Epidurals May Interfere with Breastfeeding
December 11, 2006 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under scientific studies
A research study by the University of Sydney concludes that epidurals “hamper breastfeeding” (BBC News). Several factors may be at play:
– an epidural can make the baby sleepy;
– women who get epidurals are more likely to end up with a cesarean section, and c-sections can make it more difficult for the nursing mother to pick up the baby and position the baby at the breast; and
– mothers who choose not to have pain relief may be more motivated to breastfeed.
The study doesn’t really report anything we didn’t already know. This simply tells me that women should consider planning …read more
