How long after a caesarean section can I breastfeed?

For women, pregnancy is a long and painful process. After finally giving birth, the task is still very heavy. Although the body is very weak at this time, she still has to shoulder the responsibility of breastfeeding the baby. With the development of medicine, more and more people now choose cesarean section. Cesarean section has its most obvious advantages. So how long after a cesarean section can you feed the baby?

How long after a caesarean section can I breastfeed?

Nowadays, pregnant women always eat a lot during pregnancy and are unwilling to exercise. As a result, the fetuses of many pregnant women are too large, which makes it difficult to give birth naturally. Many pregnant women have no choice but to choose caesarean section to give birth to their babies. So how long after a caesarean section can you breastfeed? Can I breastfeed right away? How should mothers breastfeed after a caesarean section?

Can I breastfeed immediately after a caesarean section?

able. Many women believe that the anesthetic used in cesarean section resection and suture surgery will affect milk, so they will wait a few days after giving birth before starting breastfeeding. In fact, this practice is wrong, because half an hour after the baby is born, the sucking ability is the strongest, and it is also the best time for the baby to suck milk, and colostrum contains the richest immunoglobulin. Mothers who have undergone cesarean section can let their babies suckle breast milk within half an hour without worrying too much about the anesthetic used in the excision and suture affecting their milk. The anesthetic used in cesarean section does not affect the breasts, and the dosage is not high enough to affect breast milk. By the time the mother woke up, the anesthetic had actually been almost metabolized. Therefore, breastfeeding can be done immediately within half an hour after a cesarean section. Moreover, the intravenous drip after cesarean section has no effect on breast milk.

How can a mother breastfeed if there is a wound from a caesarean section?

Mothers who undergo caesarean sections face two major challenges. One is that their childbirth wounds have not healed and they have to take care of the wounds. The other is breastfeeding. How can mothers who have had a caesarean section do these two things well?

1. For mothers who have undergone caesarean section, it is best to breastfeed in the side-lying position or the rugby-style holding position to avoid the baby's body pressing on the surgical incision.

2. If a mother who has undergone a caesarean section wants to breastfeed while sitting, it is best to sit in a straight-back armchair rather than on a hospital bed, as this is good for the abdominal muscles. Remember to put a few pillows around you to support your baby's body, and at the same time protect your own wounds to avoid lacerations.

3. When the nurse teaches the correct posture for breastfeeding, the father must be there to learn, because after being discharged from the hospital, it is not convenient to bend over to see whether the baby is latching on correctly. If not, the father needs to press the baby's chin and turn up the baby's lips.

4. Pain will affect milk secretion and even inhibit milk secretion. Medication used to treat pain after cesarean section is generally safe and rarely enters breast milk, so mothers can use it.

5. Mothers who have delivered by caesarean section should breastfeed more frequently. Mothers who have delivered by caesarean section will secrete breast milk later than mothers who have delivered naturally. Frequent feeding can help secrete milk faster and meet the baby's needs.

6. If a mother who has delivered by caesarean section cannot breastfeed for one or two days after delivery for some reason, it is best to feed the baby formula milk with a cup or fingers and a syringe. Never use a bottle, as bottles can easily cause nipple confusion.