Effects of Medicated Birth on Breastfeeding

I know I said I would be posting about my fundraising efforts for La Leche League today, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to do so at this time. Instead, I hope you will find this an educational and enjoyable read.

The use of pain relieving medication during pregnancy and labor has been the trend for the past couple of decades. Pain relieving medicines and drugs can provide mothers relief during pregnancy and intense labor pains but there are some serious downsides to using pain relieving medication. While some people consider them to be miracle drugs, many studies show adverse effects of each pain medicine and drug on the mother’s health and on the infant’s breastfeeding behavior.

Many mothers have to deal with various postpartum problems including delayed recovery period and unsatisfactory breastfeeding habits of the infant, all of which can be a consequence of medicated birth. Most of these drugs affect the baby, such as causing the baby to become sleepy and drowsy during nursing. The baby might not be able to grip the nipple properly or draw out the colostrum successfully during the first few nursing sessions. In such a case, it is suggested that mothers hand express their colostrum or use a manual or electric breast pump such as Avent breast pump and spoon or syringe feed their baby this important “liquid gold” first food. This is a perfectly satisfactory way to feed the baby until breastfeeding gets properly established. A bottle of formula is NOT required in such a situation. Patience may be required on the part of mother to breastfeed the newborn infant and moms with babies who aren’t properly feeding will have to persevere by waking their infant to encourage it to latch and suck well. Mothers who do not feel energetic enough to initiate breastfeeding right after birth should request that someone on her birth team (the father, friend, doula, midwife, or nurse) help the baby latch and hold it to her breast for her. However, new moms will also soon learn that breastfeeding is not something that requires much energy. (Once you have the hang of it, you can almost do it in your sleep!) Of course in the early days it’s important to remain alert to ensure that the baby is nursing properly. It is also said that 2 to 3 % of birth defects in infants occur because of drugs and medication used during pregnancy and labor.

First and most importantly, if a mother is choosing a hospital birth she must be fully informed of all pain relieving drugs and their effects before deciding on which ones to use (or not use) during labor. She should be provided with accurate information about these drugs from her doctor, health care professional or midwife who must support her wishes of a medicated or un-medicated birth.

Here is a general run-down of pain-relieving drugs and their effects:

Epidural blocks are used by mixing with a narcotic and applied during active labor or before a c-section; an epidural may decrease the blood pressure of the mother, decreasing the heart rate of the infant. It can affect one side of the body only and it can make pushing more difficult. A spinal block is also used with a narcotic and applied during labor or before a c-section; it can also decrease the blood pressure of the mother and heart rate of the infant and can cause severe headache and render the mother incapable of walking after labor. Various analgesics and narcotics cause sleepiness and depress breathing of the mother or child. Local anesthetics are used to numb the vaginal area before an incision but do not stop the pain of contractions and may cause an allergic reaction. Tranquilizers are used to relieve anxiety and promote rest during labor; however, they don’t relieve pain and can cause drowsiness, decreasing the baby’s muscle tone and activity after birth.

Studies have also shown that systemic painkillers such as narcotics that dull your pain but don’t completely eliminate it can also affect oxytocin, weaken uterine contractions, prolong labour and medical pain relief, cause possible restriction to bed and electronic monitoring and a cesarean delivery. Drugs like narcotic analgesic Demerol (meperidine) in labor have a depressive impact on the central nervous system of the infant and epidural anesthetics can have adverse childbirth outcomes like need for oxytocin augmentation, a longer second stage, a lower rate of vaginal delivery, higher rate of instrumental vaginal delivery and increased maternal fever. It is said that breastfeeding is inversely related to the number of medical interventions during labor and delivery; rooting, sucking movement and latch of infants may be delayed during the first breastfeeding sessions which may sometimes deprive the infant from its mother’s colostrum. Inducing mothers with pitocin causes the amount of fluids taken by the mother to increase and due to a constantly running IV, the amount of fluid in the mother and child can increase causing swelling. This can create problems for the infant to latch onto the hard and swollen nipples and baby’s body, with excess fluid also loses more than 10% standard weight which might create a misconception of excessive weight loss.

All that being said, every women is different. While I personally advocate for natural birth and home birth, I did have a c-section to deliver my first daughter. I was given a spinal block and was on IV fluids. However, I had no trouble breastfeeding her. I thought I would, but in my case I got lucky.

Alternatives to medicated birth include non-pharmacologic labor pain methods that include continuous labor support, touch and massage, baths, maternal movement and positioning, intradermal water blocks for back pain relief etc. A labor doula can provide assistance with pain management, emotional support, information and encouragement before and after delivery. Their participation can decrease use of medication by 30 percent, C-section rate by 50 percent and use of anesthetics by 60 percents increasing the success rate of initial breastfeeding attempts.

This post was a collaborative effort by Rebecca, Senior Editor of Trusted Breastpumps and by me.

Related posts:

1. A Successful HBAC, A Failed Birth Plan.
2. The Most Bizarre Case of Almost-Undiagnosed HSV and My Cesarean Birth Story
3. Happy Birthday Baby! A Birth Story
4. Monday Musings: How Hospitals Contribute to Lower Breastfeeding Rates
5. The Princess And The Chick Pea (And The Grape And The Walnut)

Tags: breast milk, breast pump, colostrum, doula, formula, homebirth, hospital birth, midwife, nurses