Hippopolai and other mummies doing C-section - this website contains some useful tips about how to breastfeed successfully after a C-section:
From
http://www.caesareanbirth.com/breastfeeding.html
Babies born via c-section may be somewhat drowsy and lethargic, especially if the mother was exposed to anesthetics for a prolonged period of time during labor. This doesn’t mean that breastfeeding won’t be successful, but it can mean that the milk may take a little longer to come in than it would after a vaginal birth. The baby may need some extra encouragement and stimulation in order to stay alert during feedings, but this period of lethargy generally only lasts a short time.
Many mothers are worried that the medications prescribed for them after delivery will adversely affect their babies. Both the antibiotics and the medication used for pain relief are usually not a problem, and are routinely given to the mothers of newborns. Although these medications do pass into the milk in very small amounts, the volume of colostrum or milk produced during the first few days of nursing is small, so the amount ingested by the baby is minimal. Mothers should be encouraged to take the smallest amount of pain medication they need in order to stay as comfortable as possible in the post-operative period, but there is no reason to try to be a martyr and not take the medication at all. It will not harm the baby, and mothers who have had a surgical birth often need the extra rest they get when their pain is managed. By the time the milk is fully in, they often find that they don’t need as much medication as they did in the very beginning.
C-section moms need to be aware that antibiotics are routinely given after a cesarean, and may cause an overgrowth of yeast that can result not only in a vaginal yeast infection, but also thrush in the baby’s mouth or diaper area, as well as on the nipples. Mothers should become familiar with the signs, symptoms, and treatments for yeast so that if the problem does develop, they can treat it promptly and nip it in the bud.
Mothers who have had surgical deliveries often find it difficult to find a comfortable position in which to nurse without putting pressure on their incision. If epidural anesthesia is used, they are usually awake during the birth and can nurse on the delivery table in the operating room. In this case, they will need help in positioning the baby because they will be nursing on their backs and one or both arms may be restrained due to the placement of the IVs.