A guest post by Donna Walls, RN, BSN, CLC,ANLC
I have heard this more times than I can count- “So, what’s labor got to do with breastfeeding?”. We tend to think of pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding as all very separate parts of bringing a baby into the world. But, in reality it is just one connected, seamless, flowing process. Breastfeeding begins about halfway through the pregnancy as colostrum, or newborn milk, starts production. Our bodies know that growing a baby means eventually feeding that baby. So, we know that pregnancy affects breastfeeding but does what happens during the labor process affect breastfeeding? The answer is YES!
Intrapartum interventions are relatively new in the history of birthing and sadly, many of the early interventions began long before we studied the effects of these interventions on lactation, rather, focusing on the effects on the fetus and the labor progress. But the good news is that we now have great research on the concerns regarding many birth interventions on the initiation and continuation of milk production.
Specific interventions like epidurals, forceps, vacuum extraction, and pain medicines have been associated with negative effects on breastfeeding and here are some of these concerns.
The use of Oxytocin
Cadwell and Brimdyr presented the disadvantages of using synthetic oxytocin for breastfeeding and these include:
-reduced maternal endogenous oxytocin with increased risk of breast edema and engorgement
-reduced neonatal rest in the first hour
-suckling reflexes may also be reduced resulting in newborns being less likely to initiate suckling in the first hour of life and delayed lactogenesis 2.
-“High doses of oxytocin can potentially weaken the milk-ejection reflex and may reduce the expression of primitive breastfeeding reflexes in the newborn.”
Research (Seyedi, R, et al.) also demonstrates a dose related association of Pitocin with increased risk of neonatal jaundice on day 2.
Pain medications in labor
A Cochrane review confirms increased neonatal sleepiness, reduced early suckling reflexes, and fewer early effective breastfeeding attempts with the use of maternal pain medications. Opioids have been shown to suppress newborn breastfeeding behaviors and may lead to more irritability in newborns babies who then have difficulty breastfeeding effectively. These concerns are more profound with larger doses and longer exposures to the drugs.
Research by Lind also shows a relationship between the use of pain medications and a delayed onset of lactogenesis 2.
Higher doses are also associated with lower neurobehavioral scores in babies, less breast-seeking behaviors and less successful breastfeeding sessions and less stimulation for optimal breastfeeding production.
Newborns of mothers who received obstetric analgesia had a higher rate of complementary formula feeding while newborns born unmedicated had a higher rate of breastfeeding in the delivery room and less formula feeding in the hospital.
Use of epidural anesthesia
It is generally recognized that negative effects are more highly associated with receiving antenatal pain medications than the use of epidural anesthesia. That being said, medications used in the epidural can pass into the placenta resulting in newborn’s lowered ability to initiate the breast crawl and complete the 9 Stages. Other studies have noted increased newborn sleepiness in the first hours after birth which delays initiation of breastfeeding. These factors too often result in early formula supplementation impacting the establishment of a healthy newborn microbiome.
On postpartum day 1, the women who were randomly assigned to receive high-dose fentanyl reported difficulties (ineffective, uncoordinated suckling) with breastfeeding and at 6 weeks postpartum, more women who were randomly assigned to high-dose fentanyl epidural were not breastfeeding. Effects can vary with the type of medication used in the epidural and the length of exposure to the fetus.
A few studies have linked epidural use to lower breastfeeding rates at six weeks postpartum and some studies have concluded that breastfeeding success was much lower in women who underwent epidurals during labor.
Use of intravenous (IV) fluids
IV fluids, especially in larger amounts (large amounts are considered a total of >2 litres) can cause breast edema in the mother, potentially leading to breast pain, congestion and engorgement. This early breast edema interferes with correct latching and optimal breast stimulation and emptying as well as a delayed onset of lactogenesis 2.
Maternal IV fluids intake are shown to increase the newborn’s urine output in the first days and this output is mistaken for weight loss, sometimes leading to early formula supplementation. Although the AAP recommends assessment when weigh loss exceeds 7%, too often this step is skipped and formula supplementation is ordered. Waiting to perform the initial weight can help reduce this unnecessary supplementation.
Use of Forceps/Vacuum Extraction
These methods have been implicated in possible trauma to the infant’s head and mouth and can lead to difficulty with suck-swallow-breathe coordination, compromising efficient suckling and milk transfer. The use of these instruments can also lead to longer vaginal repairs and delayed initiation skin to skin care.
Separation of mother and baby
One of the first and greatest concerns post birth is the delay or denial of immediate, uninterrupted and continuous skin to skin care. No other mammals separate themselves from their newborns- think about that!!!
Separation of the mother and newborn results in increased cortisol levels in both while immediate skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the newborn’s respiration, heartbeat and temperature while stimulating maternal oxytocin necessary for bonding and flow of colostrum.
“Separating mothers and newborns at birth, or delaying or disrupting skin to skin care, has adverse consequences on newborns’ transition to life outside the uterus; their innate protective behaviors; and, breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity and a mother’s sensitivity and attachment to her newborn”. (WHO & UNICEF, 2018).
Also, post partum rooming-in reduces newborn stress. Morgan et al compared sleep cycles of 2-day-old newborns while having skin to skin care for 1 hour to sleeping alone (separated) for 1 hour. Separated infants had an 86% reduction in quiet sleep, a 176% increase in autonomic nervous system activity, and higher levels of cortisol. They concluded that maternal separation stresses newborns and that this stress may not be benign.
“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” says Karin Cadwell, senior author and Executive Director and Lead Faculty of Healthy Children Project’s Center for Breastfeeding.
Cascading events can lead to early cessation of breastfeeding
In most “modern” western hospitals we see interventions as normal and routine. In fact it is not unusual to see more than 1 intervention used. Usually, one intervention requires another eg; epidurals require IV fluids to prevent hypotension in the mother which in turn leads to breast edema and engorgement.
These cascading interventions often interfere with the infant’s ability to initiate suckling, which in turn delays stimulation of milk production, which in turn can lead to jaundice, which in turn often requires introduction of artificial formula supplementation, which in turn increases the infant’s risk of dysbiosis in the gut and diminishes breast stimulation, which in turn may, far too often, lead to abandonment of breastfeeding. There does appear to be a dose-response effect between number of interventions received and odds of each unfavourable breastfeeding outcome.
What we can do to optimize breastfeeding success in the hospital setting?
-Encourage prenatal education which emphasizes a risk-benefit-alternative focus for all interventions in labor.
-Offer evidence-based resources for education for both families and hospital and office staff.
-Encourage families to work with their caregiver to make a plan which minimizes labor interventions whenever possible or opt for birth centers that offer labor support with minimal interventions.
-Work with local and national maternal-child health focused groups and organizations to assure that non-separation and skin to skin care is the standard of care for all mothers and newborns.
-Work with local hospitals and birth centers to offer classes that include alternative pain reduction techniques including simple breathing techniques, mindfulness, water therapies, positional comforting, massage and companions and doula care.
-If analgesia is used- opt for the smallest dose whenever possible.
-Encourage parents and hospital staff to wait 24 hours for the initial newborn weight.
-Educate and encourage families to room in with the newborn.
As breastfeeding advocates we sometimes are called to expand our own “lactation world” and take a look at all the factors that might help or hinder families in the early hours, days and weeks of breastfeeding. Developing a program of education and care that encompasses then pre-breastfeeding influences might be a good place to start that journey.
References
Hulman, A., et al. Impact of different obstetric interventions and types of delivery on breastfeeding: a nationwide cross-sectional survey of Hungarian women. BMC. 2024 Jul 11;24:473. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06666-x
CDC, Strategies for Continuity of Care in Breastfeeding, https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/php/strategies/public-health-strategies-for-continuity-of-care-in-breastfeeding.html
Takahata, K. et al. November 2023. A longitudinal study of the association of epidural anesthesia and low-dose synthetic oxytocin regimens with breast milk supply and breastfeeding rates. Scientific Reports volume 13, Article number: 21146 (2023)
Andrew, M. et al. The association between intrapartum interventions and immediate and ongoing breastfeeding outcomes: an Australian retrospective population-based cohort study. International Breastfeeding Journal volume 17, Article number: 48 (July, 2022)
Crenshaw, J. Healthy Birth Practice #6: Keep Mother and Newborn Together—It’s Best for Mother, Newborn, and Breastfeeding. J Perinat Educ. 2019 Apr 1;28(2):108–115. doi: 10.1891/1058-1243.28.2.108
Kajsa Brimdyr PhD, CLC. 2015. Birth Issues in perinatal care. The Association Between Common Labor Drugs and Suckling When Skin-to-Skin During the First Hour After Birth. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12186
WHO. Compendium on respectful maternal and newborn care. August, 2025. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240110939
Seyedi, R. et al. 2017. The Effect of the Use of Oxytocin in Labor on Neonatal Jaundice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Department of Midwifery, Students Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Lind, J. et al. 2014 May. Relationship between Use of Labor Pain Medications and Delayed Onset of Lactation. Journal of Human Lactation. 167–173. doi:10.1177/0890334413520189
Mahmoodi, F. et al. 2019. Breastfeeding and its outcome in Women Receiving Epidural Analgesia for Childbirth. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6714128





