FEED the baby. The idea is to avoid baby get used to the bottle and still get the colostrum on teh first day if private hospital has so much restrictions...
I am also very eager to breastfeed my baby. What the private hospitals told me doesn't make sense but if they dont allow I have nothing to do. Please give some advice. Thanks
I heard that many priviate hospitals not allow to feed baby immediately after the C-section except if you have a private room to room-in the baby. (all other rooms cannot room-in baby after SARS) You will be all covered during and after the surgery so the nurse and doctor said that it is impossible for baby to latch on. And you will not be allowed to get out of bed the first day after C-section so the earliest time you can breastfeed is the 2nd day.
All the above is what the private hospitals told me. This is absolutely disappointed. Sarah, would you tell us whether we can pump the colostrum on teh first day so the nurse can CUP FEED the baby. The idea is to avoid baby get used to the bottle and still get the colostrum on teh first day if private hospital has so much restrictions...
I am also very eager to breastfeed my baby. What the private hospitals told me doesn't make sense but if they dont allow I have nothing to do. Please give some advice. Thanks
I had my little girl at QM and as she had to go to special care after my C-Section I did not see her until the following day. Despite this, and her being in speciall care for five days, she has been exclusively breast fed since she came home. I pumped the colostrum into a syringe which they gave her in a cup and all formula feeds were from a cup too. So, I'm sure you will be fine.
Hi Anita,
I heard that many priviate hospitals not allow to feed baby immediately after the C-section except if you have a private room to room-in the baby. (all other rooms cannot room-in baby after SARS) You will be all covered during and after the surgery so the nurse and doctor said that it is impossible for baby to latch on. And you will not be allowed to get out of bed the first day after C-section so the earliest time you can breastfeed is the 2nd day.
Cyberyoda: Depends on the hospital, but as I understand it, even though your baby cannot 'room-in' with you, and you'll be unable to go to the baby, the staff should bring the baby to you for breastfeeding.
I delivered by c-section at the Adventist in 2005 and asked to be back on the ward as soon as I was stitched. My baby latched on about 1 hr after birth and we're still going strong.
As paying customers in private hospitals, we should be able to insist on reasonable service such as a modicum of support for breastfeeding our children. If not, we can vote with our feet.
First I don?t think you should lump together all the private hospitals but look at them on a case by case basis. I know of at least one private hospital in Hong Kong that has both a breastfeeding policy and a skin-to-skin policy and actively encourages babies to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth, no matter what sort of birth you have.
I would recommend that you discuss this with your doctor and see if you can get it written in your notes that you are to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth. Even hospitals that have policies that limit mother and baby contact will bow down to instructions from doctors.
If you are unable to breastfeed your baby then hand expressing is recommended rather than pumping. The colostrum is sticky, like honey, and so will stick to the sides of the pump and you won?t be able to collect much. In the first few days if the baby isn?t able to suck hand expressing is done eight times a day and the milk collected in a syringe and then fed to the baby. As your milk increases and becomes less sticky usually mothers are able to pump and collect milk if the baby isn?t breastfeeding, some mothers still find they get more by hand expressing for the first two weeks.
Because the amount you get when you express is a few millilitres it is usually easier to feed the baby from a syringe than from a cup. (Even when the mother manages to express about 20 mls I find it easier to keep filling up the syringe than to try cup feeding with new born babies.)
If because of the hospital policies it turns out that you have to supplement your baby with formula remember that when your milk supply increases you can stop all formula are start fully breastfeeding. If this is your case and you are worried about being able to satisfy your baby on your milk alone a call to one of the LLL Leaders might give you the confidence you need.
Best wishes,
SARAH
For help and information about Breastfeeding
SARAH 2548-7636
MAGGIE 2817-7475
ROCHELLE 2947-7147
MARGARITA 2257-6757
余婉玲 9048-1701
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.lllhk.org
I would recommend that you discuss this with your doctor and see if you can get it written in your notes that you are to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth. Even hospitals that have policies that limit mother and baby contact will bow down to instructions from doctors.
If you are unable to breastfeed your baby then hand expressing is recommended rather than pumping. The colostrum is sticky, like honey, and so will stick to the sides of the pump and you won?t be able to collect much. In the first few days if the baby isn?t able to suck hand expressing is done eight times a day and the milk collected in a syringe and then fed to the baby. As your milk increases and becomes less sticky usually mothers are able to pump and collect milk if the baby isn?t breastfeeding, some mothers still find they get more by hand expressing for the first two weeks.
Because the amount you get when you express is a few millilitres it is usually easier to feed the baby from a syringe than from a cup. (Even when the mother manages to express about 20 mls I find it easier to keep filling up the syringe than to try cup feeding with new born babies.)
If because of the hospital policies it turns out that you have to supplement your baby with formula remember that when your milk supply increases you can stop all formula are start fully breastfeeding. If this is your case and you are worried about being able to satisfy your baby on your milk alone a call to one of the LLL Leaders might give you the confidence you need.
Best wishes,
SARAH
For help and information about Breastfeeding
SARAH 2548-7636
MAGGIE 2817-7475
ROCHELLE 2947-7147
MARGARITA 2257-6757
余婉玲 9048-1701
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.lllhk.org
Chinchilla
Registered User
Sarah,
You said, ?Delaying the first feed and giving formula in the hospital are the two biggest predictors of breastfeeding failure.?
It that just your opinion or do the doctors and nurses agree with you?
Chinchilla
You said, ?Delaying the first feed and giving formula in the hospital are the two biggest predictors of breastfeeding failure.?
It that just your opinion or do the doctors and nurses agree with you?
Chinchilla
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