Guest blog : breastfeeding after a caesarean section

This week our guest blogger is Carol, who tells us about her experience of having an emergency C-section and breastfeeding her newborn baby. A wonderful post that speaks about the determination of a mother to breastfeed no matter what anyone else says!


"As soon as I became pregnant, I read anything and everything about pregnancy. From the week by week development of baby to best feeding for mum and baby. I soon made up my mind that I wanted to breastfeed. There are health, bonding and financial benefits after all.

So, when we discovered at our scan that I had a low placenta (placenta praevia) and that a caesarean section was very likely, I was really upset. How on earth would I be able to pick my baby up if bed-bound? Latching on would be virtually impossible. The negativity surrounding c-sections and successful breastfeeding was incredible ‘on the grapevine’ that is an internet search… often leading to forums. Even some of the more ‘reputable’ sources were often negative.Understandably, I felt very downbeat…

Until I spoke to my midwife and spoke to my hubby’s friend who had successfully bf after a section.They were very supportive and positive.

I bought the nursing bra, the breast pads, and put aside my free lanosin sample from my pre-natal Bounty pack. I was all set…

Until I developed acute pre-eclampsia and hellp syndrome at 37 + 1 weeks. You can read more about my experience here.

Instead of my planned section, I had an emergency section. This involved being nil by mouth (not any food or drink to be taken orally) and on various meds. All of which made it very difficult to bf….

I should have noted that within an hour of being born, our little bear latched on instinctively. I was happy, if very poorly and she was happy. Win-win.Granted, it was difficult to lever myself out of bed to get to our bear and bf but the support of the ward staff was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for more.

It was a slightly different story once ‘home alone’ a week later. Within 3 weeks of giving birth, I had no real option other than to ‘give up’ breastfeeding. I couldn’t keep up with my hungry baby and hadn’t had the best start to it, being nil by mouth and so poorly… but no matter.

That said, this post is to highlight that it IS possible to successfully breastfeed after having a c-
section.

And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise…

Thanks for listening."

Support today for tomorrow's mums!

I was facilitating an antenatal breastfeeding session this morning. I had a group of six mums-t- be, all interested and keen to ask questions, just as I like a group to be!

One of them said that her mother couldn't breastfeed her and we went onto discussing how the previous generation lacked in support and how formula use was strongly advised. I said something about formula in the 70's them remembered just in time that all these mums were probably younger than me by at least a decade! And added 'and the 80's' !!

Later when I was going back home I was reflecting about this in the car. The longer I'll be a breastfeeding counsellor and the later these mums will have been born! There will come a time when they won't be daughters of a 'formula generation'. What sort of view on breastfeeding will these mothers of tomorrow have received from their own mothers?!

I hope that one day we will see some effect of the growing support that's available at the moment, that the support will keep growing. We might not be changing the rates of breastfeeding 'success' as much as we'd like but maybe we're changing the views of mothers who will give birth in 15, 20 years from here?!
Birthing practices are changing too.
Groups like the Hampshire Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) work to include views of parents into maternity care.
More and more hospitals are putting their efforts into being Baby Friendly Initiative accredited.
Parents are aware of the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby - or, if not possible, father and baby -  straight after birth, and of the initation of breastfeeding in baby's first hours of life.

But, thinking about these mothers, there is something that worries me. It's the whole formula-feeding/breastfeeding division that we see. You just have to read forums about baby care or comments on feeding related articles in the media and you see only too well that division. Behind it, deep, often painful feelings...
Women talk about feeling pressured, inadequate, failing.
The balance of sharing our passion for breastfeeding without imposing our views to vulnerable new mothers is fragile.
We'd like every baby to be breastfed but also every mother to fall in love with her baby and know that she is the best mother her baby could have, whatever she does. It's not easy, I can tell you!

To come back to these painful feelings that exist between formula-feeding and breastfeeding mothers... It's for all of us, mums out there, to try and understand that different mothers have different choices and that all choices are valid. And to be kind. And to remember that negative attitude often hides hurt.

To remember that we are moving away from the mothers born from the 'formula' generation and that we are at this time setting down the foundations of a different way of thinking in terms of feeding babies. Let's make it a good one!

Anne

Guest Post : Dedicated support groups, here for you when everything seems impossible !

We are very lucky again, this week, to be hosting a fantastic guest post. Lisette and Geraldine are Specialist Midwives in Infant Feeding and you can follow their tweets @FeedingTogether. For more information about their work and on how to feed your baby you can also visit this website.
Today Lisette is sharing with us some of her reflections about motherhood, doubts and reluctance to get support that come with it! Her message is simple : there is a wealth of support out there, seize the opportunity!



"For all new mum’s, regardless of how they have chosen to feed their babies, there are moments when they doubt that they will ever get to grips with what their baby needs. Well, as sure as “eggs is eggs” this fear will be very short-lived if you take advantage of the wealth of support that is available to you as a new mummy.

New mummies have an amazing amount to deal with following the arrival of a new baby and learning to juggle everything that this new role throws at you can be sole destroying at times. This is, in most parts, because we are women and we seem to have this inbuilt and insane idea that we have to be perfect at all tasks and couldn’t possibly delegate anything to anybody else, because……………. Well just because!!!!!

Support is the number one key ingredient in this brand new relationship – afterall, in the past when things have been tricky in other situations, new jobs or perhaps a new relationship, we are incredibly good at seeking approval and advice (support) from those closest to us (friends & family). So why is it when we are pregnant or have a new baby that we seem to think that we have to struggle through and just “find a way”?!

Babies are everyone’s business and by that I mean that your support with breastfeeding or formula feeding shouldn’t just come from one place – midwives and health care assistants; health visitors and GP’s; friends and family will all have a part to play in giving you the support that you will need but there is an even more special place that you can go that will offer everything you need in one place.

Dedicated support groups, operate in your area and are there to offer support to you on those days when everything seems impossible. If you are having early problems (or late) with breastfeeding, you will find a dedicated team of women, who have all breastfed themselves, on hand to help you and offer you the support and information that you need to continue on your breastfeeding journey. Don’t just sit at home and worry about something, being able to share something in a group setting, with women who have or still are breastfeeding is an amazingly powerful experience. These groups are an ideal opportunity to practice things that you are not yet comfortable with, such as “breastfeeding in public” - its a very empowering moment when you finally feel confident to move from the group setting to coffee shops and restaurants or even park benches!!

 So why not pop along to a support group near you and take the opportunity to meet with and pick the brains of a number of other women – in a similar situation to yourself."

Friday blog hop - Dad : a haven!

I saw this cartoon today on Pinterest and it made me think of the whole MummyMilk (very much one and the same thing for a baby!)/Baby/Daddy triangle. It's true that, as the cartoon suggests, a baby might not always be happy to see Daddy when he wakes up in the night and expects warm milky cuddles!
On the other hand a baby who tends to be unsettled and always want to feed when he is with Mummy might find some peace and rest in Daddy's arms. Parents will know the drill : he's been fed, his nappy is clean, what does he need? Sometimes the answer is just Daddy's arms, where your baby can forget that not far away there is milk 'on tap'. Babies are not very different from us in that way ; to go to sleep we need to wind down and switch off but try going to sleep with a hot plate of Sunday roast or steaming sticky toffee pudding in front of your nose!

Breastfeeding Meme

How do you pass the time when your little one is feeding?

I always have my phone with me (except if DB has pinched it from me, which can happen!). It's a fantastic asset for a breastfeeding mum :) I go on Facebook, read and write emails, write a blog post, read a book on the Kindle app, browse on Etsy or eBay, go on Pinterest or Twitter. I can say that smart phones have radically changed my breastfeeding experience since I had DD1 almost 11 years ago (yikes!!).


Cover up or bare it all?

I don't cover up but try not to flash everyone around either! More than once it happened that people didn't realise I was breastfeeding until someone talked to me and suddenly realised. But it also happened, with a particular mock wrap top, that I saw with a shock, after DB had come off and I had pulled my top down, that my boob was popping out in between the layers!!!


Choosing breastfeeding : Sense or Sensibility?

Definitely sensibility first. Although I appreciate all the health benefits, especially when I have been nursing a poorly child, it's for the closeness that I wanted to breastfeed. The love rush. The growing infant curling up in your arms like a newborn, all warm and safe and content.


If your breastfeeding experience was a film, what genre would it be?

A love story or maybe one of these Coming of Age films. It's not quite an experience that turns you into a different person but certainly in a person with different views.


What are the down sides?

Blocked ducts can set me off in quite a bad mood for a couple of days. Especially with older children who seem to choose that time to bump into me or give me a hug a bit roughly (any sort of hug is generally nice but not with tender boobs!).
Little fingers that pinch soft skin between the nails... Ouch!
Biting is not nice either, although one time it was my own fault. I had given a cracker to DB and let her come on the boob while eating. She got a bit confused!!
Little feet that go in my plate when I'm breastfeeding while having my meal, or that knock my phone off my hand!


Nose-to-nipple or laid-back?

With DB I definitely found that laid-back breastfeeding helped her to latch on, otherwise I had all the head shaking and pushing away from me which can be so frustrating. As soon as she was on my chest, on her tummy, she used her reflexes (rooting and crawling) to good results! After she'd latched on I would often go into a cross between cradle hold and laid-back breastfeeding.
With DD1 I tried once feeding on all four as I had read it helped with blocked ducts... Not convinced! Since then I've discovered hot compresses and to align baby's chin with the blockage and it works better for me. At least it's more dignified!


What would you like to say to new mums about breastfeeding?

When it comes to breastfeeding what counts is the relationship between you and your baby, it is UNIQUE to the two of you. There are no absolute set rules, whatever works for you is what is right, whether it's exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding, expressing, feeding only from one boob! The aim is to make it work FOR YOU, in the way it's right for you :)

Anne x

It wouldn't really be a Meme without inviting other bloggers to write similar posts. So I'm going to invite Becky at ThisIsMe
paa.la
Rachel at Beautiful.Enduring.Delight
Tessa at The Pumping Mama
and Kylie at Not Even a Bag of Sugar
To continue this breastfeeding Meme, guys, include the pic below, write a post answering the questions (if you want to) and invite 5 more bloggers to do the Meme!  

Say Milk! linky : Breastfeeding in Front of the Computer

This week's picture is from photographer Paul Carter. You can see more of his pictures online or on Facebook.

I love this picture which captures a trait common to many breastfeeding mums : to breastfeed anywhere and in any circumstances, just getting on with your life!
The young woman is Paul's niece.  She was over in the UK from Australia for a year while her husband was on secondment with the Dept of Defence in Portsmouth.  She thought she was going to have a year off work to just enjoy her new (first) baby.  Work missed her so much back in Melbourne though, she was roped into a number of projects she could do remotely, hence the photo of working and feeding at the same time.

I, too, have often breastfed in front of my computer. Actually... that's what I'm doing as I'm writing this. I'm sitting on the sofa, laptop (notebook even) on my lap, DB on my right, 'helping herself' to the boob! I have decided to put a stop to multitasking like this at doing a selfie as well! So I hope you enjoy Paul's picture and join us on this blog hop with wonderful breastfeeding, feeding or expressing (pumping) pictures :)

Anne

Guest post : The Support I Wish I'd Had... by The Pumping Mama

Where to start? It would be difficult to portrait Tessa, aka The Pumping Mama, in only a few words and not betray the deep thoughtfulness and honesty of her blog. So I'll just say that I found her blog thanks to Twitter, that I'm very, very pleased that she accepted to write a very moving and insightful post for us, and that you should absolutely visit and read The Pumping Mama !


"I wish my home town had a breastfeeding support group when I was pregnant with Moo. I would have loved to have attended before she was born, to gain a first hand perspective of the realities of breastfeeding. Newborn feeding patterns, cluster feeding, weight gain... It's almost too late to find out that stuff once your baby is here. The antenatal 'infant feeding' class just didn't cut it. It was more aimed at convincing mothers to breastfeed, than what the process would actually be like.

I could have made some friends, perhaps other mothers due the same time as me. The other mums around me were formula feeding, I had no one to cry to about the issues that arose in the early days. No one that was facing a similar sort of thing. Someone to share the trials with, and celebrate successes with. I'd met some mum friends online, who were supportive, but they can't give you a hug while you sob into your extremely unflattering maternity nightie.

I wish I'd been in touch with a lactation consultant ante natally. Perhaps a breastfeeding support group could have facilitated that. I could have asked more questions about breastfeeding issues that I'd read about briefly; thrush, tongue tie, poor latch. A DVD of babies suckling away doesn't prepare you much for that.

It's almost impossible to believe that in my home town of around 25,000 people, a breastfeeding group didn't exist when Moo was born. I wasn't surrounded by nursing mothers, or IBCLCs, or mums with years of experience in a peer supporter role. Just a GP with outdated knowledge (how can you breastfeed a baby with teeth?!) and over stretched health visitors that mostly looked at me with pity.

I hope that one day every mother can encircle herself with other mums and health care professionals that are passionate about breastfeeding. Perhaps my story would have been very different, had such a group existed. I know I'd have at least not felt quite so alone, and sometimes that's all you need.

Big love, TPM"

Nancy Mohrbacher's Breastfeeding Solutions app

How much digital technology has evolved since I breastfed my first daughter, in 2003 !

Back then when I found myself having a cracked nipple and a hungry 3 days old baby I didn't have the reflex to go online to find a solution to my problem. I'm not even sure that I knew the expression 'to Google' someone or something. Tablets or iPads? Didn't even exist. Phones? They were really just to call people. And that's what I did by the way, because I was lucky to have one friend who had breastfed. Saying that we had only been living in our village for a fairly short time, and living in England for that matter, both DH and I being French. Z. was one of out very few friends and the only one who had a baby and had been breastfeeding her.
So Z. came to help and mainly listened to me. Luckily the breastfeeding issues more or less solved themselves afterwards.

Nearly 11 years later (yikes!) and not only is the Internet an incredible resource but it's at our fingertips too. At the same time there is such a wealth of information available that it can be overwhelming and confusing. Back with my cracked nipple, I wouldn't have thought about it as a cracked nipple. It was more 'Help! I'm bleeding!!!' (It was really a tiny pinprick of blood but I found it very scary!).

If I had had the Breastfeeding Solutions App then I would have gone straight onto 'Solutions' from the home screen :

Then 3 choices :

'Mother' for me, which brings me to 4 more choices :

After clicking 'I'm in pain or exhausted' I am presented with 3 choices :

That would be my nipples, which lead me to 4 choices, highlighted in blue rather than pink which means that the next page is going to give me some solutions :

I choose the first one and comes to :

The 'solutions' are clearly explained with links to different articles in the app. The whole process of using the app is surprisingly simple and effective, which suggests that it's been very carefully thought out! This comes as no surprise when you know that the author of the app is Nancy Mohrbacher, well known lactation consultant, author of breastfeeding books who became references for parents and professionals alike. Breastfeeding Made Simple, which she wrote with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, provided me with numerous references when I was training as a breastfeeding counsellor and writing my essays!

Nancy Mohrbacher says : "The Breastfeeding Solutions app is not intended to replace in-person help and describes how--when needed--mothers can use the www.ilca.org website to find IBCLCs in their local area. But it can be a great first resource, as it covers many of the most common problems and questions and when it's downloaded into a smartphone, it goes with mothers everywhere." (the link is in the App as well)

I think it's important to keep in mind that this app is a first resource only and to provide parents with information about their local support network but I really think it's a valuable tool to bring to new parents' attention. As Mrs Mohrbacher points out, it can go with mothers everywhere : in my opinion, a good support to build self confidence.

The App can be downloaded from the App Store or  Google Play.