Post-natal gaps in C-section deliveries leading to breastfeeding challenges for women, say experts
Lucknow: Neha Singh (name changed), 25, from Unnao, underwent a cesarean delivery at a private hospital but couldn't breastfeed her newborn son. Despite multiple attempts on the first day, the baby failed to latch properly.
Doctors advised formula milk, which led to constipation in the infant and anxiety for the new mother.
The next day, Neha's family took her to a private medical college, where doctors explained that the delayed initiation of breastfeeding had disrupted the baby's natural latching instinct, affecting her milk production. With proper counselling and lactation training, Neha was able to begin breastfeeding within two days.
"I had no idea that timing and guidance were so important. I wish someone had explained this to me earlier," she said.
Neha's experience is not uncommon in new mothers. Doctors at govt and private teaching hospitals in the city say many women who deliver via C-section in private hospitals struggle to breastfeed. The issue, they emphasise, often lies not with the surgery, but with poor postnatal care and hospital practices.
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Hospitals like King George's Medical University (KGMU), Era's Medical College, and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) report seeing 10–12 such cases every month.
In most instances, mothers delivered at other hospitals and approached these centres only after facing problems such as poor milk supply, failure to latch, or early dependence on formula feeding.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the rate of cesarean deliveries in Uttar Pradesh more than doubled—from 9.4% in 2015–16 to 21.5% in 2019–21—with most procedures taking place in private hospitals.
While many mothers report breastfeeding difficulties after C-sections, doctors insist the underlying problem is how newborns are handled immediately after birth.
"Cesarean surgery itself doesn't hamper breastfeeding," said dean of Era Medical College and senior paediatrician, Prof MM Faridi. "The real problem is that in many hospitals, babies are separated from their mothers for long hours and are bottle-fed.
This leads to nipple confusion, which makes breastfeeding much harder," he added.
Early skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding within the first hour of birth are crucial. The baby's suckling stimulates maternal hormones—prolactin and oxytocin—essential for milk production. However, many hospitals skip these steps. The absence of trained nurses and lactation consultants only worsens the problem. Prof Faridi advocates for mandatory lactation training and strict implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), which recommends keeping mother and baby together to encourage early breastfeeding.
At KGMU, Prof Amita Pandey said, "In most C-section cases, we start breastfeeding even during surgery. Although mothers can take only oral fluids in the first 12 hours, milk production begins almost as it does in normal deliveries."
Prof Smriti Agrawal of Queen Mary's Hospital stressed the importance of initiating breastfeeding within the first hour.
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