Breastfeeding and contact following Caesarian

Hi All

i'm booked to have a caesarian section in six weeks time. I've read that some people have to wait until they get out of recovery in order to have some proper contact time and breastfeeding, whilst others report having the baby and their partners with them in recovery and being able to breastfeed at this time.

I am going to Frances Perry House - so wondering if anyone who has had a caesarian there knows how things go at FPH. I am going to ask if the baby and my partner can come with me to recovery rather than wait in the room, but want to know if others have had experience at FPH.

Thanks,

Kaz

Hi Kyky,

I did not have my baby at Perry House but I just wanted to say that my first caesar was not a nice experience. I had to have a general anaesthetic and didn't get to meet my bub til she was 1.5 hours old. I found the experience very traumatic and we had major breastfeeding probs. I have discussed my feelings with my OB and if I need another caesar she is letting me have what is called a maternal assisted caesarean - basically once the doc has delivered the head and shoulders I can reach down and pull bub up onto my chest. I can have bub with me whilst being stitched up and while I'm in recovery. Obviously this kind of thing doesn't appeal to everyone but make your Ob and/or the hospital aware that you want skin on skin contact asap and that you want bub with you whilst in recovery. Even write a caesarean birth plan with all your wishes on it and give it to your OB and the hospital. They should be supportive of your wishes! Good luck!:)

I asked before my last c.s what the hosptial policy was and I wasn't allowed to have bub in recovry with me. So my suggestion would be to just ask... the worst they can say is no..

I had bub with me in recovery - he was only taken away to get seen to (make sure he was ok) and whilst I was being stitched up I had him in my arms and then in recovery we were allowed to attempt to start breastfeeding (wasn't successful, but thats another story!!) So at my hospital (Selangor on the Sunshine Coast) they try to promote a more natural type of birth, even if it is a scheduled c-section (mine was elective by the way). Just ask them and see how you go!! Good luck :-)

I had my boy at Snt Vincents private and I got to hold my baby while they worked on me then he went with daddy to recovery for about 15mins while they finished with me in theater. When I got to recovery I held him skin to skin to regulate his body temp, I held him while they wheeled me to my room and it was only when dh took him for a cuddle that I let him go :lol: I didn't get to bf him straight away because I had gestational diabetes so when he was born his sugars were low and he needed a boost of formula but I would have been able to feed while in recovery otherwise. I think FPH is simular but give the midwives a ring and ask them. I wish you all the best :hug:

I missed out on quality time whilst in recovery, not at that hospital though..
Ask for what you want and see how you go :-)

Tiff - you're very lucky!!! I delivered at St V's in Feb last year and wasn't allowed to even HOLD DD until I got out of recovery and begged for them to get DD and DH from SCN (they were only there because they weren't allowed to go to recovery with me). I was told I would be lucky to even SEE my DD that night!!!!

Kaz, my suggestion would be to contact both the hospital AND talk to your Ob about your wishes. If the hospital gives a blanket "no" but your Ob is supportive, they may be able to talk to the hospital for you. But do keep in mind that if you or your baby need extra attention, you may be told at the last moment that you can't have them in recovery with you. This is so that they can focus on giving you (or baby) the attention and care needed. SCN is the best place for baby to get any extra urgent care as recovery is usually set up for adults and not neonates (unless you are at a hospital operating on neonates such as Mercy for Women and the Children's). I do urge you to ask though and to talk to your Ob about it.

Good luck!

MG

Kaz, in my experience, don't wait for them to tell you what "hospital policy" is - ten different ppl will tell you ten different things. Instead, you tell them what you want, keep repeating it everytime you're there and ask how they can help facilitate it. Write it through your birth plan. On the day, tell people again. In my case (here in the ACT, public hospital, elective CS) I stated directly that I wanted skin to skin contact IN THEATRE and that a midwife was to be made available so I could feed in recovery. Even minutes before the CS they were telling me, no, it's busy today, don't know if we can do it, but in the end the theatre midwife 'made time' and made it happen for us. It was the best thing that could ever have happened and those first few hours passed in a blur of happiness. Good luck!

MG, I so feel for you not being able to see your bub for so long. My cs ended up having to be under a general so I didn't get to meet bub til I woke up which I found to be very traumatic.
I really don't understand why some hospitals do not allow mums to have their bubs with them whilst being stitched and whilst in recovery. As long as there are no complications with the baby it really is best to have that skin on skin contact and first breastfeed ASAP. It really should be encouraged.
Kaz, like the others have said make sure you stipulate what you want.
I've already mentioned this in a previous post but I discussed my experience with my OB and if I need a cs with #2 she is going to allow me to pull bub onto my chest for instant skin on skin and I'll have bub with me in recovery (as long as they can get the epidural in and I don't need another general).
Read Paula Becktons story on http://www.birthrites.org/OliverBS.html. She did this at the hospital where I will have my next bub. It is a fantastic story. And even if the thought of pulling bub up onto your chest doesn't appeal, I'm sure the rest of it would.


Tamara :)

I've had 3 c's now the first one was emergency under general and I really struggled with bonding and post partum blues. I didn't get to hold bub until the next day which really affected me.
Second time my baby was breech and I had an elective C with a spinal block, I got see her directly after she was born but didn't get to hold her or have her in recovery.
This time I got to hold Luca straight away and bond for hours, it was amazing, I can't stress enough how important it was. I didn't know until I experienced it just what I had missed out on with my other 2 births, it really does make a huge difference to your birth experience and your emotions.

Joralyd - I'm so glad you had a nice experience with little Luca. I had the baby blues really badly then developed PND and I believe that a lot of it stemmed from the way my cs under a general affected me emotionally.

With the birth of DD, after her birth I held her after she was checked over, she then came into recovery with me in her crib....once I was cleaned up she was given to me so I could BF'd her. It was absolutely fantasic.

If this is what you want, request it....just because you are having a C-section, doesn't mean you can't have that contact with bubs in recovery. With my first C-section, I held my DS only briefly before he was taken to the nursery to be weighed, measured and bathed....I was extremely upset that I didn't get to see him again until he was more than an hour old (while I lay in recovery) and horrified to learn that I had missed out on his first bath. Second time round I requested what I wanted, I made it known and I got what I wanted....it added to the experience and made it all the more enjoyable. Remember this is YOUR baby.

Hi Kaz,

I had my DD at FPH via emergency c/section just after midnight. Straight after she was born, they brought her to me first, we had a kiss and cuddle - then they took her and wrapped her up, and she went with DH to be checked by Pead. I was stiched up and in recovery for a short time, and back with my daughter in the delivery room within about 15mins, at which point we attempted b/f.

I think you can request to have your bub with you in recovery, especially if your having a planned c-section, its easier to arrange for your needs. Discuss it with your dr and the midwives before hand, im sure they will accomodate you. ALthough people think FPH is 'ceasers palace', you will find that the staff are very pro-natural and pro-b/feeding.

Good luck sweets,
Lisa

I know I won't be much help but with both bubs I have had c-sections and been able to hold bubs almost straight away. They tend to have wrapped them but we have photos with both boys and us holding them in theatre.
Both boys were wheeled to our room with me on my bed. They were in recovery with me the whole time. Two different hospitals both SJOG. I couldn't have been happier.:D

Thanks everyone. I did ask the obs about it and he said that you generally get a bit of a cuddle, 10 - 15 min in theatre whilst they are stitching, then bub and partner off to room whilst i go to recovery - hopefully not for too long.

I will certainly let everyone know when i check in (and at every other appropriate moment!) what i would like - but i do also understand the constraints that are present (e.g. resource availability, recovery environment etc) as i am an ICU nurse.

I think i'm pretty ok with the whole thing. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Just counting down the days now (26 to go!) - can't wait.

Kaz

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I didn't get to bf him straight away because I had gestational diabetes so when he was born his sugars were low and he needed a boost of formula but I would have been able to feed while in recovery otherwise.

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I know this is a little off topic for the thread, but just so that those reading this are aware, this is not currently accepted policy for neonatal care. GD is no excuse for giving a baby formula, especially as its first feed. This is a very outdated and possibly harmful policy, as research proves that offering formula feeding at this early stage causes feeding problems during infancy.

A more correct procedure would have been to put the baby straight to the breast - colostrum contains high sugar content and is the best possible thing to regulate blood sugar. And if the baby's bloog sugar is so abnormal that they are unable to feed, they should have a drip inserted and receive IV dextrose (sugar) - not formula.

I think it is also testament as to why it is paramount that hospitals do make it standard procedure to have a midwife available in recovery so that the baby can remain with the mother after a caesarean - most midwives would have prevented this from happening.

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Kaz, in my experience, don't wait for them to tell you what "hospital policy" is - ten different ppl will tell you ten different things. Instead, you tell them what you want, keep repeating it everytime you're there and ask how they can help facilitate it. Write it through your birth plan. On the day, tell people again. In my case (here in the ACT, public hospital, elective CS) I stated directly that I wanted skin to skin contact IN THEATRE and that a midwife was to be made available so I could feed in recovery. Even minutes before the CS they were telling me, no, it's busy today, don't know if we can do it, but in the end the theatre midwife 'made time' and made it happen for us. It was the best thing that could ever have happened and those first few hours passed in a blur of happiness. Good luck!

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I could have written this word for word - maybe it was the same hospital? I was SO UPSET at having an elective CS (breech bub) and when they said their policy was no baby or hubby in recovery, I just lost it. Nothing was going right for my first pregnancy, all those dreams and visions of this perfect birth.... But i spoke with my doctor and was advised that i should insist on it because they legally are not allowed to separate mum and bub without mum's permission. Apparently.

So I insisted, a midwife was made available and I had both DD and DH in recovery with me and it was beautiful. I am so glad I have those precious memories. It was extremely important for me to get that skin contact and first breastfeed established ASAP. The recovery staff even mentioned how unusual it was to have a bub in the recovery suite and how cool it was - I think everyone came for a peek at the brand new bubby! LOL i didnt care, I was in bliss....

Good luck - I hope your recovery experience is as great as mine was - it was really worth the fight!

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Kaz, in my experience, don't wait for them to tell you what "hospital policy" is - ten different ppl will tell you ten different things. Instead, you tell them what you want, keep repeating it everytime you're there and ask how they can help facilitate it. Write it through your birth plan. On the day, tell people again. In my case (here in the ACT, public hospital, elective CS) I stated directly that I wanted skin to skin contact IN THEATRE and that a midwife was to be made available so I could feed in recovery. Even minutes before the CS they were telling me, no, it's busy today, don't know if we can do it, but in the end the theatre midwife 'made time' and made it happen for us. It was the best thing that could ever have happened and those first few hours passed in a blur of happiness. Good luck!

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This is really good advice.

Often women ask for contact in recovery, are promptly told "No" it can't be done, and they feel too intimidated to push it further...which the hospital is acutely aware of ;)

You are the consumer of their service - you tell them what you expect and they can damn well make it happen. You only get to birth this baby once, and those precious first minutes and hours that are vital for bonding and memory making once passed, are gone forever. Don't allow them to treat your baby's birthday as just another day at work for them, and just another birth.

You might have to be loud and repetitive but it's worth it.

i have to have a c section birth for my first born and for someone who is absolutely petrified of hospitals i would be so much more relaxed at having DH and baby with me after the birth and in the recovery room. i can't believe some hospitals do and others won't even consider it. you would think as long as everything's gone fine they would allow it for the new family.
my sister had her son by c-section and said it was awful how they we're ushered out of the operating room away from her, after a quick photo and we're not allowed in the recovery room for what seemed like ages before she could actually hold her baby and see her husband.
my DH is determined to be by my side the entire time, even though we have yet to find out if they allow this to happen at our hospital. i pray they do but i have some doubts.

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Hi All

i'm booked to have a caesarian section in six weeks time. I've read that some people have to wait until they get out of recovery in order to have some proper contact time and breastfeeding, whilst others report having the baby and their partners with them in recovery and being able to breastfeed at this time.

I am going to Frances Perry House - so wondering if anyone who has had a caesarian there knows how things go at FPH. I am going to ask if the baby and my partner can come with me to recovery rather than wait in the room, but want to know if others have had experience at FPH.

Thanks,

Kaz

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Did you end up having bubs in recovery with you? or skin to skin contact i'm due to go to fph september and had c/s with my first bub and have been advised c/s for second.

I will be having a scheduled c-section on March 26th because of large fibroid tumors. The hospital where I'm delivering is very pro breastfeeding. They allow the baby to stay with you 2 hrs after delivery to give time for breastfeeding. I hope everything goes well so that will happen for me.

Good on you for asking about this now, so that you can be prepared.

This is a very hot topic atm. Many hospitals still don't allow the babies to be with the mum in recovery despite a raft of evidence that shows having the baby there is best for all concerned. If the policy of FPH is not to allow the baby, you can fight it if you wish. The first step would be to ask the reason for their policy. Often the answer given is that if baby is there, then dad needs to be there also to care for the baby, as mum is recovering from surgery, and if something goes wrong, like a PPH, it is scary for dad to suddenly be evicted with the baby. This is an interesting response, because skin to skin contact with a baby, and bfing straight away greatly reduce the risk of PPH. So by not allowing baby there, they are increasing the risk of something going wrong. My other argument to that would be this shouldn't be a policy, give us that information and allow us to make the choice. If my partner is happy to take this chance then why shouldn't he be able to.

It has also been shown that separation of mum and bub at birth can make it harder to establish bfing. This doesn't mean that you won't be able to, but it can make it harder and let's face it, with a new baby you don't need anything to make life harder. If you are not happy with the policy at the hospital and you'd like to challenge it, I suggest you contact a doula or LC in your area to see if they will support you, or you could contact the Lactation Resource Centre (LRC) run by the ABA and they should be able to give you really good information to support your case.

All the best hun.