BFing twins after Csection??

[Nanette56]

Reallly need the perspective of moms of multiples who successfully breastfed after c section! (mods please don't move this post)

Hopefully some of you mamas will respond before tomorrow- I should have asked earlier but am still a little shell shocked about this section thing.

My boys will be delivered via csection tomorrow at 37 weeks, because they are both breech and my platelet count keeps dropping (currently sitting at 107). If it falls below 100, I wouldnt be able to get an epi and they'd have to stick me under general anesthesia, which I'm absolutely frightened about. Babies are also (within a half a pound) 6.5 pounds each.

The hospital im delivering at is very pro bfing, rooming in etc. When I asked about bfing in the OR, they wouldn't give me a straight answer, and kinda said, you'll be able to do so as soon as you're done being stitched up and are in recovery. DH will be following the babies to the nursery to make sure they don't slip them any shots, bottles etc.

Im concerned about the length of time between the stitching up and the breastfeeding in the recovery room. Anyone btdt?

Also, even though theyre pro bf, I'm worried about my milk coming in after a csectiion, especially since I'm feeding two, and the pressure they will put on me about the babies weight gain. Did any of you have issues with this?

I had a natural delivery with my son, he latched immediately after birth, and I'm really worried about this c section stuff.
Please ease my mind- I'm really sad about this whole thing, but DETERMINED to breastfeed, no matter what.

[4Marmalade]

I gave birth to my twins one day shy of 37 weeks.  Ds was a vaginal birth but dd was an emergency c-section due to placenta abruption and  breech position.  I can't really remember too much about the first few hours after waking up but I did get a chance to start breastfeeding pretty quickly.  I'm guessing it was probably about 4-5 hours before I was able to nurse them.  The nurses were great about bringing me the babies very frequently.  Unfortunately, even though I could have roomed-in with my babes I wasn't able to take care of them properly because I had lost so much blood and dh wasn't able to stay with me all the time because he was helping take care of our older dc's.  I think rooming-in will definitely help as you will be able to nurse them as often as you want.  I did feel a bit of pressure about the babies weight gain and they did "top them up" with formula for the first few days (we were there 5 days).  I always struggled with their reasoning though and to this day am not sure it was necessary.  One nurse always wanted to top them up if they didn't have a wet diaper.  I know that a lot of wet diapers is a sign of successful nursing but they were checking them every time I nursed (2hours) and if they hadn't peed they would top them up with formula.  But I wasn't in a position to argue at the time and that's what happened.

I would recommend that you take the pain medications for as long as you need them.  It really helps make you more comfortable especially when you are breastfeeding and holding babies across your abdomen.  I also found that tandem nursing right from the start really helped.  It only took a couple of days for my milk to come in and they were 100% breastfed by the time they were 3 days old.  I successfully nursed them until they were 2-1/2 years old so it can be done .  

Wishing your babes a wonderful birthday tomorrow .       

[titania8]

i don't remember the first time i nursed my boys. it was a long time after their birth though, but i wasn't really even thinking about it the way you are (which i am really embarrassed to say). i was really out of it (had labored for 12 hrs before the surgery and lost a lot of blood on top of it). but they did latch on and nurse, i don't think it was in recovery though, maybe in my room? i'm sorry that's probably not very helpful, though i guess the good news to you is that you will almost certainly nurse your boys sooner than i did mine, and we went on to have a very successful nursing relationship (nearly 3 yrs). your body will be able to make plenty of milk for your boys. just remember to nurse as often as they want, especially in those early weeks to get a good supply established. the first 6 weeks are the most important. i'm confident you will be able to do this.

good luck tomorrow! you'll be meeting your babies!!! what an exciting day. :)

[sept2008twingirls]

I also don't remember feeding them at first, but I know that the nurses took them way more than I wanted them too and I ended up not getting my milk in for a month or so.  But I was determined and now at 2 1/2 years I'm just now weaning them.  I had to supplement for a month, but then my milk finally came in.  I contribute it to not nursing them as often at first.  The first night the nurses took them and didn't bring them back til morning...not a good idea if you want to exclusively bf.  They gave them bottles, etc. too.  I just was too tired to fight them (I was really dizzy due to morphine).  Anyway, it's great that you have an advocate with your husband.  My husband wasn't that supportive.  Also, when I had a C-section with my first one, I fed him a little later and my milk came in fine, because I kept feeding him throughout the first night.  (At least I tried).  My nurses were great that time and it was not a problem with the C-section, except that it hurt and I had to feed him while laying perfectly flat.  Of course, that was just one child, not twins.  Anyway, don't give up and it will work. 

[Shuli]

My boys were my first pregnance. I had my boys about 3 days shy of 37 weeks, one was in distress, so out they came. Both of them were transverse, a I would have had a c-section anyway. I took my pump with me to the hospital and started pumping about two hours after surgery (as soon as I got into my room after recovery). DH went with the boys, one was in the NICU because of low birth weight and one was in the nursery (didn't have the option of keeping them in recovery as it was general recovery for the whole surgical floor). As soon as I finished pumping (DH stayed with the babies and my mom came with me) I asked for D to be brought to me from the nursery. He latched on right away and nursed. Then my need to see my baby was greater than my need to faint and about 10 hours after surgery I got up, took a shower and went to the NICU to see R. I had pumped twice more since then and was demand feeding D, the nurses were very supportive and there was a sticker on the bassinet that said no bottles which they respected and brought him to me whenever he cried. I think D needed one bottle because whatever I was pumping was going to the NICU because I couldn't get there as often to feed and they couldn't bring him to me. My milk came in about 24 hours after I gave birth and I attribute that to the pumping that I did right after surgery. Because they let siblings into the NICU, D and I basically parked ourselves there in the morning and I tandemed them right there in the NICU and some fo the nurses actually came to see how I did it because they had never really seen it before. I had finally had to stop nursing them when they were 18 months when I found out I was pregnant. It can be done, I'm just glad my mom packed my pump to take with. I don't think I would have been that successful if she hadn't.

Good luck, I hope all went well.

[Nanette56]

Thanks ladies! Just wanted to do a quick update :) Prior to going in for the section, I had a nice long chat with my doctor and the lactation consultant. He is very pro-BF, pro natural birth, and was immediately very receptive to allowing me to nurse IN THE O.R.! He purposefully set the sheet lower so that we could have an easier time latching them on. They were good weights and perfectly healthy (6 lbs 11 oz and 7 lbs 4 oz), so everything went according to plan, and they were able to nurse successfully for the first time in the O.R. They didn't even take them to the nursery, they followed me straight to the recovery room. So so so happy I had some good support there. We're all home and they are still nursing beautifully!! Thank you for easing my mind mamas!

[mylilmonkeys]

That's fantastic that you got such great support!

[titania8]

What a fantastic update! Congrats to you and your family!

[sept2008twingirls]

Yea!  So glad you were encouraged!  It will be so worth it!  I just weaned my girls after 2 1/2 years!  Hard to believe my nursing days are over!  Welcome to twin motherhood!

Sarah Joy

[austinbabe]

Wanna bump this thread in case more mamas have experiences to share...

[ChaoticMum]

Such an awesome experience for a section!! Soooo glad it went so well! :) :) :)

[poppan]

That is really wonderful that the hospital and doctor really worked with you.

I had a c-section with my twins (my first pregnancy). We had lots of things working against us but I did manage to nurse them both until they were 31 months old.

Things working against us:

- prematurity (34w5d)

- long NICU stay (over 6 weeks for DS, over 2 weeks for DD)

- milk didn't come in until day 6

- started formula because they were too little to wait for my milk to come in

- had to wean DS off bottle once he came home at 6 weeks old

- didn't even attempt to nurse until the day following the c-section

The hardest part was getting DS back on the breast after he had been bottle fed for 6 weeks in the NICU. I think what made it all work in the end was mostly my sheer stubborness. And also that whenever things were hard with one twin, they usually were not with the other twin, so I would take comfort from that, take a deep breath, and just start again.

My only other advice is to take the pain medication for your c-section on time. I forgot a few times and it made everything so much harder when you're really hurting.