Danny,
I have worked with lots of moms who have had c/s. Most begin feeding in the
recovery room & are encouraged to nurse in the "normal manner" thereafter.
For the last several years most of these women have received epidural
analgesia which makes for a more comfortable recovery than those receiving IM
or IV injections of narcotics. I get the mom into an upright sitting position
(NOT semi fowler's), then place a pillow under her arm & let her choose how
to hold the baby (cradle or clutch). Sure they have a fresh surgical
incision, IV and foley catheter, but this is not mission impossible. With a
little assistance, encouragement & compassion (like asking, "Are you in a
reasonably comfortable position?") from nursing staff & family it will work
very well. I find that many moms do not like to use the side-lying position,
but that is always an option.
After 12-24 hours, when they are out of bed, I encourage them to sit in the
chair rather than the bed. Most of the moms prefer the chair once they have
tried it. They find the upright position more comfortable and it is easier
to get into and out of the chair than the bed.
I once took a new baby (2-3 hrs old) to a mom who was very sleepy after
having a cesarean birth. She said she didn't want to hold her baby, so I held
her baby next to her, the baby started rooting, she said that she didn't want
to sit up to feed her baby, I offered for her to cuddle her baby to her
breast while she stayed in the side-lying position, she said OK. Next thing
we knew, baby had latched, mom fell asleep & grandma volunteered to keep a
hand on baby for safety while he continued to breastfeed.
The bottom line is that they can do it! By the way, we encourage all our
bottle-feeding moms to feed their babies as well.
Laura Hart, RN, BSN, IBCLC
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