c-section question

from what i've been reading, when you have a c-section, the milk doesn't come in right away. how many days after since BF right after birth is the most important time?

 

After my c-section, my milk came in on day 5. With my vaginal birth, my milk came in on day 3. The babies don't need much at first.. you will have colustrom to give them which is soooo good for them. Keep in mind that I've heard of others who had c-sections whose milk came in earlier. Good luck! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ May 8 2009, 08:17 AM) [snapback]1305415[/snapback]
After my c-section, my milk came in on day 5. With my vaginal birth, my milk came in on day 3. The babies don't need much at first.. you will have colustrom to give them which is soooo good for them. Keep in mind that I've heard of others who had c-sections whose milk came in earlier. Good luck! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!


please forgive my ignorance.
what do you mean colustom. isn't that the milk that comes out in the beginning? does it literally stream out?

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ May 8 2009, 07:23 AM) [snapback]1305421[/snapback]
please forgive my ignorance.
what do you mean colustom. isn't that the milk that comes out in the beginning? does it literally stream out?

Yes, Colostrum is very nutritious and is there when you give birth. It does not stream out. It comes out like your milk will... with pumping or breastfeeding! The link should help.

 

I had a c-section and was pumping for my NICU babies. I was in the hospital for 4 days, and my milk was in well before I left. When I started pumping, at first I got tiny drops of colostrum. (It's thick and yellowish, even a bit sticky, and doesn't look milky.) Gradually, I got more and more, and it went from thick yellow to creamy yellow to regular milk.

Oh, and though I only got tiny drops at first with the pump, I would have been just fine nursing the babies. Babies get out a LOT more than a pump ever can. So there was definitely much more than just little drops in there!

Colostrum is all they need until your milk comes in. Their stomach capacity is about the size of a marble, and they mostly sleep.

HTH!

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ May 8 2009, 08:32 AM) [snapback]1305434[/snapback]
I had a c-section and was pumping for my NICU babies. I was in the hospital for 4 days, and my milk was in well before I left. When I started pumping, at first I got tiny drops of colostrum. (It's thick and yellowish, even a bit sticky, and doesn't look milky.) Gradually, I got more and more, and it went from thick yellow to creamy yellow to regular milk.

Oh, and though I only got tiny drops at first with the pump, I would have been just fine nursing the babies. Babies get out a LOT more than a pump ever can. So there was definitely much more than just little drops in there!

Colostrum is all they need until your milk comes in. Their stomach capacity is about the size of a marble, and they mostly sleep.

HTH!


so i can pump while im in the hospital? i know i'll be there for 3-4 days and would like to start right away. do i need to bring a pump with me?

 

If your babies are in the NICU, the hospital should provide you a rental pump and show you how to use it. I'm not sure whether they do this if your babies are with you and able to nurse. Worth calling to ask and find out! But if they are with you, it might be nice if you brought your own pump, just as a courtesy in case there's high demand for hospital pumps and other moms might need them.

Anyway, it's always worth calling the hospital to ask how they do things, whether they have LCs on staff, how soon after birth (c-section or otherwise) you'd be given a pump, etc.

It's so great that you're thinking ahead of all these things - good for you!

 

It took almost a week for my milk to come in.


Kenneth and Ian are 18 days old

 

I think it makes a difference, if you have a c-section and haven't had any labor or contractions. In my case, I was just past 38 weeks and showed no signs of labor, no dilating of the cervix, etc. I pumped in the hospital and nursed the one baby who latched. I think my milk came in on day 6. I never felt engorged, and even though I pumped many times in the hospital nothing came out until the 5th night, when I got a little tiny bit.

 

I delivered vaginally and my babies latched right away but I wanted to pump so if i needed help figuring it out someone could show me. I asked for a pump and was brought one right away along with a new pack of parts

If you think you will go the c-section route you should read up about having a c-section and nursing. The incision can be painful and there are some nursing positions that are much easier for those that have had c-sections such as the football hold. Most moms like to lay nursing down after a c-section, which means you'll need to nurse one at a time.