HELP, I’VE HAD A C-SECTION

Even though your baby came into the world through your sunroof, you can still request skin to skin contact after the cord is cut and he has been checked out by the doctors, says lactation consultant Leana Habeck. “If this isn’t possible, ask if the baby’s father can place the baby on his bare chest while he is waiting for you to return from theatre. Research shows if dad can do this, baby may take the breast much faster once mom is back with baby.”

It’s tempting to let baby go to the nursery so you can rest after this major abdominal surgery, but room in with your baby if you can, she recommends. “This means letting your baby sleep in your hospital room 24/7. This facilitates breastfeeding and is associated with a shorter time to effective latch, increased milk supply and longer duration of the breastfeeding relationship,” she explains.

Initially it may be challenging to breastfeed. “Ask the hospital staff to help you feed baby in the football hold (see sidebar) the first time, because you will still be lying down. But as soon as you can sit up you can latch baby in any position that is comfortable for you,” says Leana.

organise sucking, swallowing and breathing. “A newborn’s tummy is the size of a marble. They are only able to hold between 5ml and 10ml per feed initially,” she says.

Having come from a sterile environment into our bug-filled world, immune protection during the first two days of life is more important than the volumes of food your baby is getting, explains Leana. Colostrum is packed with high amounts of white blood cells and infection-fighting substances. They protect your baby against infections and help to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria by coating the digestive system.

Colostrum also has laxative properties, which encourages baby’s first poo (meconium), an important process to prevent jaundice from occurring. It also helps your baby clear out mucus secretions swallowed at birth and in the womb by assisting the breakdown of stomach fluids. “It’s a case of dynamite coming in small packages,” says Leana.

THE MAGIC OF MOMMY’S MILK

Many new mothers ask how they will know when their milk comes in. Don’t worry – you can’t miss it! On about day three your breasts will take on a life of their own, becoming firm, warm and probably a good few sizes bigger. The extra fluid and blood in your breasts cause this. They can unfortunately also feel quite painful because of the swelling between the ducts – a sensation you may be familiar with from premenstrual symptoms.

At this point colostrum becomes mixed with mature milk – this is called transitional milk and it’ll look yellowish and creamy. By week two, mature milk will have fully replaced the transitional milk, says Leana.

Unlike formula, which comes in a one-size-fits all feed, the milk released from your breasts goes through different stages in a feed. This begins with the letdown reflex, or milk ejection reflex (MER). “The sucking on the nipple acts as a stimulus to the mother’s body. It sends a message to her brain to release prolactin and oxytocin into the bloodstream. This tells the breasts to release milk and make more milk,” explains Leana. “A mother might experience a letdown as a tingling sensation. Milk may flow like a small fountain from one breast and drip from the other while baby is suckling. This is because MER activates in both breasts at the same time,” she says.

Hearing your baby cry or even thinking of him can trigger MER. “This is because the nerve pathways for milk ejection run through the emotion processing area of the brain,” explains Leana.

There are several letdowns per feed, although most mothers only sense the first one. As the breast starts to empty, fat globules begin to dislodge and move down the ducts. “Letdown facilitates this process so the fat content in milk gradually increases as the feed progresses,” she says.

Doing everything you can to facilitate the process and make breastfeeding work well in the early weeks is important for success, says Leana. “Successful breastfeeding consists of a few elements: lots of milk, a confident mother, a good latch from baby, all in a basket of support. You need to make a commitment to breastfeed, but once you have done this you will find a way to do it,” she says.

Try not to think of breastfeeding as a skill to master (or a measure of your worth as a mother), think of it as a relationship, suggests Leana. And all relationships take work! “As mothers hold their babies (and a lot of holding is encouraged), baby will be more comfortable in seeking the breast, and breastfeeding will flow naturally out of this affectionate relationship.” YB