Whether you already had a C-section, are scheduled to have one, or are just gathering information about breastfeeding if you do in fact get a C-section, one thing is for sure – you will be able to breastfeed. The big questions to ask are: how and when? Will there be risks? Is it going to be much harder to breastfeed after a C-section?
Your concerns are valid and fortunately, we have answers to them. In this article, we will cover everything that you need to know about breastfeeding after getting a C-section. So, keep on reading to find out more.
Why Breastfeeding After a C-Section Is a Concern
Caesarean delivery is probably less painful than vaginal birth, but that doesn’t mean it’s a lot easier.
Because a C-section is essentially a major surgical procedure, recovery takes longer. Your surgical scar from a c-section takes about two months to heal.
Within that time, your OB will advise you to restrict your movement (specifically to lifting anything heavy) so as not to disrupt the healing of your surgical scar or cause your wound to open. That is one of the two reasons why a c-section can affect the way you breastfeed. How can you breastfeed your baby if you cannot move too much?
Another unfortunate consequence is low milk supply after a C-section, ergo the struggle to breastfeed. Since your body is in recovery mode, it takes longer to produce milk. Couple that with trying to recover from major surgery, and
breastfeeding will truly sound like another bump on the road to motherhood.
But, don’t fret, because, despite those reasons, breastfeeding after a cesarean birth is still very much possible and doable.
When to Start Breastfeeding After C-section
Image Source: iStock
As soon as your baby is delivered and put onto your chest, you can begin breastfeeding. More and more hospitals are becoming more open to letting mums have skin-to-skin contact with their newborns and allowing them an opportunity to bond over breastfeeding.
But, of course, you need the assistance of the people around you, because as much as you want to get right to breastfeeding, if the positioning is too risky or you’re too tired, it’s not going to be worth it. You need to take care of yourself first, so you can take care of your newborn.
So, if you feel stronger after your surgery, then you can try breastfeeding your baby.
How to Breastfeed Post-Caesarean Delivery
Now comes the hard part. You know when you can start breastfeeding; the next on your list is how. You’ll want to know about the positions you can try to be comfortable with breastfeeding, ways you can speed up your recovery to make breastfeeding easier, and ways to increase your milk production.
1. Finding a Comfortable Position
Remember: you just had major surgery. Your doctor will most likely prescribe you some pain meds, so that means all of the pain that you would have felt during your surgery if your c-section did not come with an anesthesiologist will all come hitting you in the face (and literally all over your body) after the surgery.
Given that, you’d need to figure out the most comfortable way to breastfeed your baby. Here are some of the positions we’d like to suggest:
- Side-lying: Lie on the bed on your side and position your baby on their side as well but facing you (or your breast). You can put one arm under your head to avoid it from feeling sore, while your other arm supports the back of your newborn. This position is the most preferred among c-section mums, so you can go ahead, and try this position, and see if you find it comfortable too.
- Football hold: for this position, you need a sturdy but soft pillow to support your baby’s weight. Place the pillow on top of one leg, position your baby on top of the pillow, and hold their body as you would typically hold a football, where their feet are behind your arm and their heads are facing your breast.
- Cradle hold: this one is similar to the football hold because you will use a breastfeeding pillow. The only difference is that your baby’s legs are positioned across your mid-riff.
2. Wear a Belly Binder
What’s a belly binder? It looks very much like those body-shaping belts. Unfortunately, weight loss is not the main objective of belly binders. Doctors would often recommend them to women who underwent C-sections to keep all of mum’s internal organs in place after they’ve been moved around during the operation.
So, in short, belly binders help C-section mums heal faster. Plus, these binders are also meant to address back pain, which you’re going to get a lot of once you start breastfeeding your baby. When you heal faster, the easier it is to breastfeed.
3. Increase your Milk Supply
This suggestion has sub-suggestions as there are many tips and tricks to increase your milk supply. So, let’s talk about them one by one. How can you increase your breast milk after C-section?
- The More Skin, the Better
The more skin-to-skin contact you have with your baby, the better. Studies have shown that more skin-to-skin contact actually helps with your milk supply. Why is that? Skin-to-skin contact calms you and your baby down. The calmer you are, the likelier it is for your milk to come down.
Top that off with the increase of prolactin levels during some skin-to-skin time. Prolactin helps in maintaining your milk supply.
So, grab any opportunity to hold your baby close to you, and let them feel your skin.
- The More You Feed, the Better
Frequent feeding times help stimulate your milk production. So, whenever your baby is crying or being fussy, try to offer your breast. Later on, you’ll learn to spot your baby’s hunger cues to know when she is still hungry after a feed. Best if you feed frequently at night too because your prolactin levels are much higher during the night.
- The More Cookies You Eat, the Better
Try lactation cookies. They’ve become popular in helping to increase mums’ breast milk supply. Although the effectiveness of this supplement differs for every woman, a number of the ingredients used in this product are proven to be effective in increasing milk supply such as fenugreek, oats, and flaxseed.
You can also read about other food that helps increase your milk supply
here.
Image source: iStock
And that wraps up our tips for helping you breastfeed with ease after your tiring C-section surgery. In trying these hacks, you will find that not all will work for you. So, you can easily feel let down after trying one tip and then another.
Do not give up. Do not lose energy or your willingness. Continue making attempts to breastfeed your newborn properly, so that they get the nutrition that they need as they grow up. You can do it, mum!
However, remember that you’re also still recovering from a major surgery, so it’s okay to take it easy. Leave the rest of the chores to your partner and other family members, and focus on getting better, and giving your baby the milk that he needs.
If you’re struggling with breastfeeding your baby after giving birth, do not hesitate to ask for help. Reach out to your child’s paediatrician or a lactation counsellor in your area to assist you in your nursing woes.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
