https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 21:43:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376898 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:54:54 +0000 Kemma 1376898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ash: I definitely think it would apply in cases of epidurals too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376721 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:11:29 +0000 Pirouette 1376721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in immediately after my c section(the next day) and my lo still lost almost 10% of her bw because she had so much fluid and meconium! So I wouldn't worry too much about the weight loss... She WILL gain very quickly once your milk comes in! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376573 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 10:37:21 +0000 Blueberry 1376573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Try not to worry! I stayed in the hospital for 5 days after an emergency c-section because LO was born with a fever and lost a little too much weight. My milk came in on day 3 I believe. LO had a hard time latching and I was downright uncomfortable for most positions. The LC at the hospital suggested I pump and feed him through a syringe.. It was a lifesaver! I would breast feed him as much as he and I could and I would give him more in the syringe if needed. That didn't last very long.. We eventually figured out what worked for us. I second what honeybear suggested.. Kellymom is a great resource!!!!</p> <p>You're doing the best you can and every baby is different so hang in there!!! I have been breast feeding now for almost 9 months after a rough start and a fight with thrush. I never breastfed in any sort of position or style from the books or what the LC said. I just found what was best for me and baby. You WILL get the hang of this! Right now, you are the most comforting person/thing in that for that baby. You are his world!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376559 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 10:26:57 +0000 autumnlove 1376559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in late (9 &amp; 6 days PP) and I supplemented both times. No regrets and we stopped supplementing at 3 and 1.5 weeks. I was pumping, nursing, supplementing, drinking water, eating oatmeal, taking herbal supplements, Asian soups...just nothing. I was really reluctant to use formula the first time but I finally budged when LO was almost readmitted at her first ped check up. She had 3 more weight checkups that same week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376501 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 09:25:32 +0000 ShootingStar 1376501@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section and my milk came in on about day 7. I had colostrum though, and thought we were fine. Until about day 3. All of a sudden he was inconsolable one night. I kept bf-ing him, he'd eat for a few minutes and fall asleep. And then a while later wake up screaming, and we'd start again. After a while we couldn't get him to stop screaming and I yelled over the noise at my husband to run to the nurse's station and ask for some ready to feed formula. Well, he sucked down that bottle like we'd been starving him :(. I felt so bad once I realized he'd been so hungry and not getting enough, but the effort was tiring him out so he was falling asleep hungry.</p> <p>For the next few days I would bf him and then offer formula. We had some bumps along the way (over active letdown, and then thrush) that caused me to supplement when I needed a break, but now at 2 months we're pretty much exclusively bf-ing and DS is gaining like a champ. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376492 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 09:04:04 +0000 honeybear 1376492@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are the LC's statements the reason you feel bad? There is no reason to feel bad about how you gave birth or how your breast-feeding journey is starting. In my non-LC, but extended nursing post-c/s experience, getting BFing started is at least a little tricky in every case. Sorry for the tangent, and if I've misinterpreted your post, ignore that question altogether please. </p> <p>Anyhow, here's a resource you should know about: <a href="http://www.kellymom.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.kellymom.com</a>. I haven't used her site in a while, but she's an IBCLC and I'm pretty certain her sources are legit. Here's what she has to say about c/s and BFing: </p> <p>"The abrupt hormonal shift that occurs at the separation of the placenta from the uterus is what signals your milk to come in. Thus mom’s body will get the same signal whether she has a cesarean or vaginal birth. Moms who have stressful births (cesarean or vaginal) tend to have their milk come in a little bit later." </p> <p>She also says 2-6 days is a totally normal timeframe for when milk comes in. My understanding is that the reason moms who deliver by c/s may have delayed milk is because they often aren't able to put the baby to the breast as quickly as moms who had vaginal deliveries. The type of delivery shouldn't change the hormones involved, though. (Perhaps this is what the LC was trying to say, but I feel like she may have worded it poorly if she definitively linked later milk--which this isn't yet--to type of delivery, because it's really a timing issue regarding the mom-baby connection, not a physiological one.) </p> <p>Here's the full page for reference: <a href="http://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/newborn-concerns/c-section/" rel="nofollow">http://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/newborn-concerns/c-section/</a></p> <p>That info is fully consistent with what I was told by several LCs. In other words, I think you have every reason to feel positive that you'll start getting milk soon! </p> <p>Finally, I used a pump almost exclusively for the first day because my LO was in the NICU. I'd keep up with the pumping, because the pump is sometimes just the push the body needs to get things really going. Plus it's reassuring to see even the tiniest amount of colostrum dripping into the bottles. :) I also needed to drink a lot of water. The hospital was so dry, I really had to work to stay hydrated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376488 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:55:31 +0000 Rockies11 1376488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO ate almost constantly after my c-section - like she would suck for hours. I was never sure if she was getting any food since I couldn't actually feel if milk was coming out. There was some spit up too, which they told me always looks like a higher volume than it is. My milk came in within 72 hours (I think day 3 at some point) but I can't remember exactly when. I was discharged from the hospital 36 hours after the c-section, and it was def after that! She lost weight too at the beginning, notwithstanding the constant nursing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376487 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:54:59 +0000 Thenetexan 1376487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in day 3. LO was EBF until 15 months. All babies lose weight initially, so don't let this stress you. Breastfeeding those first few weeks and months can be stressful, but try to relax as much as possible. I do recall my LO crying a lot at the hospital, though don't remember if it was directly around breast feeding. Your LO's life just changed significantly, so he has a learning curve and I would expect crying too. Hang in there. I hate that there is a conception out there that c section babies are somehow doomed from the start with breastfeeding. All babies have a tiny stomach that hasn't stretched yet. If you have<br /> colostrum, that should be all you need for now. Good luck and hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376480 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:41:27 +0000 Turd Ferguson 1376480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had every problem under the sun when it came to BFing after my C-section. My LO destroyyyyed my nipples, my milk like...never really came in, we ended up syringe feeding formula, I pumped (getting nothing for like, almost 5 days), we transitioned to formula in bottles while I kept pumping (finally getting maaaaybe half an ounce total) once we were home, then went to BFing with a shield, then giving her a supplemented formula bottle (plus whatever I pumped the session before), then pumping, then eventually dropping pumping because it was exhausting, then after 5 LC visits, we got to the point where we are EBF! Whew! </p> <p>It's still tough at times, I'm taking Fenugreek, Domperidone, lactation cookies, oatmeal, tea, water, etc., and I still pump in the morning when I get time, but LO hasn't had formula in just about 2 months (she'll be 3 months on Wednesday)! I still stick by the happy momma/happy rule, and I can't remember who said it on here (highwire I think, can't remember her new name), but BFing doesn't have to be all or nothing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376473 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:25:27 +0000 MamaBehr 1376473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember ever having an issue with my milk coming in after my c-sections. My first c-section, with DD, was my best breast feeding experience. This time around I distinctly remember it coming in the night I came home from the hospital, so three days after birth. That being said, to avoid supply issues, I have been pumping every day since i left the hospital to avoid supply issues due to a bad latch and possible bad suck. </p> <p>Stay as long as you can to make sure that all your nursing issues are figured out. At my hospital, you can go back to talk to the LC, but it costs $60. Once you get home you are on your own! I woudl have stayed in the hospital longer this time if DH didn't have that dumb broken leg. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376468 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:18:20 +0000 Trailmix 1376468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped after each feed but my milk didn't really come in until day 5. Just keep letting her latch and suck, even the little colostrum she's getting is good! We also used an SNS feeding set-up to give mine the colostrum I got from pumping, you could try that too! Don't get down, just got to be patient with BFing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376429 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 07:12:13 +0000 Ash 1376429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: I've never heard that. Moms who get epidurals get simular amounts of fluid... </p> <p>Ds was born at 8pm and the nurses had me pumping the next night. So I recommend pumping. And supplementing to get her weight up. My milk came in super early and I attribute it to pumping. </p> <p>10% weight loss is normal - hang in there. Being a mama is hard but you're doing great! *hugs* </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376395 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:10:32 +0000 Kemma 1376395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just wanted to put it out there that the weight of C-sections babies is often artificially high due to the iv fluids given to mum during labour. I've even read an interesting article that suggested that baby's weight is better taken at 24 hours old as it is a more accurate measurement of weight.</p> <p>Have you tried hand expressing colostrum and either syringe or spoon feeding it to your LO? I didn't have a C-section but it still took 5-6 days to get my milk in however I managed to express 50-60mL of colostrum / transitional milk on the fourth day and Miss A drank it from a cup which was a welcome relief to my terrible saw nipples!</p> <p>How is LO's latch? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376372 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:59:40 +0000 sunny 1376372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a similar experience as Sandy. My milk didn't come in for a week and my LO lost 12% of weight so we supplemented with formula and whatever I could pump (though I was only pumping for 5-10 min). Next time I will pump for 20 min right from day 1!</p> <p>We were able to stop supplementing after 1 week and we are still breastfeeding at 17 months, though I have battled supply issues at times and I don't think she is getting much these days. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376368 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:48:01 +0000 sandy 1376368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk didn't come in for about a week and my baby lost more than the recommended amount so we had to supplement with formula for a day and then supplement with pumped breastmilk once my milk came in. </p> <p>If I had to do it all over I would have started pumping from day one. Just that one day of formula supplementing made a huge difference and she became so content and it didn't doom my breast feeding relationship...we literally formula fed for less than a day and I was able to breast feed exclusively until she was 14 months </p> <p>I thought she has a neurological condition bc she would shake her head and unlatch and cry and it was bc she was frustrated with nursing endlessly and not getting any milk. </p> <p>Next time I plan to take mothers milk tea with me and plan to pump from day one to help my milk come in ASAP </p> <p>Hang in there!!! It's tough but you can do it!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376364 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:31:40 +0000 Espion 1376364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section, and when I have it to do all over again, I'll pump like crazy. I was still so afraid of the pump at the time and let E gnaw on me for hours at a time. In retrospect, that didn't help either of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376332 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:35:35 +0000 BlueWolverine 1376332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section and successfully BF'd LO to one year. The first few days in the hospital were really hard. My milk didn't come in until day four. If you're worried, I say give her some formula and continue trying to BF. If she's hungry, give her some until your milk comes in. Keep pumping, keep having her feed, etc. Make sure, however, that if you choose to give some formula, do not use a fast flow nipple (which is what the hospital usually has). Get your own slow flow. I felt much better after LO had some formula on day 4 before my milk came in. Worrying about whether she was hungry or losing too much weight made it more stressful than it needed to be. Of course, all this advice is from my experience. Do what feels right to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376326 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:22:50 +0000 birdofafeather 1376326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>hang in there momma! take as much advice from the LCs as you can. don't be afraid to ask for help! keep putting her to the breast, get her down to her diaper and cuddling right to your skin and get that milk in! it's totally normal for them to lose weight, so don't sweat it.</p> <p>it's normal to feel overwhelmed and emotional, especially when you and LO have to learn a new task together! it won't be perfect right away! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376307 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:08:36 +0000 singingbee 1376307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in on day 3. The only problems we had were with engorgement when my milk came in. We were sent home and she wasn't able to nurse that whole night without screaming because she just couldn't latch due to the nipples being so hard. We met with our lc and pumped bm to feed her in a bottle. The next night was perfect and we have been breastfeeding ever since. There have been some bumps on the way, but I'm proud of what we've accomplished so far. Hang in there! Skin to skin when we were home helped us a lot in the beginning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bfing-after-c-section#post-1376301 Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:02:52 +0000 MrsH 1376301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please tell me about your experience and any tips.</p> <p>We are about 46 hours after delivery and LO is way below on weight (which they said is normal after a c section) she has been sucking a lot (when she finally shows interested) but then will unlatch or spit up and then cry bloody murder. (Her stomach seems really gassy and she is spitting up a lot - which they also said was common in csection babies). The LC consultant said moms who don't vaginally deliver get their milk in later and so they are having me pump after attempting to feed to try and get my milk in faster. </p> <p>Just wondering what others moms have experienced - I feel horrible that she has lost so much weight and just doesn't seem interested or screams if she unlatches. The LC is also recommending that we stay as long as possible in the hospital because of all the issues :( which is a little disheartening. </p>