Question for mommies that breastfed more than one baby (not at the same time)

[Samuel's mum]

It seems that a c-section can sometimes mean milk coming in a little later but if you are having an elective and you can control your meds and feed quickly after the section i.e. in the theatre - I don't see it should make that much difference. It's going to depend a bit on your recovery and the meds used (i.e. baby not drowsy at all which can effect sucking reflex).
I don't think having a section will effect engorgement at all.

[EllenS]

Here you go:

Exercises to prevent/relieve engorgement and encourage milk supply:

Do sitting or standing.

1)  Place each hand on its own shoulder.  Make circles with your elbows.  10-15 to front, same to back.

2) Rest your arms by your sides and shrug your shoulders up.  Then circle them back and down.  Make 10-15 circles back, then 10-15 to the front.

3) Open your arms to the sides, bend your elbows so your hands are up in the air and your upper arms parallel to the ground.  Move your elbows backward so that your shoulder blades squeeze together.  Relax and let your elbows move forward.  Squeeze and relax 10-15 times.

4)  This one is best done standing.  Stand very straight and relaxed.  Raise one arm over your head and bend slightly from the waist to the opposite side (so you are reaching over your head and toward the opposite wall).  Reach and relax 10-15 x, then repeat other side.

As you can see, they appear to be all about encouraging the blood and lymph circulation in the breasts.

Hope this helps!

[rinajack]

Much more pleasant experience 2nd time round.  1st time, very engorged, cracked and bleeding nipples, took many weeks to even be able to stand front on in the shower.  Never felt letdown 1st time, and almost never leaked either, but ended up finishing early due to supply issues (10 weeks ish)

This time - feed for 1.5 days, then pumped for 2 days due to tube feeding, paed made me pump after each feed to try to get my milk in quicker, then fed for 3 days, then pumped due to formula feeding, then back to BF.  Only got engorged (and not as bad as last time) when I stopped pumping to return to BF the last time (was making too much by then, what a good pumper I was LOL). No sore nipples.  Let down very strong though, sometimes quite uncomfortable, but only for a few seconds each time.  Also, feel that let down sometimes when either of my babies cries!  After pains much worse second time round...one tip from mid wife was to empty my bladder before feeding, and it did seem to help some.

[deenz]

OK, so after posting that it's been much better subsequent times, I've gone and gotten mastitis for the first time ever!!  How did that happen?!  Must have jinxed myself!

[{{{Angela}}}]

Thanks Ellen!  Those sound good, I'll definitely keep them in mind.

I wasn't planning on having a C-section with DS and they put him in the NICU for the first 24 hours so I didn't get to feed him until a day later.  They had given him a bit of formula in the NICU.  Had I known, I might have insisted that I be wheeled into the NICU to feed him.  This time I'll ask to feed DD right away or as soon as possible.

*hugs* deenz, mastitis sucks!  I hope you feel better soon!  Have you gone to see your doctor?

[*Cindy*]

DD#2 was not nearly as bad as Ds#1.  With ds I had engorgement and clogged ducts alot.  It was very painful.  I was worried about it again with dd, but it never happened.  Much better the second time around.

[deenz]

Thanks Angela.  My midwife brought me round a script for some antibiotics when I didn't get better, and I am just about finished those.  Feeling back to normal now!