How To Increase Breast Milk After C-Section
Most of us don’t plan on giving birth via C-section… but life doesn’t always go according to plan. C-sections can be life saving, and are definitely no less of a “normal” way to have a baby.
In fact, about 30% of new parents will give birth via C-section.
The good news?
C-section births usually don’t present breastfeeding challenges that can’t be overcome with some adjustments.
If you’re having milk supply issues after your C-section, or if your milk is slow to come in, there are many things you can try to give your supply a boost! And most of them are simpler than you might think.
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How C-Sections Impact Breast Milk Supply
Most moms who deliver by C-section are able to breastfeed fairly easily and don’t have any milk supply issues. But for some new moms, giving birth by C-section presents challenges when it comes to milk supply.
Here’s how it may impact your milk supply:
Having a C-section can delay that timing of when your milk comes in by several days.
C-section moms may have trouble finding positions that are comfortable and reduce pressure on their incision, leading to latching difficulties for their babies.
Pain that comes as you’re healing from surgery may have a temporary impact on your letdown reflex, which means that milk might not flow as easily.
Discomfort and pain from a C-section may make it more challenging to get in enough breastfeeding sessions to stimulate your milk supply
7 Tricks To Increase Breast Milk After C-Section
1. Practice Skin-To-Skin
If you can, have someone place your baby skin-to-skin with you after giving birth.
This is a wonderful way for you and your baby to get a good start with breastfeeding, and studies back this up.
However, if you aren’t able to hold your baby right away, don’t fret… spending skin-to-skin time with your baby whenever you’re able can be immensely helpful!
Skin-to-skin time is relaxing for both you and your baby, and feeling relaxed can help your milk let down. Skin-to-skin time has also been shown to increase levels of prolactin, which helps maintain your milk supply.
2. Make Sure Your Baby Is Latched On Deeply
It can be more challenging to find a breastfeeding position that’s comfortable after you’ve had surgery. You’ll need to avoid putting pressure on your incision, which means you’ll need to get creative to find a position that works for you.
Positions to try after a c-section:
football position
side-lying position
cradle hold
A deep latch is essential to keep your milk supply up. If your baby seems to be hanging on the end of your nipple, has trouble opening wide, or if you have any nipple pain, ask a breastfeeding counselor or lactation consultant to help you with latching and positioning. There is always a way to make it work!
Related article:
9 Genius Latch Tricks From IBCLCs
3. Breastfeed Frequently And On Demand
The most important thing you can do to establish or increase your milk supply is to breastfeed frequently, and on demand. That means you put your baby to the breast anytime they are rooting, fussy, or seeming hungry.
There is no way to feed a breastfed baby too much, so when in doubt, get the boob out!
This usually amounts to about 10-12 times a day for a newborn, or every 2-3 hours.
Make sure you offer the breast at night too. In fact, your prolactin levels are highest at night, so breastfeeding frequently at night is a great way to boost your supply.
Did you know?
You can’t change the amount of fat in breast milk, but you CAN change the type of fat.
So be sure to add good, healthy fats to your diet whenever possible.
Studies show that maternal levels of DHA (one of the most important types of omega-3s) DIRECTLY influences the levels of DHA in breast milk.
So take a daily, high-quality DHA fish oil supplement to ensure you and baby are getting enough.
We love THIS gummy DHA supplement, because it tastes like strawberries (and not yucky fish oil).
4. Take Your Pain Medication
Some moms feel nervous about taking pain medication after a C-section, because they’re concerned about what impact it might have on breastfeeding.
Most pain medications are compatible with breastfeeding (you can consult your doctor if you have any questions).
It’s important that you keep yourself comfortable because if you’re in too much pain, breastfeeding will be much more difficult for you and it may impact your letdown and milk supply.
So take your pain medication as long as you need to.
5. GIVE PUMPING A TRY
If you’re experiencing milk supply issues and your baby doesn’t seem to be getting enough milk (this will usually be indicated by a slow weight gain), your best bet is to pump your breast milk and feed it to your baby.
You can also supplement with formula (there is no shame in this, because your baby needs to eat!), but this is best done under the guidance of a lactation consultant so you can make sure you aren’t overfeeding your baby formula and therefore negatively impacting your milk supply.
Pumping not only can get your baby fed more milk, but can also boost your supply. Most moms only need to add in a few pumping sessions a day and will find that their milk supply gets a nice boost a few days later.
6. Make A Nursing Basket
Since your baby will want to nurse very frequently through the day and night and you pretty much can’t go anywhere once they latch on—it’s helpful to have all your supplies on hand.
A nursing basket can be stocked with snacks, drinks, a phone charger, some burp cloths, and any extra accessories you like!
Related Article:
29 Things To Put In Your Nursing Basket
7. Don’t Be Shy About Asking For Help
Everyone who has a baby needs time to rest and recover, but if you’ve had a surgical birth, you will need even MORE TLC and will likely have a longer recovery time.
If you have a partner, extended family, or friends who want to help, they will need to step up for you. They can keep your nursing basket well stocked, can bring you the baby when it’s time to nurse, and can do all the baby care that isn’t related to feeding.
And did we mention housework? You’re busy breastfeeding—someone else can take care of that for now.
Usually all it takes to increase breast milk after a C-section is a whole lot of snuggling and frequent breastfeeding. However, if you’re finding that’s not enough, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor, midwife, or a lactation consultant for extra help. Many moms need outside assistance to make breastfeeding work and to increase their breast milk supply.
That’s totally okay and understandable—being a new breastfeeding mom is no joke…
You deserve whatever it takes to meet your breastfeeding goals!
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