Louise, I completely agree with you about the responsibility we have not to
exacerbate any negative feelings a new mother may have if she is not able to
breastfeed her baby within the first hour of birth.  I wholeheartedly
support the BFHI principle of skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding as soon
as possible after delivery - BUT - there will always be mothers for whom
this special time is delayed.  At my classes or pre-natal consults I make
sure that they know that if this "first breastfeed" should be delayed for
any reason (beyond their control), e g Caesarean delivery, baby can't,
mother can't, then DON'T WORRY, they can start when they are both ready, and
that breastfeeding can be initiated at any time in the future, and CAN be
just as successful.  I can speak with some conviction on this, having had an
emergency Caesar with my first, in the times of the Dark Ages, when Caesar
babies were routinely "cot-nursed" (whatever THAT was!) and we didn't
initiate breastfeeding for a full 24 hours.  And we've all worked with tiny
prem babies who may not have learned to breastfeed for up to 3 months.
Ideally you would put your baby to the breast a short time after birth, but
if this is not possible it's not the end of the world.  My two cents worth!

Pamela, Zim