The question of when milk comes after a cesarean section is of interest to many ladies. He is especially concerned about those women who have to deliver through surgical intervention. According to some, the lactation process after surgery should be fraught with a large number of obstacles, and in some cases it is completely impossible. Is it really? Let's try to figure it out.
general information
Contrary to our wishes, childbirth does not always occur naturally. Caesarean section is recommended for women for medical reasons. Over the past few years, the number of such operations has increased and today is approximately 20% of the total number of births. Future mothers, having learned the doctor’s prescriptions, begin to worry about lactation after the baby is born. In fact, even after cesarean, this process is possible.
Naturally, certain physical factors will make it difficult. After surgery, it is often painful for a young mother to lie down and uncomfortable to get up. Some are simply not able to do without outside support.
Various aspects associated with the operation can lead to the late appearance of milk. These include general anesthesia, a deficiency of certain hormones, taking drugs to reduce the uterus. Therefore, a young mother should work hard to achieve lactation.
What should I arrange with a doctor?
Many women after natural birth do not want to breastfeed their babies. Some explain their desire for fear of losing their curvaceous, while others simply do not have time for this. It is also worth citing about those ladies who are forced to go to work almost immediately after the appearance of crumbs.
The situation is completely different if a woman has “artificial” births. Caesarean section is not a reason to refuse lactation. If the expectant mother wants to feed the baby on her own, she needs to discuss this issue with the doctor in advance. The following tips can help her with this:
- If the operation is planned, you need to arrange with the doctor so that the baby will be in contractions for a while. During this time, the hormonal background of a woman will have time to stabilize.
- You should ask the obstetrician immediately after the end of the surgery to attach the crumbs to the chest. A similar request may be made by a close relative or spouse present at childbirth.
- If cesarean is performed using general anesthesia, you will have to wait a bit with lactation.
Many inexperienced mothers have to deal with the prohibition of nurses on feeding the baby in the ward after surgery. If there is no threat to the health of the child or the woman herself, there should be no obstacles to lactation.
Possible complications after cesarean section
Unfortunately, the negative effects of surgery are often observed in young mothers. All types of complications can be divided into three groups:
- on internal organs (for example, inflammation of the uterine cavity);
- at the seams;
- after anesthesia (disruption of the cardiovascular system, nerve elements).
Recovery after cesarean
To avoid further health problems, a woman is prescribed antibiotics and several other supportive drugs. Together with the doctor, you can try to choose such medications that will not harm the lactation process.
After a surgery, it is important for a woman to monitor her health and well-being. It is necessary to take care of the seams daily. Any physical activity is strictly prohibited. But gymnastics and walks with a stroller in the fresh air will only benefit.
The benefits of breastfeeding
If a woman is worried that after cesarean there is no milk, she knows about its beneficial properties for the newborn. It is characterized by an ideal ratio of proteins, vitamins and fats. It is these substances that are necessary for the full development of crumbs in the early days. In addition, special antibodies are found in breast milk . They favorably affect the immunity of the child, helping to increase it. Natural feeding contributes to the normalization of the baby's digestive system. Mom's milk is much easier to digest, unlike adapted formulas. It reduces the risk of sudden death, prevents the development of complications in premature babies.
As for the newly minted mother, in her case, the lactation process also has a beneficial effect on the body. With its help, the uterus contracts faster, so there is no need to take special drugs.
First feeding after surgery
When does cesarean milk come in? It is not possible to answer exactly this question. Most often, the long-awaited moment happens immediately after the operation. It is important to put the baby to the chest in the first six hours after birth, since during this period he has a high sucking activity.
Many women have a problem when milk does not come after three or even four days. Experts attribute this to the lack of activity of the hormone oxytocin. He is responsible for contractions during labor, and also contributes to the process of lactation and the rapid production of milk. During the natural process, impulses are transmitted to the brain. He already independently makes a decision and tells the body what to do. Against the background of surgical intervention, this chain is broken. The body does not immediately respond to the birth of a child. Therefore, the procedure for the formation of lactation is a little delayed. In some women, breast milk appears only on the 5th-9th day, in others on the fourth day, and still others cannot wait for the first drops of colostrum for several weeks.
In order to establish the process of lactation and eliminate all associated difficulties, you need to understand the nature of their occurrence. If a woman is not able to independently understand why there is no milk after cesarean section, you should consult a doctor. And we will try to describe in detail the problems that arise during breastfeeding after surgery.
Milk stagnation
Large volumes of milk require periodic pumping. Otherwise, a woman may develop mastitis. This is an inflammatory process in the mammary glands that occurs due to fluid stagnation. Most often it can be observed if the baby insistently refuses to eat. Lack of timely treatment can lead to complete resection of the organ. Therefore, each newly made mom should know how to express milk correctly.
Caesarean section is not appointed solely on a whim of a lady. Usually, such an operation is dictated by medical conditions when something threatens the health of the baby or the woman herself. After surgery, the newborn and his mother may be separated for some time. How, in such cases, to save milk, to prevent it from stagnating?
Doctors offer only one way out of this situation - decantation. How to express milk? This procedure can be performed independently or resorted to using a special device.
Little milk
If the child does not eat up, he becomes overly moody and refuses to sleep. It is very easy to understand how much breast milk is needed for the baby. If the child is full, he becomes calm and falls asleep almost immediately.
To establish the process of breastfeeding, it is necessary to understand the cause of such a violation. Among the factors leading to a lack of milk, doctors call the following:
- prematurity of the child;
- complications after cesarean;
- improper nutrition of mom;
- taking hormones or diuretics;
- severe mental trauma;
- infectious diseases in women in childbirth.
In order for the baby to fully eat, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the violation. All the problems listed above are easily solved.
When milk comes after a cesarean section, it's hard to say. However, each woman can periodically arrange checks for her breast, carefully decanting. If all attempts fail, you should not panic. It is better to stimulate the nipples with such a procedure every two hours. You can’t press hard, and light massage movements will certainly benefit.
If there is no milk, pediatricians still recommend applying the baby to the chest. With sucking movements, he will stimulate the mother's body to produce the very oxytocin. When milk comes after cesarean, you can understand that this hormone is involved in active work.
Lactation problems usually end 10 days after surgery. If these recommendations do not help, you need to try to soberly analyze the situation. Maybe there is no milk due to postpartum depression or strong feelings? In this case, it is important to try to pull yourself together and tune in to positive thinking for the health of the crumbs.
Nipple or breast?
Breastfeeding after cesarean may be complicated by another problem. While the mother is in intensive care, the baby will be fed artificial mixtures. During this time, the baby will have time to get used to the easy "extraction" of food. When the time comes to take a breast, he can simply refuse it. Sucking is a very complex process that is difficult for many babies. Already when milk arrives after a cesarean section, the newly minted mother must constantly put the baby to her breast. The addiction process is quite lengthy, so you have to be patient.
It may also be difficult to grip the nipple. Many children have to deal with such a problem, including those born naturally. At first, mother should constantly help the baby. If she does not know how to properly breastfeed, you can ask the medical staff to explain all the manipulations.
How to fix lactation after cesarean?
On the second day after surgery, the woman is transferred to a regular ward. The newborn will already be with her, but it is recommended to feed him only on demand. This will allow you to quickly establish the process of lactation. In the first hours, a woman stands out only in colostrum, but this should not be scared. A child needs only a few drops of liquid to get enough. A newly mummy has the opportunity to recover faster and prepare the body for regular feeding, if she follows the recommendations below. What to do to get milk after cesarean?
- About 40 minutes before lactation, drink hot unsweetened tea.
- Before direct feeding, unfold the baby.
- Constantly stroking the child in the direction from the head to the legs.
- Express milk regularly if the baby is in the intensive care unit.
After discharge, already at home, pediatricians recommend abandoning the bottle and often put crumbs on the chest. Then there will be more milk.
When is supplementary food required?
If the baby constantly refuses to breast, do not rush and give him additional food. As a rule, premature and weak babies need it. They do not gain, but more often lose weight. On average, infants should add 100 g per week. It is worth considering that each baby is individual, therefore, indicators may vary.
Additional feeding is necessary if the child and mother are separated for a long time. It is not recommended to start it without prior approval from the doctor. Unfortunately, practice shows that a return to full breastfeeding in the end is often accompanied by difficulties.
To summarize
Caesarean section is not a barrier to breastfeeding. According to statistics, only 25% of women have problems after surgery. Most newly moms feed their babies from the second day. For lactation, they use special teas based on fennel and the like. Moreover, they finish these procedures only after a year or a half.