Oh please don't feel guilty, this is such a common worry for C-sect mums, and honestly the picture is more balanced than people think. Many mums do manage to latch in the recovery room within the first couple of hours, and colostrum is usually there right away, but if the pain is too much to position baby safely, hand expressing is a perfectly valid option to keep stimulating supply while you recover a bit. A friend of mine had her C-sect at KKH and said the lactation nurse there actually showed her the football hold, which keeps baby's weight off the incision, she found that made a real difference in those first painful days. What's also reassuring is that some mums only got their colostrum flowing properly on day 2 or even day 5, and baby was still fine, so missing the very first latch is not the end of your breastfeeding journey. Do flag your pain level honestly to your care team though, they can adjust your pain relief so it sits at a manageable level, which really does make latching attempts more doable. That said, every recovery is different, so it's worth having a proper chat with your doctor or a lactation consultant about your specific situation.
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