i had an emergency c-section with Bandl's Ring complications (after 37 hours of labour), it was a very traumatic delivery. (Bandl's Ring is very uncommon, i never read of it happening to other bb-ers). i would have been very happy with a very boring labour.

Her first breastfeed was 2.5hrs after she was yanked out of me (they tried forceps, vacuum thing, then broke the suction by a nubmer of people punching my uterine muscles, she was dragged out by one foot). APGAR of 2.

THe nurse in Recovery, on my request, took me to the Nursery, and the midwives there helped me attach her for her first very short feed. i then basically kidnapped her, to come back with me, to the Post Labour ward. i wanted her with me, was upset her cord was immed cut, the vermix was washed off her, no breast crawl, rushed off to NICU, i hardly got to see her.

We had four months of bf-ing not going very well, then suddenly, it all clicked. So she was feeding all that time, but with pain for me. The internal damage from the Bandl's Ring complications, stomach muscles were messed up for a long time, so i'm sure that contributed alot to the pain i felt bf-ing. i was so elated when it no longer hurt to breastfeed. After her traumatic entry, it was so important to me, that i bf her, to me, it felt like a way i could make it up to her. sounds silly i know. i blame hormones. And zero counselling after what had happened to us. Just pats on the head "doesn't matter, you have a beautiful baby, that's all that matters".