Nursing After C-section

Breastfeeding After Cesarean Delivery

By Shel Franco

"Help me roll her onto one side," said the short nurse with a gruff voice.

A younger woman rushed to my side and jammed her hands between my back and the mattress. In seconds, my stiff and painful body was precariously perched on its left side. The older nurse reached into my hospital gown and tugged at my breast.

"Hold it like this," she gestured. Then she reached for my newborn and placed him at my side.

Again, she took my breast into her hands, this time rubbing my baby's cheek with the nipple. My son responded, and an amazing sensation surged through my veins.

"Look at him suck," the young nurse laughed. "He's a real chow hound."

And with that, the two nurses left the room. Minutes later, my son slid off the breast. I tried to re-latch him, but he wouldn't hold still. I tried to stay calm, but he started to cry. My instincts kept telling me to sit up, but the wound in my abdomen wouldn't allow me to move.

I didn't understand. I took breastfeeding classes. I read breastfeeding books. But no one ever told me what to expect from breastfeeding after a Cesarean section. From hospital policy to physical discomfort, I learned that surgical births can make breastfeeding a real struggle, but not if you are prepared.

Hospital Policy
"I kept telling [the nurses] to bring [my baby] to me," says Lisa Smith of northern Virginia. "But they said I had to go to my regular room first. They wouldn't let me leave the operating room recovery area until I said, 'Yes, I feel that,' to their touches. I think I held [my baby] about two hours after he was born."

Separation of mothers and babies following Cesarean deliveries is not uncommon. "Many hospitals will take a Cesarean section baby from the operating room to some kind of nursery," says Wendy Thomson, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in Florida. "We know that babies should be nursed as soon after delivery as possible, preferably within the first one to two hours. This window of opportunity may be missed, and baby may fall into its down time."

Want to see more?

• If you're anticipating a Cesarean birth, get some nursing tips before the baby is born in Breastfeeding – Starting Out Right.
• Find out if you can avoid a repeat Cesarean by reading Can You Really VBAC It?
• Overcome any nursing problems your Cesarean delivery may have caused with the help of Breastfeed.com articles
• Understanding Nipple Confusion
• You Can Still Breastfeed
• Sore Nipples