Tips For Breastfeeding After a Cesarean Birth
I have had two cesarean births, one planned and one after an attempted VBAC following laboring for nearly 2 days. I breastfeed both of my kiddos in to toddlerhood. In this blog, I will share some of my favorite tips for breastfeeding after a cesarean. This includes what to expect in your “golden hour” and recovering from your cesarean birth while at home.
♥ Preparing For Your Cesarean Birth
Wondering what to pack in your postpartum bag while preparing for your cesarean birth? Do you have a birth plan written up for your OR and recovery room journey? I personally find that knowing what to expect and prep for can help for a smoother recovery and give realistic expectations about some of the challenges cesarean parents will face during their recovery and breastfeeding process. Motherlove has some great birth plan dialogue resources on their blog HERE. Do your research and come up with your own informed birth plan that is specific to your birth and postpartum preferences.
♥ Golden Hour in the OR and Recovery Room
Initiating skin-to-skin within the first hour after birth is a crucial bonding time for parent and infant. Skin-to-skin helps trigger hormonal responses. These include promoting milk production and hormone stimulation in the parent and body system regulation and familiarization for the infant. Advocating for yourself before heading to the OR (operating room) and reminding your care team that you would like to have your infant placed skin-to-skin on your chest in the OR (depending on the physical state of you and baby) and immediately following to the recovery room. Remember this is important to communicate in your birth plan - put this in writing and give it to your nurse before you are prepped for surgery!
You may feel a little shaky, nauseated, and/or dizzy after your birth. Do not feel scared to ask for extra support in holding your infant safely. Also, do not feel scared to hold off until you feel safe enough to hold your baby, especially, if you are experiencing any symptoms that may impair your ability to use your arms or keep your eyes open.
In the instance that you are unable to have baby come with you to the recovery room, then make a note of who you would like to do skin-to-skin with baby if you are unable to. For example, my first cesarean birth, I was uneducated and did not know I could have my baby in the recovery room with me. Instead, she went with her dad to the nursery where they did skin-to-skin for the first hour of her life.
If baby is separated from you for health reasons, plan to begin pumping with a “hospital grade” breast pump as soon as you can. Ideally within the first 30 minutes to 2 hours after birth. Continue to pump every 2-4 hours, for around 15 minutes a session, around the clock while separated from your infant.
♥ The First 72 Hours
Now that you are back in your postpartum room and your pain medications are wearing off, you may notice that you are having some incisional pain while holding baby in certain positions to nurse. One word: Pillows. Take advantage of what the hospital will provide you and use many pillows to prop yourself up: one behind you and one on each side of your body to support your arms. Some parents choose to pack a breastfeeding pillow. In a bit, I will talk about different nursing holds for optimal comfort while recovering from your cesarean birth.
Your care team will want you to be up and walking as soon as your bladder catheter is out and maybe even sooner! Use a pillow to support your abdomen when you stand and walk around. Keep your baby’s bassinet close to your beside so you can easily see their feeding cues and bring them to breast/chest to initiate feeding. The early days will consist of you bringing baby to breast by watching baby’s cues and offering feeds often during wake periods. As you and baby learn to work together over the next few days to weeks, then feedings will become more collaborative. Do not be afraid to call your care team to your room if you feel that you need help getting your baby in and out of the basinet.
Depending on what medications and interventions are used, or any complications that arise: baby may be sleepy, you may have some postpartum edema (swelling) and/or baby may have some excessive weight loss in the first 24-48 hours from fluid retention. These are all things to discuss with your health care provider and how they may affect breastfeeding based on your specific scenario.
♥ The Football Hold
The “football hold” nursing position was my favorite position during my first cesarean recovery. It helps keep all of baby’s weight off of the incision while nursing and allows for a deeper latch! To do this position, you can use regular pillows, or a breastfeeding pillow. In the hospital, I used regular pillows. I placed one on each side of my body and I sat up straight, with the head of my bed raised. My baby was placed on my side and under my arm while nursing her. The “football hold” greatly reduces the pressure on the incision area and also allows you to ice the incision without exposing baby to the cold pack.
♥ Breastfeeding At Home
Now that your home, you probably are wondering what tips and tricks will help you breastfeed while recovering. I have found that “camping” out on your couch or in your bed with your essentials near by is super helpful. For my first recovery, I slept reclined on my couch, with a puppy pad under me and adult diapers on. My baby was next to me in a bassinet. Everything I needed was in arms reach. I had pillows on the ready for supporting my abdomen and using to prop myself up for sitting and nursing.
My second cesarean, I was separated from baby for the first night home. I slept reclined on the couch and set my alarm to wake and pump every 2 hours around the clock. Everything was in arms reach at a “pumping station” I made using a 3-tiered cart. The cart was stocked with nipple pads, nipple cream, silicone pump, hand pump, and a water bottle. I had support from my partner to help me wash my pump parts and store my milk as needed. The key word here is: arms reach. You are going to want to make sure you are comfortable and supported during your healing process.
Visit my blog on Milk Production After Birth for some information on what to expect in the first week of breastfeeding.