nursing and c-section

[callahansmama]

Hello everyone:) I had an emergency c-section a little over 2 years ago and luckily I had no problem nursing and nursed my son for 23 months! Fast forward to 2 months from now and I am due to have my second child on Nov.4. I am hoping for a vbac but I know that I may very well have to have a c-section again. I am kind of nervous about whether or not it was a fluke that I had such an easy time breastfeeding despite the one-two hour recovery away from my son. I didn't really know my options but they took him away and gave him to his dad while they stitched me up and then put me in a recovery room by myself for an hour. Is it an option to keep my son with me and possibly nursing while I am being stitched up and/or in recovery? I am going to ask my midwives the hospital policy but haven't had the chance yet, I just started worrying about this lol!

Would love to hear other's experiences and hopefully be reassured:)

Thanks so much!

[katelove]

Hi,

I also had a c/s with my first and am planning a vbac in November. I would definitely discuss the options with your midwives. In the hospital where I work and am having the baby it is common for the baby and dad to stay with mum all the time for booked caesars and a lactation consultant meets them in recovery to help with breastfeeding.

Emergency caesars can obviously be different for a variety of reasons but mine was, technically an emergency and I fed my LO in theatre and had her with me in recovery. I think that definitely helped with breadtfeedIng. I think the other thIngs which helped us were keeping her skin to skin with me for the first 24hr (apart with some cuddles with daddy and grandparents of course) and co-sleeping and keeping her in physical contact with me for most of the time after that. Also resting and eating well and all the usual things like that of course.

It's going to be trickier this time around with a toddler I think. Will you have much help when you go home?

Oh and have you joined the November DDC? :-)

[callahansmama]

Yes, I've been on that group:) I will have help afterward and I am not that worried about that part, more that not nursing during that very beginning might jeopardize thw whole thing:( For my son I nursed as soon as I got back into the room from recovery and then he was in the room with me and I nursed him almost non stop the first night (although a nurse told me he was using me as a pacifier - at like 5 hours old lol) It was so easy the first time that I started to worry it might not be the next time around.  Thanks for the reply:) I just realized there is a similar thread further down, didn't mean to double post about the same thing.

[JoyFilled]

I had a RCS and my DS was away for 2 hours or so.  At 12 months now he is still nursing like a champ.

The age gap between our 2 seems similar and I nursed DD until she was 2.  The nurses and doctors commented that it would probably be easier to nurse because of the short amount of time in between.

My OBS tried to get DS into recovery with me but the OR nurse said no.

[kgdg]

its not a fluke--it happens all the time.  you really dont have much reason to worry.