Does being induced effect your abilities to breast feed?

Question

I breast fed my first child with no real problems, however I am just about to be induced to have my second baby and am not sure if by being induced will be able to.

Thank you for your comments.

Answer 1

I am going to be induced next week and had this same question. Close to the time of natural delivery, the baby actually releases a hormone that triggers your milk to come in. So... I wondered if interrupting this process (taking the baby early) would mean my milk would not come in. However, my OB assured me that going through labor itself also causes your body to begin lactating. Mother's Milk Tea (with Fenugreek) is also something that can help assure you will have an abundance of milk.... Ask your doctor if she thinks that it will be helpful.

Answer 2

Yes it could effect your abilities, especially depending upon how you are induced.
If you have an IV of fluids also, which is most likely, then that alone can create problems with excess fluid around your breast area which can make them feel engorged and painful to breastfeed. (this is really dependant on how long you have IV in for, short time, not too big of a deal but if you have an IV in for a long time, then yes it can present some issues you'll may have to deal with) Also if you have pitocin for an inducement method, then chances are you may end up with epidural. Medications DO cross the placenta and can cause a sleepy baby, this then can have issues with breastfeeding in the beginning. Then being induced does increase the chances of having a c-section, and a c-section presents some problems with breastfeeding for some.

So basically of course you can breastfeed after being induced, there's no medical reason why you can't. But there is a chance that depending upon what method of inducement is used that you may have some issues to deal with breastfeeding. You also may have no issues at all.

Answer 3

Being induced has no effect on your ability to breast feed.

It will probably give you a different experience of labourthat you may find more exhausting, but any difference in ability to breastfeed will be due to tiredness and you will soon sleep that off if it happens at all.

Answer 4

No worries. Induction will not interfere with milk production or your ability to breastfeed. If they are inducing with pitocin, no need to be concerned with the medication entering your milk - pitocin has a VERY short action time, and it is fully metabolized within only minutes. All hospitals regard this as a non-issue for breastfeeding.

The only thing that could potentially happen is that sometimes during inductions, when hooked to an IV, you get a lot of extra fluids. Sometimes this causes swelling of the areola and baby could potentially have a hard time latching. It doesn't happen very often, and the edema of the tissues usually resolves within a day or less as you urinate off the extra fluid.

Good luck!

Answer 5

No, it will not affect your abilities to breastfeed, however, in the hospital the lactation specialist informed me that some babies that are induced have more difficulties latching on at first because they may be more tired. This was just her experience. I was induced and my son had difficulties latching on for a few days, but I don't think it had anything to do w/inducement. Since you have breastfed before and are experienced, I'm sure you will have no problems! Best wishes!

Answer 6

You will be able to breastfeed after delivery.

Medications can have an effect on your milk supply for the first while, but you can breastfeed. Keep baby as close to the breast as physically possible for the first week to help your milk supply.

If you don't need to be induced for medical reasons, I highly suggest you hold off on the induction. Of course I don't know your medical history. Remember babies lungs grow stronger each day and with each passing day he become more ready for the 'real' world. He will come out when he is ready (again, unless the induction is for medical reasons).

Best wishes breastfeeding and with a safe and healthy delivery

Answer 7

I was induced with my last two children, and i am due with my 4th child in october. I believe being induced affects alot of things in the mother's natural ability's with her child. I did not breast feed my last two because my milk did not come down,and never had a roblem with any of them being sick all the time (Knock on Wood) I am sure every pregancy is diffrent.

Good Luck..!!

Answer 8

The PC answer is "no, induction does not affect your ability to breastfeed at all." I believe that it can, especially if you are given an epidural, which you will want because the contractions caused by pitocin are so strong. I had an epidural with my first child because I didn't know any better and she totally forgot how to suck. She had to be re-taught, which caused weeks and weeks of pain for me. The good news is, almost any mother who wants to breastfeed can. There are solutions for almost any breastfeeding obstacle.

You will be able to breastfeed your baby. Find support now. You'll need the lactation consultant from the hospital and your local La Leche League leader. I believe that you can do it as long as you are willing to work through any problems that arise. I hope that you are able to breastfeed easily and without any problems. Here are the books that helped me and indicated that epidurals may affect baby's ability to breastfeed properly:

The Breastfeeding Book by Martha Sears
The Birth Book by Martha Sears
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Jack Newman

Answer 9

No, it doesn't affect your ability to breast feed.
I was induced with two of my three children and I breast fed all of them without a problem.
I hope it all works out for you.

Answer 10

I don't believe it effects yer ability to breastfeed.
My last child was induced, and was breastfeed from day one..it took a lil while for the mature milk to come.. but, that's normal.