Q&A Breastfeeding
I’m having a scheduled c-section in a few months’ time, simply because my first was also a c-section and I’m not a good candidate for a v-bac. The first one was an emergency, and my baby and I were separated for a few days. I didn’t even attempt breastfeeding as I was really ill. This time I really want to nurse my baby, but I’ve read that having a caesar can have a negative effect on the potential success. What do I need to know about nursing after a c-section?
SR LINDA BRITZ ANSWERS: Congratulations! Looking forward to your second baby is exciting, but you can be overwhelmed by emotions from your birth experience with your first child. Although that is your only reference, each pregnancy and every birth is different, and the circumstances are not the same. Each baby brings new memories to the occasion. You now have an understanding and expectation of what may happen, and as you prepare for this moment, you need to have a fresh idea of this special time with this new baby.
Having knowledge of the process is going to help you feel at ease as you near your baby’s birth. To help you get ready and have peace of mind, it would be advisable to attend a childbirth education class on both the c-section birth and especially a refresher course on getting off to a good start with your breastfeeding. This will be the best way to build your confidence, and make sure that you feel empowered to “take in” the birthing moment and “take hold” of following through with the guidance you are given, which will encourage you to have a successful, happy breastfeeding journey for months ahead.
It is very important that your pain is managed well for the first 24 hours after your caesarean section. This will allow you to enjoy your baby, without having discomfort. Each day gets better as you get up and move about more, and your body starts to heal.
Keep your baby close to you after birth in skin-to-skin contact on your chest between your breasts. Each baby given this opportunity will go through a few instinctive stages that are natural and allow your baby to find your breast and start suckling when Baby is ready. This time is called the Golden Hour and sets the stage for breastfeeding.
This not only helps you get to know and bond with your baby but also helps Baby settle well after birth. Their temperature will be maintained, and heart rate, breathing and blood sugar stabilised. Baby will be calm and show you cues such as rooting, which is a reflex that causes them to open with a wide mouth and search for the breast, allowing a deep latch, and then suck, which is another natural reflex, to drink the newborn milk called colostrum. As Baby suckles, you will start to notice and hear swallowing as the milk is removed from your breast.
One of the main reasons that it is often said that a caesarean birth affects breastfeeding is that you’re not going to go through all the steps of natural labour. Therefore, there can be a delay with your milk filling your breasts, in the early days. Oxytocin, the love hormone, is responsible for labour, and it also assists the movement of colostrum in the ducts of the breasts to aid breastfeeding after birth. To help simulate and mimic this process before your birth, it is advisable to start doing an intentional massage daily on your breasts from the eighth month of your pregnancy. This is called breast care.
Do the following, once a day in the shower or bath, under the warm water (or as you get out), as part of your daily routine, massaging each breast gently with tissue or coconut oil. Massage on the breast tissue from your chest wall through to the areola area in all directions. As if your breast were the face of a clock, and your nipple the centre, massage from each number, towards the centre. This massage encourages recognition, helps you detect problems early and helps with drainage through the ducts.
After birth, continue with your breast care (before feeds) at least three times a day: mid-morning, mid-afternoon and mid-evening. Continue your breast care for as long as you breastfeed. You’ll be quite surprised and touched by how well your baby will breastfeed, as this is natural for your baby after birth, if all is well.
YOU’LL BE QUITE SURPRISED AND TOUCHED BY HOW WELL YOUR BABY WILL BREASTFEED, AS THIS IS NATURAL FOR YOUR BABY AFTER BIRTH, IF ALL IS WELL.