Am I going to be successful at breastfeeding?

Question

I am 19 years old and getting ready for a C-section birth in a few days. I have yet to leak any colostrum and I am worried that I won't produce enough food for my newborn. He is a very big baby who is also breech. Will undergoing a C-section at 39 weeks lessen my chance of being a successful breast-feeder?

Answer 1

I think you will do just fine at breastfeeding. The main thing is DONT stress about it because it will actually cause things to not happen the right way for some reason. Take it easy and think NATURAL :) Have you tried pinching your nipples to see if the colostrum comes out? Mine never actually leaked...I had to pinch them to see it come out.

Answer 2

No, not at all! Some women don't leak before delivery, but that doesn't mean the colostrum isn't there. Also, when the placenta separates from the uterus it signals hormones to be released to begin milk production. You never produce a whole lot of colostrum anyway because it's so packed with fats and proteins that newborns don't need a whole lot, plus they overall don't need a lot of food in the first few days. About 3 days after delivery your milk will come in. So you have every chance of being a great breastfeeding momma! Just make sure to ask for help if you need it by contacting Lactation Consultants or the La Leche League or a breastfeeding center. Also realize that if for any reason breastfeeding doesn't work out, you have no reason to feel guilty. Formula is the next best thing, and your baby will be perfectly fine on it. Good luck!

Answer 3

Some women never leak colostrum before the birth of their baby. It is not an indication of how much milk you'll make. I never leaked during pregnancy with either of my babies, and I had a very ample milk supply!

Planned C-Sections are far easier than emergency ones. For one thing, you'll go to the hospital well rested and having some idea of what to expect. The important thing is to make sure that all the nursing staff and the pediatrician know that he is going to be breastfed, specify right up front that you want NO ARTIFICIAL NIPPLES OR BOTTLES OF ANYTHING given to him. As soon as you get into the recovery area, they will bring your baby to you, provided that everything is ok with him and he is healthy and breathing well, and all that. The nursing staff or your family can help you to position him so that he can latch onto you and feed ASAP. Make sure your husband or partner or whatever stays with you all day and night , at least until you can move around, you'll need help positioning the baby so that he can take the breast. The important thing to remember is to nurse on demand. Find positions that are comfy for you. Ask the nurses. Make sure you see the lactation consultant for advice, as well. La Leche League and your local WIC office are also good resources if you have questions or run into problems.

Make sure you drink enough water, too. Not only are you making milk, you're recovering from major surgery. Take it easy, nap when the baby naps, and feed often. Also keep in mind that milk usually doesn't come in until the 3rd day postpartum, so don't panic if it appears as though it's not there, it will be! Just keep nursing frequently!

Answer 4

Yes, you can do fine. Just remember that it is very possible that at some point it will seem hopeless and you will want to give up. I'm saying that to comfort you rather than scare you because you should know it is very common, but it is the way it happens and it will work out fine.

If your hospital provides them, try to see a lactation consultant while you are there or if you run into struggles. Start nursing as soon as possible and realize it will take days or a week for your milk to come in. It is normal for babies to lose 10% of their weight at this time.

Also very important, make sure to get a proper latch - the baby needs to open his mouth very wide like a yawn and you need to quickly pull his head close so that his mouth gets a large part of the area around your nipple in his mouth. The nipple should be near the back of his mouth. If you do this then it will not hurt.

Buy a tube of Lansinoh Lanolin! Use it often! It may take a while for you and the baby to get in sync, and you may end up with a Supplemental Nursing System or something like it until everything gets situated. Its ok. Just when it seems to be failing it will work. I also encourage you to BF as long as you an - up to a couple or more years even - there is nothing in the world that does as much good for your baby as breastmilk!

Answer 5

you have every reason to think you'll do just fine. colostrum doesn't come in until after you've given birth. since you're having a c-section, you should be able to spend a few days in the hospital and the nurses should help you get the hang of breast feeding. it's not difficult and if you want to do it, you will probably do fine. the amount of milk you produce is directly related to how much your baby eats. your body will produce more, the more your baby sucks. the fact that he's a big baby should not matter as to your success in breast feeding. it may end up being a little easier because he may not need to eat quite as often. be sure to sleep whenever your baby sleeps especially since you'll be recovering from childbirth and surgery. it'll take a while to get your energy back and you will be not sleeping thorugh the night for a really long time but, you will be very much in love. good luck!

Answer 6

Don't worry, you'll be fine. After the C-section, they'll pump you full of oxytocin -- the hormone which induces lactation. If this is your first pregnancy, the milk might not come for as long as 5 days, but you can help speed things along. Try to breastfeed from the very beginning, and as soon as you are able to sit up, ask the hospital staff to give you an electric breast pump. Pump your breasts between the feedings, and that will help the milk come in.

Make sure you also have a good pump at home. It's important to pump out excess milk to keep the supply while your baby is eating very little.

And remember -- be patient. It takes as much as a couple of months to establish smooth breastfeeding -- regardless of whether you give birth by cesarian or vaginally.

Congratulations and good luck.

Answer 7

The human race would be extinct if people couldn't breastfeed. Virtually all women can breastfeed. However, it's a learned behavior, really, and because it almost went extinct in our culture, lots of people are clueless.

I was tremendously helped by talking to a phone volunteer from http://www.lalecheleague.org Go to that site, find them locally, call them, attend meetings. They are free, so knowledgeable, much more informed than most lactation consultants, and totally nonjudgemental. Like, they would never say, AS I WILL, that babies should be nursed on demand a minimum of two years. They know that's healthiest, but even just the colustrum will be so important, and so they want to take YOU where you want to go. They also will never tell you, as i will, that as important as nursing is making sure your dear baby doesn't have to endure the nightmare of separation from mommy for any more than an hour or two here and there for at least three years. Such practices are even more dangerous to your baby than formula.
Check out these facts: http://empathicparenting.org/daycare/someproblems.htm


Good luck! Worrying is normal, so I won't tell you to stop. In fact, mother worry helps keep babies safe, helps mothers do their best.

PS Why do you need a c-section and not just a talented doctor or midwife. Breech babies never need c-sections before...

Answer 8

Most likely you will be successful at breastfeeding. Don't worry about not leaking... I never did until after my babies were born. I can't answer about the C-section part as I didn't have a C-section, but definitely take advantage of getting the nurses help and even the hospital lactation consultant while you are in the hospital. They are great.
Also, as an encouragement to you, my youngest is now 9 months old and I am still breastfeeding her. It took me three weeks of trying (offering her the breast) after I came home with her from the hospital before she began to breastfeed - three weeks! So if it seems a bit difficult at first, have no fear because sometimes it takes a while.

Answer 9

Not at all! I gave birth to my son, a healthy and big boy, at 37 weeks and 2 days, and he was also a breech c-section baby. He is still very healthy and successfully breastfeeding (with solids, of course) at 17 months old!

Breastfeeding success is not dependent on how much colostrum you leak, how you give birth, your age, or the size of your baby. It is dependent on two things: your education and knowledge about breastfeeding (have you read about what to expect? Are you familiar with the beginning days of breastfeeding and how and when your milk comes in?) and support (do you have a knowledgeable support person who can help you, such as La Leche League or a close friend or family member who breastfed or still breastfeeds their children?).

If you are serious about breastfeeding and really want to give it an honest try, it is IMPERATIVE that you read up on what to expect and connect yourself with a support person. I put some links below to help you learn about breastfeeding so that you are prepared. Please, if you have ANY questions, I would love to be able to help you out with breastfeeding. You can email me at [e-mail]. I know from experience breastfeeding two different children that one of the biggest stumbling blocks to breastfeeding is a lack of support. If you have a problem, it is very difficult to solve when your baby is crying and hungry and you have nobody to turn to but a formula can. If you really want to succeed, don't even keep formula in the house. Have confidence in your body's ability to sustain another life; it's what your body was made to do and I promise you that you CAN do it. Only a very small percentage of women are unable to breastfeed (mostly those born without mammary glands). The rest simply lack education and support.

Good luck, you're in for an adventure!

Answer 10

First of I feel for you. I had to have a C-section and its no picnic. Don't sweat it though, once its all over and you're left with a beautiful baby and a scar, it's all worth it. Anywho, I wondered if It would ever get easier breastfeeding. its easy to stick a bottle in the mouth of a screaming baby but a boob is ALOT harder. But if you have problems, there are Laction specialist that can help you. If you have WIC they may not even make you pay for visits outside the hospital. My little girl had problems at first But now she and I are both pros. It's hard the first month or 2. But sore nipples do go away after a time. there is also a cream from Lanisol for breastfeading moms. it does help ALOT. MAIN THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER, IF YOU'RE STRESSED IT TAKES LONGER, TAKE DEEP BREATHS! You're body will do what it needs to, and the swollen boobs go away too... GOOD LUCK! YOU DO GREAT!!

Answer 11

Your best chances at being successful at breastfeeding is to STAY COMITTED TO IT!!!! I always tell moms not to quit until you've at least tried for 12 weeks! It can take that long for mom and baby to get it figured out! Most babies don't take that long, but some do. So make it your goal to at least nurse for 12 weeks. Then evaluate it. If things have improved, give yourself another small goal. Then evaluate again. Chances are one day you'll stop and go "whoa this is so easy now it just comes natural."

As for the c-section...I had one...unplanned. My husband was w/ my daughter from the minute she came out of me. He ordered the hospital staff to under NO circumstances give her a bottle of formula. They told him that she might "need" one. He told them expressly, "you do NOT have my permission to give her one. You do have my permission to give her an IV if her sugars are low." We did NOT want her to have any bottle of anything. So, be sure you make your wishes known.

Also, be certain that as soon as you are able you nurse that baby. It is best if you can nurse w/in the first 3 hours of life. However, if you cannot, all is not lost.

Be committed to it. There is very little that cannot be overcome w/ enough work. You also want to be sure to speak to the lactation consultant on staff at your hospital and/or a La Leche League leader. You can find a LLL leader at www.llli.org They are a free resource. They also have a free 24/7 helpline that you can call for breastfeeding advice at 1-877-4LALECHE.

There are also two wonderful websites to go to...
www.breastfeeding.com
and
www.kellymom.com

Finally, do NOT do whatever a doctor or a nurse tells you in terms of nursing. They are NOT the authority on the issue and most MDs and RNs have very little education in the field of lactation. The authority on it is a lactation consultant. If you have any questions about breastfeeding ALWAYS as a lactation consultant FIRST. If you cannot find a lactation consultant, then you would default to the next authority...a LLL leader.

Good luck to you!