maybe of interest, breastfedding and epidurals

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 96189.html

[Momo]

I had spinal blocks w/ all three of my c-sections and was of course pumped w/ all kids of pain killers. I never had a single issue (& God willing won't w/ this one) when it comes to breast feeding. I think if the place where you have your baby, especially your first, has a really good lactation consultant , you should fare pretty well. I will never forget Linda Rodriquez @ Sinai Grace in Detroit, thanks to her and her awesome techniques and memorable phrases I have always been able to do it!

epidural both, breastfed both.

Interesting article. I had an epidural & breastfed for 15 months.

another one here. . .epidural both times and BF both (and both were/are quite the little addicts!)

[Rapunzel]

I had epidurals with every delivery and have so far had trouble breastfeeding two of the five kiddos: the first and one of the twins.

The first kid I attribute that difficulty to his, well, being first. And, I didn't have a clue as to the existance of the LLL at that time. I must also say that ten years ago the active involvement in the initial breastfeeding was pretty much nil by hospital staff. With each successive child over the past decade I've seen more and more "support" before discharge in helping the breastfeeding relationship to get off to a good start.

The twin who had issues was six weeks premature and NEVER really "took" to breastfeeding. Her identical twin sister? She took to it like gangbusters!

So, I honestly don't believe that either of these more difficult bf situations had a thing to do with my epidurals. The other three kiddos have been nursing fiends from the beginning!

[Malpka]

I wonder if the reason there is increased long term breastfeeding in babies born without epidurals is mostly due in part to how strongly convicted the mother is about breastfeeding anyways rather than the medication in the epidural, KWIM? Most moms I know who are pro-natural childbirth also have a really strong desire to breastfeed for a long duration.

[Vanquisher]

I hate the Nipple Nazis. I understand breastfeeding is the better choice IF you can make it work, but it doesn't work for everyone and not from lack of effort or conviction. I've had friends that were left crying and doubting themselves by all the insinuations of how they were failing their children because they were unable to breastfeed them. Now we're going to tell mothers that the gosh-best Moms don't have epidurals either all in the name of breastfeeding.

Take a bow. Bravo!!!

[spotty_dog]

I wonder if the reason there is increased long term breastfeeding in babies born without epidurals is mostly due in part to how strongly convicted the mother is about breastfeeding anyways rather than the medication in the epidural, KWIM? Most moms I know who are pro-natural childbirth also have a really strong desire to breastfeed for a long duration.

I had the same thought.

[Rapunzel]

I wonder if the reason there is increased long term breastfeeding in babies born without epidurals is mostly due in part to how strongly convicted the mother is about breastfeeding anyways rather than the medication in the epidural, KWIM? Most moms I know who are pro-natural childbirth also have a really strong desire to breastfeed for a long duration.

In other words:

Correlation does not equal Causation

Due to my heart condition I had early epidurals with all 3 boys, each one of them breastfed before they were even taken away to be cleaned..no problemo where food was concerned! I had to stop breastfeeding with all 3 very early and have struggled a lot with it...long drawn out story about medical reasons and me thinking that I could breastfeed anyway, but in the end my body just couldn't handle it. I was literally screamed at by a nurse with DS#2 and left in tears..about not loving my baby and how he would grow up lacking blah blah blah.....it is something I have only stopped struggling with lately. All 3 boys are super healthy and there is NO asthma, no allegies and they have never even had a flu. I have let go of the guilt, but have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about the issue....when we had DS#3 I was all ready to battle, but luckily enough we had a nice nurse who pushed a little and then backed off.

[Flynn]

I nursed both kiddos and had epidurals (induced both times) each time.

They nursed so well I had the opposite problem -- DD would not take a bottle until she was 7 months...DS refused after he was about three weeks old. THAT was frustrating.

I found the whole "lactation person" very odd. I was supposed to go to a class on another floor about 12 hours after I gave birth. I was having a hard time walking due to tearing and basically feeling like someone beat me bloody (VERY hard to admit this BTW - I SO wanted to be the woman who gave birth and skipped off to the class feeling great)!!!!

I asked the lataction teacher to come to my room which was much more helpful for me. She was fairly nice but having someone look over my shoulder as I tried to get my daughter to latch on was WEIRD. I also didn't like when she was flicking DD's chin so she wouldn't fall asleep while nursing. "Um, she's about 12 hours old! Can you STOP flicking her chin please!!!!!!!!!"

[PrincessFiona]

I had epidurals each time and breastfed my first 4 with no problem. My milk never came in with baby #5 (boohoo and nothing to do with epidural). I hate the nipple nazis too. Why can't people just be tolerant of others? I don't get it. When we were in the NICU with Zoe I tried everything to get my milk to come in...pumping every couple of hours, reglan, I used a supplemental nursers to feed her (and THAT was really embarassing to me in front of the nursing staff). Nothing worked and I finally gave up and switched to the bottle only just to get my little jumping bean home. Zoe had such huge feeding issues and one of the nurses came to me and said it was because she wanted the breast, not the bottle.

I nearly...clubbed her.

kris

I was interested because I had an epidurl with Matthew and the midwices where pretty agressive with my nipples trying to make the colostrum flow and couldn't get anything, I gave up trying within 24 hours because my nipples where so sore and I couldn't lach him and I was so depressed as I had developed a full blown bells palsey in labor which was still worsening and was convinced i had a stroke and I would never have my face back again i just wanted to be left alone and so the bottle was the easiest option for that in the hospital, plus overnight when i was asleep unbeknown to me the midwifes had topped him up with a bottle overnight anyway as i had been given sedation because of not being able to close my eyes, so I'm pretty sure the epidural had nothing to do with it and it was the other stressful issues I was having. ..even though i only tried to breatfeed for less than 24 hours I got mastitis.....twice!

this time, although early days I'm have stronger feelings to what I want. Reading the irish mums boards breasstfeeding still has a lot of stigma from the public and grandparents, usually things like 'would ya not give the child a bottle so i can feed him' so before you even give birth you have to be pretty strong minded, statistics of breastfed infants leaving the hospitals are pretty low, I really hope I can do it this time, SO is supportive of any choice i make but would prefer i breastfed and my mum breastfed all of us so she will be great support as will my best friend so better prepared. Glad to hear that the epidural or spinal blocks didn't interfere with any of you guys.