Let me clarify that no matter what your birth experience was/will be – you mamas are all amazing! To most, a c-section is not the most desirable way to give birth. Whether you elected to have a c-section, had a planned procedure for pre-determined medical reasons or found yourself in the operating room after hours of hard labor, moms who plan to breastfeed have a lot to overcome in the hours after birth.
5 Things I Wish I Knew About Breastfeeding After A C-Section
The Importance Of The First Hour
Despite knowing for a while that I would have a c-section, it ended up happening two weeks earlier than anticipated. Our little one arrived in a whirlwind 40 minute procedure that was a breeze. I couldn’t be more thankful for the most kind and reassuring staff where I gave birth. Once baby arrived she was placed on my chest at 10 minutes old before being taken away for a few minutes so the nurses could get all her stats and do their thing. After that, I spent an hour in recovery with her nestled snugly on my chest. After a short-lived and unsuccessful attempt at getting her to latch I became exhausted and so did she. In my tired state I just stared at her and took her in. I wish I had known she would be sleepier than babies born naturally as this hindered my attempts at trying to feed and began to cause me some distress. Keep trying, mama! Insist (once you are able) on having your baby skin-to-skin for that glorious first hour. The benefits for both mom and baby are incredible.
The Exhaustion
Something I struggled with the most was the exhaustion from the surgery/anesthesia. I was so tired. Of course this goes for all mothers after the birth of a baby but I had no idea how to be present in such a state of exhaustion. There were nurses flitting in and out of the room every hour. The baby was on my chest doing skin-to-skin. We were also attempting to feed at every chance we could get. When baby struggled to latch correctly, I had to pump and syringe feed her. After that, we supplemented a little with formula but I still had to pump. It was a continuous cycle of activity and all I wanted to do was sleep for a week. I knew tiredness would be a part of the process but I did not realize the hive of activity my hospital room would be. I wish I had researched pumping and supplementing more during pregnancy. I believe being more educated about it would have saved me a lot of negative thoughts and extreme self-doubt.
It Hurts More Than You Expect It To
Obviously, you may say. Of course I expected discomfort. But holy pain, Batman! If your baby has a shallow latch you will know all about it very quickly! The stinging, the cracking, the clogged ducts, the engorgement. In so many ways, the pain of nursing blew me away. There were times I bit into my blankets to stop myself from screaming in agony. Other times, I felt nothing at all. The journey was a roller coaster and I struggled with the pain in addition to the surgery recovery.
You Feel Like You Need Four Arms, Not Two
Your tender incision makes finding a comfortable feeding position more difficult than it should be. Unfortunately you tend to want to hold your baby/nursing pillow right on top of your wound site. I wish I had practiced different holds to make feeding easier on both of us. This got better in the days after leaving the hospital but right after the birth I felt like being an octopus was the only way a woman could successfully breastfeed. How do you undo your gown, position baby, help baby latch, support baby’s head, carefully avoid your incision site all with just TWO hands?!
Breastfeeding, While Entirely ‘Natural’, Doesn’t Necessarily Come Naturally!
Emotions are way up there when you have a rocky start to breastfeeding. Feelings of failure are not uncommon. You were capable of carrying the baby for nine months and the next natural step is nourishing your little one, right? Wrong! Breastfeeding does not come naturally for many, many women. It is a learning experience for both mom and baby. Neither of you have done this before. In fact, you’ve both just met! I wish I didn’t beat myself up about it as much. My emotions and feelings of not being good enough affected my first few days of bonding with her. Although we spent every second together, I was far too focused on my breastfeeding shortcomings. Now, I am thankful for them. They taught me a lot and we eventually found our groove after a few weeks.
The key to our post-c-section nursing success was pumping and bottle feeding until we were able to find our groove to exclusively breastfeed. As a military spouse I was made aware that Tricare beneficiaries qualify for a NO COST breast pump via Tricare. Tricare disburses these pumps through The Breastfeeding Shop. All you need to do is upload your prescription to The Breastfeeding Shop and your breast pump will be shipped directly to your home!
I would love to hear about your experience (good or bad) with breastfeeding as a first, second or even third time mama!
