Breastfeeding After a C-Section
Many mothers successfully breastfeed after both planned and unplanned c-sections.
If you have just undergone a c-section, or know you are about to, then the main thing you can do to give yourself the best chance of succeeding with breastfeeding is to take extra care with positioning your baby.
As it is likely that you will require some help lifting your baby for each breastfeed, you should request aid as often as required.
You may find that your wound is too painful to allow the baby to lie on your tummy. However, you will probably find it more comfortable to place the baby on a nursing cushion or to lie down when you are feeding him. Try as many different positions as you are able to, until you find one that works for you.
Since you will be kept in hospital for longer than a woman who has had a normal delivery, you should treat your extended stay as the perfect opportunity to ask the midwives and nurses to help you to find the most comfortable position for breastfeeding!
It is vitally important that you insist on help if you are finding positioning difficult, or even impossible, after your operation; many mums give up breastfeeding after a c-section due to lack of help and support in the first weeks.
(And if you do find that you just cannot breastfeed after your operation, then you can always consider expressing your breastmilk - this is something many women do if they find positioning too painful after a section.)
Rest assured, however, many mums can and do go on to successfully breastfeed after a caesarian section.
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