Beyond the birth, prep for feeding PART 3

If you are planning a #csection you might be wondering if you can still breastfeed.
The answer is YES, most definitely!

It may help you to be aware of a few risk factors, to maximise your chances to have a smooth breastfeeding journey!

1. If you are given IV fluids, you may end up with extra fluids in YOUR and BABY’s body. This has a couple of implications:
your baby’s birth weight may be artificially inflated, which is useful ti be aware of when it comes to post birth weight loss in baby.

2. Your boobs may be bigger and fuller, and as a result harder to latch a newborn baby onto. Reverse pressure softening and hand expressing to the rescue.

3. It may take a few days longer for your body to ‘wake up from the birth’ and start producing mature milk. This means you will still produce colostrum and those tiny newborn tummies only need a few ml often. So regular latching can really help, alongside skin to skin to boost oxytocin and regulate both mum and baby.

4. Finding a comfy feeding position is key! You can prepare in advance, or just improvise (hopefully with some skilled support): a more ‘across the body’ version of the laid back position or a rugby hold may come in handy, so your incision is protected. This can also be achieved by a pillow being laid across your tummy.

Ultimately, you will be recovering from major abdominal surgery, so please take it easy, call upon all the help and support you can afford and accept it will take time to get back to fitness and a lot of adjustment into new motherhood.

Be kind to yourself!

HERE you can listen to me talk briefly about this subject on my Instagram.

Contact me for 1to1 tailored support, in preparation for, or during feeding your baby after a C-section.

Read my other BLOG POSTS on Beyond the Birth, Prep for Feeding, to learn about other aspects of breastfeeding and infant feeding in general!