Nikki asks,


> What do you all think about the possible
> connection between epidural anesthesia and the commitment to breastfeeding?
>
Hoo boy.  It has been so long since I've seen enough births without epidurals
that I'm not sure that my comments would be worth anything.  I did see one
unpublished study that demonstrated that women who delivered in an
alternative birthing center (which eschews epidurals) breastfed longer than
women who delivered in a traditional hospital setting.  Now, they weren't
looking at anesthesia in this particular study (they were actually looking at
how women weaned).  But the upshot of it was that the women that delivered in
the birthing center breastfed, on average, much longer than the women
otherwise.

Was this because of no epidurals?  Or was this because the women that chose
an alternative birthing center birth were more committed to natural birth and
breastfeeding from the get go?

To answer your question, Nikki, I'm not sure.  I think part of it may be the
commitment the mom has to it to begin with -- but the mom that chooses an
epidural from the beginning; unwilling to go through any labor
discomfort/pain at all, is one that will breastfeed if there are no
difficulties.  But if the baby won't latch easily, or there is nipple pain,
or a fussy baby, or whatever, she's going to be more likely to give it up
quickly.  But that's my hunch -- not scientifically based.

Another question for all of you:  Do you find that the babies of women that
have labor epidurals that contain an analgesic vs. a labor epidural with just
bipivucaine (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) have a harder time
breastfeeding and with sleepiness?


Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL
Lactation Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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