29.03.2024

How to fix lactation after cesarean section

The operation of cesarean section causes expectant mothers a lot of concern for their own health and the health of the baby. The main concerns are related to breastfeeding, because it is widely believed that lactation after surgery is extremely difficult.

The first attachment to the breast and the arrival of milk in this situation have their own characteristics.

The task of the young mother is to take them into account, follow the recommendations of the doctors, and then the result will be successful.

Nuances of applying to the breast after cesarean section

The amount of milk in a woman directly depends on how often the baby is applied to the breast and how early the first feeding occurred. According to the World Health Organization, sufficient sucking activity in a newborn should develop within 6 hours after birth. It is important to consider this time interval for successful feeding.

With a caesarean section, the first application is optimal one hour after the operation: the baby who has not passed through the natural birth canal needs more time to adapt and activate sucking urges. To produce milk, regardless of how actively the baby sucks, it is applied according to each requirement until the reflex reaches the desired intensity.

With a caesarean section, there are additional factors that affect the first application of the baby to the chest:

  • Type of anesthesia used. With epidural analgesia, the woman in labor remains conscious, the drugs are injected into the cerebrospinal fluid and relieve sensitivity only from the lower body. After removing the baby, it is immediately placed on the mother’s chest, this allows you to achieve the same result as in natural birth. With general anesthesia, more time passes before the first application – it is necessary to wait until the mother leaves the anesthesia.
  • Special postures for feeding. Given the presence of a postoperative suture and drainage, you need to feed in positions that exclude pressure on the stomach – from under the arm, on the side.
  • Stay in the same room. It is necessary that the child be with the mother as soon as she is strong enough – then she can often put it on her chest. If the woman in labor is in intensive care, then early first feeding is impossible. In this case, it is important to organize it as soon as possible, refuse to feed with mixtures from the bottle and ensure regular breast expressing to stimulate the arrival of milk.
  • Taking antibiotic drugs. If complications arise during surgery, women in labor can be prescribed antibiotics that exclude breastfeeding. In this case, it is important to observe two rules: regular expressing and feeding the baby with mixtures from a spoon, and not from a bottle. The first application occurs after the drug is completely released from the woman’s body.
Causes of lack of milk after surgery

The lack of breast milk, as evidenced by the crying of the baby after feeding, refusal to sleep and rare urination, occurs for various reasons:

  • complications after surgery, an infectious disease of a young mother;
  • improper nutrition, disturbed drinking regime – often the cause of a small amount of milk is a lack of liquid and nutrients in the diet of the woman herself;
  • taking the prescribed medications – after cesarean section you can not do without medications, they are necessary to prevent complications and speedy recovery of the woman in labor;
  • psychological trauma caused by a caesarean section;
  • decrease in lactation due to the fact that the mother did not decant, being separate from the child;
  • refusal of frequent feeding due to pain in the suture.

In the establishment of lactation, not only the correct behavior after the operation, but also the tactics of its implementation chosen by the doctor play an important role. The optimal solution is a planned cesarean section after the onset of contractions – in this case, the woman’s body produces hormones responsible for the contractions, and the flow of milk is significantly accelerated. If the date is set in advance and the operation is not preceded by the natural onset of labor, the process may be delayed.

Methods of stimulation of lactation in the postoperative period

When the first breastfeeding was successful, and the baby has already learned to actively suck, it is important for the mother to stimulate lactation so that the baby has enough milk. To do this, you need the right diet and breast care.

Nutrition correction

The amount of milk for a nursing mother will help increase:

  • hot broths and soups from lean meat and fish – they must be added to the daily diet;
  • buckwheat and oatmeal in water or milk;
  • fresh vegetables and fruits (carrots, radishes, pumpkin, onions, figs, prunes, apples, etc.), as well as juices from them;
  • dairy drinks;
  • rosehip broth, hot tea with sugar;
  • greens (as an addition to dishes): cumin, dill, anise, lettuce.

For effective breastfeeding, an additional 500 kcal per day is required. It is necessary to get them at the expense of low-fat protein products (meat, cottage cheese, cheese, kefir, etc.), fruits and vegetables, and not baked goods and sweets.

It is important to remember about products that interfere with the plentiful production of milk – they should be completely abandoned. Prohibited include canned foods, smoked meats, spicy dishes and spices, parsley, mint and sage.

Breast massage

Improving the production and outflow of milk from the breast will help with a gentle massage of the glands before the next feeding or pumped into a bottle.

Do it gently and carefully, for 5-10 minutes twice a day.

  • Moving from above, make circular movements with fingers with moderate pressure. In one zone, fix for a few seconds, then move lower to the nipple. It is important to carefully work out each zone.
  • Stroke the chest from top to bottom, towards the nipple.
  • Leaning forward slightly, gently shake the chest.
  • Clamp the nipple between the thumb and forefinger and stimulate it with light movements.

After the massage, a warm shower with a stream of water in turn at each of the mammary glands is useful.

Breast massage before feeding will facilitate outflow and improve milk production

Massage should not tire or bring discomfort.

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