Breastfeeding Right After Delivery

For my second birth, I came prepared to succeed at breastfeeding. The main goal I strived for was breastfeeding in the delivery room. I drove 50 minutes with contractions in order to ensure the highest likelihood to breastfeed in the delivery room - whether it will be a vaginal or cesarean birth.

What is the advantage of breastfeeding in the first hour after birth?

A newborn in the delivery room is more active, awake, and hungry. Newborns will often connect easily and better. On the other hand, a newborn who hasn't been fed after birth will usually be sleepier and less actively pursue the breast.

The first breastfeeding is important for quantity as well as quality. Parker and colleagues found in a 2015 study, that breastmilk removal in the first hour postpartum, significantly affect future breastmilk volume. That is a huge advantage over time for breastfeeding success.

In the picture above, hatching from an egg, are my two children that I have never breastfed in the delivery room. Despite that, I managed to breastfeed each for over two years. So what should one do when unable to breastfeed in the first hour postpartum?

That, and more, in the next post!