Breastfeeding Advice - Troutdale, OR

Congratulations! My suggestion is to find a lactation specialist (the hospital should have one). I used one with my first baby as we struggled to master breastfeeding. After 8 weeks we got it but it was a challenge! I had my second baby in may and it was soo much easier this time! I wish you the best.

Try taking a breastfeeding pillow with you to the hospital. Some like the boppy, I'm trying "bosom baby" this time...it is thicker/higher but softer than the boppy and is made by luna lullaby. YOu'll be more comfortable and more likely to try harder to get a good latch. Ask the hospital, while you are there, if they have lactation consultants available. It may feel weird to have someone watch you breastfeeed, but they have plenty of experience to pass on.
One final word, it is a different baby so it may go as easy as pie.

I haven't had the experience myself but friends have done it. Get early and unrestricted breastfeeding, so don't let them take away the baby or for the least amount of time possible. Tell them not to use a pacifier or bottle, if they have to feed the baby they can use other methods, such as an eye dropper. You may just need Dad or a nurse to be with you at first to help hold the baby.

Tell them you want a local anesthetic so you and the baby can be more alert. If you need antibiotics they should be able to give you ones compatible with breastfeeding.

Try lots of nursing positions and see what is comfortable for you, like the football hold.

Nipple shields are very rarely actually needed, unless you have inverted nipples. It is hard to wean the baby from them too. Ask to see the hospital lactation consultant and make sure you are getting a good latch. Breastfeeding should help you heal faster too.

Call the Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon www.nursingmotherscounsel.org. It's free and there are a lot of mom's wanting to help.

I know breast shields are commonly suggested in hospitals, but everyone I know who used them had difficulty breastfeeding so I would avoid that. Breastfeed on demand, at least every 3 hours around the clock until at least 6 weeks based on your pediatrician's advice. You can also hire a postpartum doula to help you learn how to breastfeed and help with the baby for a short while. Keep the baby with you after delivery and insist that the baby not recieve any supplements. Check out llli.org or api.org for tons of resources! My daughter is a very healthy breastfed 16 month old and we've had few troubles in our breastfeeding relationship. She was put to breast within minutes of birth and has been there since! :) If I can be any more help, please PM me! Good luck and stick with it!

Try not to let the experience with your first child make you nervous or hesitant about this round. I wasn't able to nurse my first child either, but I nursed my second for the first year. And he was in the NICU for 3 weeks, and the first two he was intubated so I couldn't nurse and had to pump the entire time. And breastfeeding still worked out for us. I tried the nipple shield with my first, I would say it's a big waste of time don't bother. Just keep trying to get baby to latch on, and then pump after each session. I know you said last time you didn't get much, but you've got to keep trying. Be persistent, sometimes it takes awhile for your milk to come in.

I see some have already recommended contacting lactation specialists. That would be my advice as well. I went to see them twice during the first month of breastfeeding my son. They were extremely helpful and had some great suggestions for getting the correct latch, different holds to try, etc.

I wouldn't try a pump initially unless you are immediately returning to work or something. Your baby, once he/she learns how to latch and suck and breathe at the same time is better equipped to get the milk to flow than a pump is. And I know how defeating it can be to try pumping for a long time and only get one tiny ounce. (Argh!) :) If you don't have to pump, don't until you get everything working.

With a two year old at home I'm not sure how much free time you have but it might be worthwhile to check out the library or Powell's and thumb through some books on breastfeeding.

Good luck!

I had a very similar experience with my first baby, having an emergency c-section after many hours of labor. Who knows why my little guy wouldn't breastfeed, but I suspect it was related to the drugs in his system, my system, and my exhaustion (possibly he was tired too!)

We struggled so long (only a few days' time) until he alarmingly became dehydrated and slept more and more. He would start to feed, then get so relaxed and comfy, he'd fall asleep...so he wasn't getting nourishment or hydration. We had to move to a bottle, which he did fine with (before that, we tried feeding him with the tube taped to my breast, and whatever other tricks the lactation consultant could come up with). He loved the bottle, because it was easy. I started pumping, but I never did get a lot of milk.

I did also take fenugreek, which increased my milk supply. I think it was 7 pills a day (possibly more?!) If your hospital has a lactation consultant, definitely ask them what they would recommend (my OB/GYN didn't seem to care or understand the point of fenugreek, but the lactation consultants all do!)

Although my first son never took to breastfeeding well, we did carry on with it for over a year. AND, with my second and third babies who were also c-sections, we had a great time with breastfeeding! I also took the fenugreek, and this helped with my milk supply (it appears I will never produce large quantities, though). But I believe that different babies, different c-sections (not emergency and no exhaustion) helped my breastfeeding tremendously.

Best of luck to you!

so remember, when you pump, it's not a good indication of what your baby will get when he's nursing. They get much more. What my pediatriction told me was that one of the things that lots of new moms do is to diet. She said that fat is really needed to create brest milk. Don't worry about losing weight, breastfeeding burns so much fat that there is no need for worry, you'll lose the weight. Also cocnut milk every day made my supply increase & gave the baby lits of good fats for brain growth. Also she told me to ake sure i drank a cup of water every time I nursed. Good luck!

Start as soon as he's born and don't put any pressure on yourself. Your mental state has a huge impact on the process so it's best to go into thinking -- if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't. If you don't pressure yourself it's more likely to go smoothly.

I have 4 children all c-section and all breastfed so it can be done. Just have a positive can do additude. You also should see a lactation consult. check with your doc to see if he knows a good one. Good luck!!

Hi S.,
I would advise contacting a lactation nurse a few weeks before delivery so they can be present just after birth. Not just the one the hospital may offer while you're a patient, but one that can work with you well after the baby is home. Mentally just sticking with it when the breastfeeding is not going well is very hard. La Leche may help too, but I would try first to see a lactation nurse. They will be better equipped to deal with any difficulties that may arise. I will also say, stay as positive as you can. Just because it didn't work well the first time, does not indicate how it will work this time around. Although I didn't have a c-section, I had a horrible time breastfeeding with my first (latch problems, breast infections, nipples peeling OFF). According to my lactation nurse, my nipples were the worst she'd ever seen! She encouraged me and showed me how to stick with it and I ended up being able to breastfeed him for a year! So, with my second child I was prepared for the worst. But, surprise ~ everything went great from the start. :)
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you! B.

I had an emergency c-section with my first also. I think the stress from that and being high strung kept me from being able to nurse. The second time around I had a failed VBAC and had another emergency c-section. Breastfed just fine with him. I know that I was more relaxed the 2nd time around. I had hospital lactation consultant with both. I know that the 2nd time I had a better consultant so if you don't find help with the first one, ask for a different person. With my second I also went back after a week home to have them check and answer some questions I had. Good luck to you and it is easier the 2nd time around.

S.-
I also, unfortunately, had an emergency c-section - baby was fine. About 25 minutes after he was born there was a lactation consultant, provided by the hospital, helping us. With her help, my son latched on right away. She helped us every day during our stay at the hospital. As natural as nursing it is, it does take some practice for mom and baby!

So my advice would be to check with the Le Leche League for some reading material. And check with your hospital to make sure you will have access to a lactation consultant.

Good Luck!

S.,

My son was born 5 years ago by (for all intents and purposes) emergency C-Section. He was also kept in the special care nursery. The nurses never woke me up in the middle of the night to even attempt to nurse him. They just gave him the little one ounce bottles that drip when you turn them upside down. He very nearly refused to nurse at all because he had to work for his food from me, instead of just swallowing from those bleeping bottles. He had to stay an extra day in the hospital while I went home. That extra day (was a sunday) I was told that if he didn't start nursing I wouldn't be able to nurse and that he still might not be able to go home. He figured out how to nurse and was able to go home with me.

My daughter was born by planned C-section 19 months ago and she was allowed to stay in the room with me. She latched on better and we got a better start. Several months later I almost quit nursing because of the pain when she nursed on one side. Anyway, we continued until she weaned herself at 9 months. I think what really helped us was that she was in the room with me instead of down the hall. I was more able to see to her needs than my son.

Somewhere in there I think was some advice, maybe? Every child is different, thus making nursing just as different. Keep trying, and ask for a lactation specialist if you really have troubles.

Good luck,
Melissa

I had a very similar experience. My daughter was born via c-section 7 weeks premature (I had severe preeclampsia). I pumped and pumped and pumped and, like you, was lucky to get an ounce. I tried all kinds of medications and herbals to increase my flow. I stopped pumping all together just to breast feed exclusively and up my supply. All I did was upset my little girl because she was eating all the time because there was so little. I supplemented with formula and everything else. I did all that (all while pumping every 3 hours around the clock) for 4 months. I finally decided to give acupuncture a chance. I did and it worked. Don't get me wrong, I didn't get engorged or anything, but there was more milk. I went to 2 one-hour sessions. If you're up for it, and it's feasible for you, I would recommend looking in to it at least.

I hope the baby-on-the-way is born the way you'd like and all goes quite smoothly!
K. T

Hi S.,
I had an emergency c-section and my daughter was also premmie. Doctors didn't allow me to breastfeed her immediately as she was too small and so thought too much of her energy would be wasted. But though I couldn't breastfeed her for about first 10days, I started pumping just the next day of my delivery. That helped to start milk supply as my lactation specialist said I should start pumping ASAP after delivery. Lots of water drinking and rest helped me to start a good milk supply. After 10days I started my baby's training and in a week she was trained. Since I was home full time I've breastfed my daughter completely for 8mths n partly for a year.
What is imp I think is to start pumping ASAP after ur delivery and then working with your lactation specialist to get your baby to learn.Hope it works for you this time. Good luck with everything!!

Hi S.-
I was able to breastfeed after a C-section with both my kiddos. My first was preemie, and my second was term. Great lactation support is a must. Get info from your lactation consulatant at the hospital and be sure and get a consult each day you are there.

Have you tried any lactation Tea? That helped me alot. Also I would contact La Leche league and ask if they have any tips for you. Feel free to contact me for more details if you want I'd love to help any way I can. Congrats on your second!

I also second the Evergreen Hospital advice. It is where I delivered both mine and they are amazing!

Amie
http://www.modestmilk.etsy.com

I had 2 C-sections, and had a lack of milk production even with my baby (now 20) who was born the normal way. I think stress causes lack of milk production, and maybe diet. Try to make sure you are eating nutrient dense foods - lots of fruits and veggies, vitamins. Also, Fenugreek is an herb to increase milk production. There have been a LOT of articles here in Mamasource about milk production.

Pumping helps increase milk production even if you are not getting a whole lot of milk out of the process - that is what helped me keep my milk with my second child for 1.5 years! By the time I had the 3rd, we breastfed for 3 years! So as you get more used to it, and relax, milk production goes up.

Make sure that AS SOON as baby is born, start breast feeding. I had my baby on my tummy right after the C-section and breast fed right away. That helps get milk production going as well. The sooner the better.

Just relax and realize your body is designed to nurse. Make sure you get enough rest, do relaxation exercises and picture the milk flowing easily. Visualization can help a great deal.

I know you have heard so much already.....
My best advise- GET A LACTATION CONSULTANT!! Most insurance companies will cover this and even if they don't it is a great investment (and probably cheaper than formula in the long run). I had my second baby in April and thought that since I had breastfed one baby I could do it again. It was so much harder and I'm so glad that I met with a LC. It's hard work and I've known lots of mommas that just stick it out. However, if it is making you miserable and affecting your bonding with your baby- you need to do what's best for you both and if that means formula........

I just wanted to give you a happy note - my daughter was born via c-section - 5 weeks early - I had no issues when it came to breastfeeding. But my encouragement comes from 3 of my friends who just had their second kid - all 3 had trouble breastfeeding with the first and no trouble with the second.

Contrary to popular belief - breastfeeding isn't always easy - hang in there.

I had both my girls via c-section and breastfed. My advice would be to keep the baby with you (pretty much at all times), nurse as soon as you get back to your room (usually 30 mins to an hour)and nurse often to get your milk to come in. With my last baby, now almost 5 months, She was born at 7 lbs 4oz and by day 3 she was 6lbs 7oz and her pediatrician was starting to get concerned. My milk still hadn't come in and our pediatrician suggested supplementing with a little bit of formaula(which I only did once). I started pumping every two hours for 30 mins each time and by day 7 she was back up to her birth weight. When I started pumping, I'd get maybe half an oz from each breast at first but as you continue to pump every 2 hours, you start to get more and more. Also, drink lots of water. Breast feeding is hard work, but keep at it and once you have established it, it's wonderful. Hope this helps.

Hi S.,
I have an incredibly hard time nursing my first baby. She would never latch right, she was on nursing strikes, she just would not do it and for some reason I kept on pushing it. I made it through a horribly long two months before it became easier. We did try and give her a bottle too, but she would not take this at all! My second little baby was so much easier. He loved nursing, but I did go to the lactation consultant a few times to make sure he was nursing right. No one really tells you how hard nursing it, but it is SUPER hard.. I don't like it when people get so judgemental about mom's not bf because it is so tough... I do know you can take fenugreek to increase your milk supply. It is a safe and natural. You can find it at Fred Meyer in the natural section. You will smell a bit like maple syrup! Good luck to you. I know you can do.. We always do the best we can. We are mom's. That is what we do..
B.

I had my son via C-section as well last November. He was my first so I really didn't know what to expect. He was born at 9 lbs, but by day 3 he was under 8 lbs which caused some concern. My milk hadn't come in and I was getting horrible blisters, but everytime they looked they said he was latched on properly.

One piece of advice I have from my experience is don't let them take the baby for long periods of time to the nursery. I was told of course after he lost so much weight that I should be trying to feed every 3 hours. They are a little more sleepy because of the medicine you are on after C-section I think. You definitely need your rest, but insist that they bring your baby in the middle of the night at least once to try feeding. Maybe they will take it, and maybe they won't but you gave it a try.

They also tried the shield and it didn't work and was extremely awkward, but what they did do is put some formula (my milk wasn't in) in a syringe with a tube. They then held the tube in place next to my nipple and as the baby latched on they slowly pushed out some of the formula so he was getting my colostrum and the formula, but it all seemed like it was me to him!!! After only the second time he was not only getting the formula, but was able to get double the amount from me. (they were weighing after every feeding)

They said he just needed a little incentive to work for it, and after 1 night of doing that he was a champ and has been breast feeding for almost a year now.

They said they could do this with sugar water as well, but I went for the formula because it seemed like it would be more nutritious. You might also see if you can pump and do the same procedure. It also gave my husband something to do to help when before then he was feeling pretty much useless. He would be in charge of the syringe after the nurse showed him the first time.

I also agree with many of the other posts. Talk to the Lactation consultants and nurses if you feel like you need help, and take advantage of all the time you have in the hospital with a C-section. They would have let us leave one day early on Thanksgiving, but that was when he was at his lowest weight and I knew I wasn't ready to go. That night was the day we got things going on the right track with the help of a wonderful nurse. I am so happy that I gave up the holiday to make sure I had a good start with my baby.

Hope this helps.

I definitely recommend talking to the hospital's lactation consultant. They are a GREAT resource for helping with any troubles you may have, and are usually able to come right up to your room. Also talk to your provider and let them know that you would really like to breastfeed so that your care can be tailored for that. Most hospitals won't take extra care unless a mother informs them that she wants to breastfeed and requests her care be tailored for that.

I had both of my babies via c-section so I know how that goes. Have it written in your birth plan and verbally tell the nurses when you go in for the c-section, that you don't want the baby fed formula after birth unless it is absolutely medically necesary. Your baby will be fine for an hour or two to wait while you are in recovery for you to nurse him/her. My husband put on a rubber glove and the baby sucked his pinkie finger until I was out of recovery. By this time the baby was good and hungry (not crying or screaming) and ready to nurse. You can also request the lactaion consultant to come to your room to help you get a good latch on. The babies latch is the key to good nursing and no pain. If a baby is fed from a bottle right away before they are nursed from the breast it seems that it takes them alittle bit longer to learn to latch on properly to the breast because the bottle is much easier to suck from. So, ask the Dr. and nurses NOT to feed the baby a bottle unless it is absolutely medically necessary and to wait to let you nurse the baby. Every hospital I have talked to has allowed this. Recovery time is not that long and the baby has enough fat stores to wait for you to recover from surgery. Good Luck!! I love breast feeding and hope it works out for you! P.S. Make sure the baby's mouth is wide open and his/her stomach is flat against yours. You can help them open their mouths wider by gently pushing down on their chins. Also make sure that their tongues are not in the back of their mouth. Remember, it's a learning process for mom and baby. ; )

The way your baby was delivered shouldn't make a difference, I nursed for 2 1/2 years after an emergency C-Section. However, sometimes your body doesn't catch on right away since it didn't go through all the motions of delivering the baby. I would DEFINATELY go to a few La Leche meetings and get your questions answered and get some support. Your baby will be healthier because of your choice to breastfeed!

http://www.lllusa.org/web/SalemOR.html

My personal advice: Don't use the nipple shield. It is stupid. I truly think it was something designed by formula companies.

My professional advice: Go to La Leche League, the international breastfeeding education and support organization. They are at:
http://www.llli.org//

I'll echo what everyone else said. Both my girls were c-section (emergency the first time, planned the second). Nursing the first was HARD, but we were blessed with an excellent lactation consultant at our hospital (in Calif.). We had to nurse with a supplementer for three weeks, I pumped all the time, and took tons of fenugreek. It worked, but boy, what an effort!

So, like you, I was nervous about baby #2. Imagine my relief when it all came easily. I think a lot came down to my own relative relaxation. I knew what to expect from the c-section. I knew what to expect (more or less) from having a newborn. Still, I needed help with latching on.

Ask for help. If you're determined to breastfeed, let your caregivers know. Best of luck!

HI S.,

I had both of my babies via C section too and also had breastfeeding issues both times. Luckily for me and my babes we did eventually get them worked out but it took some major doing. My milk has a tedency to come in late and low volume. With my last baby she had jaundice so I HAD to find a way to feed her so we did a supplementation process that was crazy and grueling but it eventually made my milk come in. I also took Fenugreek and a few sips of porter before a nursed her. I pumped everytime after trying to nurse (and used this with the supplementation process at the next feeding)and just kept doing it until my volume was up to what it needed to be. Dont forget to use lactation consultants! They are wonderful ladies that are patient and caring and full of good wisdom.

I struggled for more than 3 months with my son but eventually we both figured it out and now that he's 1 year old I'm weaning him, but after the initial struggle it turned out to be a great experience that I'm going to miss. I almost gave up many times but I'm soooooo glad I didn't. I went and saw lactation specialists many many many times and with their help, we were able to succeed. Good luck and hang in there!

I just had my 3rd baby by c-section 5 months ago, and with my first two children I struggled with this as well. But I am proud to say I made it work the last time!!! On the day my son was born I started taking fenugreek and blessed thistle -- 3 pills of each, 3 times a day. This was under the advice of my ob and the hossy's lactation consultant. They also had me start pumping every 2 hours, and amazingly by the next day I was getting a little bit of colostrum. I NEVER had milk that soon with my other two boys, it ususally took 6 or 7 days to get any. As it turned out, my 3rd son had to go to a children's hospital for a week after he was born. I was actually able to pump and send enough milk up to supplement him, right from the beginning.
I continued to take herbs and pump after feedings for about 2-3 weeks. You should be able to tell if your milk production is where you think it should be.
Good luck!!! Its a lil tough at first but hang in there!

I just had my second daughter 5 weeks ago emergency c-section and we have been very successful so far with breastfeeding. So it is definitely possible.
Also, I have been going to a chiropractor who adjusts babies and he said if I had any problems with nursing to bring baby in for an adjustment and that could solve any breastfeeding issues. I haven't needed to, but it is nice to know there are other options before giving up.
I hope this helps and everything goes well for you.

WOW this could be my situation exactly! I had en emergency c-section with my first, and struggled for 6 weeks before finally calling it quits. I was so worried that the same thing would happen again with my second. I think the diference was the baby was not drugged nearly as long the second time and she latched as soon as I put her to the breast in the recovery room. It may be something as simple as that! The drugs in the babys system throughout delivery can really cause problems after! I hope that this baby just is a natural latcher! Good luck and hope it all works our well for you!

Don't give up. I had the same problem when I had my first son. I was lucky enough to come into contact with an excellent nurse at the hospital on my third day there who helped me. The key is feeding in the right position. You have to find the position the baby likes. When my second son was born I thought I would have it down. But he refused to nurse. I finally figured out that he liked to be held a certain way as well. Then it was smooth sailing. My first son would only nurse in the football hold and my second son was the opposite. And for pain try a warm wash cloth and lamisil.
Try calling La leche league as well. They have lactation consultants.

Hello S.!

I am sure you will get other great advice. In terms of my personal experience, we had twin girlsfirst (via sudden early c-section) and then 7 yrs later, had another girl (scheduled c-section). Because the twins were early and had to stay in the hospital, I was not able to breastfeed them really until two months after they were born. They were just too small so I pumped quite frequently. With the 2nd one, I thought I remembered how to breastfeed but it took some addl resources (lactation person & a great DVD to watch) to really get it going well. Because of the surgery, you will not feel like moving/getting up and down much so if your husband or other help can bring your baby to you after you get all settled in and set up (comfortable seat/rocking chair, nursing pillow, water, etc) that might make it easier in the first few weeks. If you have help and can focus just on healing yourself and feeding your baby (rather than the million other things you might think need to be attended to), that mindset might also help you just be in the moment and have it all work better for you.
Mainly I found that it is helpful to be in a calm frame of mind and as comfortable as you can be after having surgery. I also tried to visualize "Plenty of milk" instead of thinking about how little I might have pumped. There is a book that I liked (down to earth, humorous) called "So that's what they're for: Breasfeeding Basics" by Janet Tamaro. There are other books out there but I really found it helpful and I give it to my friends who are planning to breastfeed. Hope this helps a bit!

I hope that you have a wonderful experience with your second child. Each and every pregnancy is different, so maybe you will be breast feeding after this one. I didn't have luck breast feeding after my c-section for the same reason you had trouble. The latch never quite worked out, and I had an alternative. I guess I could have kept trying, but the nurse at the lactation clinic said, "Breast feeding isn't the only way." I was pumping only an ounce at first, too. But "power pumping" for one hour a day three days in a row as well as pumping every 1.5 hours on the dot while taking fenugreek and blessed thistle for one week caused my milk to come in just fine. It was scary for us and I hope that the next goes better as well.

My daughter is 10 months old now, and I still use the breast pump each and every time I need to extract milk. My daughter uses the bottle to drink from (or a sippy cup now) and we have plenty of skin to skin interaction in other ways. I think what I'm saying is just relax while being persistant about breast milk, and things will work out one way or another. Best of luck!

Get a Lactation consultant ASAP. She or possibly he will be the best investment you make in your child's health. That is what saved me. My best friend is a lactation consultant. I was able to have her stay with me the first night my child was born. She helped me the day of, the next day, and on-call at anytime of the day or night. I was too too lucky. It didn't come naturally to me either. But, with her help, the latch is key. So, get some support, perhaps even a midwife or doula that has a lot of experiences with helping with breastfeeding. Also, the Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears was helpful too. GOOD LUCK! It is really one of the best things for a child's health. So glad you are getting ready before the fact....too too many women don't know how hard it can be.

I found that different kids have different breastfeeding habits. My twins were born C-section and one immediately latched on with little trouble. The other one just never really took to it. I supplemented with formula because I never really made enough milk to feed two, and I pumped and fed constantly to try to increase my supply. By 6 months, even my good breastfeeder was refusing, and the other one weaned herself at 4 months. Maybe you'll be blessed with a boobie lover like my neice, who never took a bottle and breastfed until she was almost 2! My best advice is to not worry about it too much. Do the best you can, and don't blame yourself if things don't go perfectly. I'm sure you will enjoy your baby no matter what. Good luck!

I had two c-sections and had trouble with getting both to latch on. I'm not sure if it has to do with the c-section or not. I had plenty of milk though! I would go through a pack of nursing pads in two days! My first one (now 4 1/2 years) took 2 months to latch on correctly. My second one (now 23 months) took only 1 month to latch on correctly. Both times I almost quit, but I knew that breastfeeding was what I wanted to do. With both kids, they were putting their toungue to the roof of their mouth and pinching my nipple. It was incredibly painful and there was more than one occasion that I cried while they were nursing. I used a shield with my second one and she transitioned beautifully! I worked with a lactation consultant with my first one only a few times, then tried to go it alone. With my second one I was in the lactation consultant's office almost weekly! I think that's why my second child got it faster.
My suggestion would be to utilize the lactation consultant that the hospital offers you. My insurance covered my visits to her after I was discharged. Also, hang in there! If I can make it after 2 months of pain, cracking and bleeding, anyone can (I'm a big pansie when it comes to pain!) Let your family know how much you want to breastfeed and they can be encouragment to you! My mom and husband never let up for those couple of months that I wanted to give up! They were the best encouragement I could have. They kept reminding me of how much I wanted to do it and how beneficial it was to the baby!
If you need encouragement, I would be more than happy to be email buddies with you to help encourage you and be a sounding board for you! I hope this helps! Congratulations on your new little one and I hope to hear how things are going! God bless!
T.

You should find yourself some great lactation support now so you are prepared.

With my 1st I was determined to give breastfeeding a shot (not really knowing anything, LOL). My daughter was born and we struggled and struggled. I made 1 visit to a lactation nurse after being frustrated for 4 weeks and it made all the difference, I wish I sot out support earlier. I also don't think women are told that it's a process and will take time. I can think back when I was so frustrated and think of many times my husband, DR, mother ect... said if it's so hard why not just use formula (all being supportive) then by the time we hit the 6 week mark being so comfortable in my roll.

With my 2nd daughter it was so much less of a struggle (still an adjustment) You should find some solace in knowing you've done this before.

Interesting. I've never heard there was a link between C-sections and breastfeeding? I had a C-section and had no problem breastfeeding (in fact, I still am breastfeeding my 21 month old daughter). I would suggest that you get some support through your local La Leche League (LLL) or if you are near Kirkland, WA, Evergreen Hospital has some great lactation help. Good luck