Getting your baby to properly latch is essential for successful breastfeeding, but sometimes it takes practice to achieve a comfortable latch.
With all the support and expertise that is available to help you, breastfeeding can be achievable and rewarding for almost all new moms. Breastfeeding, or offering breast milk to your baby, is one of best gifts you can give your baby.
Prior to your baby’s birth, access available resources on breastfeeding.
Your provider, hospital, and community are resources that offer prenatal breastfeeding classes. At these classes, instructors give comprehensive instruction using videos and/or manikins to show how your baby needs to latch and what you can do to make breastfeeding easier for both of you.
Additional valuable prenatal resources are women you know who breastfed their babies and the La Leche League. Keep in mind that your breastfeeding journey does not have to compare to other mothers’ experiences.
Start skin-to-skin
Skin-to-skin is placing your baby with or without a diaper on your bare chest. This practice is most often used after your baby is born and prior to breastfeeding.
Benefits of skin-to-skin:
- Improves latching – promotes rooting and latching instincts
- Stabilizes vital signs – regulates baby’s breathing, heartbeat and body temperature
- Improves bonding – builds an emotional connection
- Increases milk production – promotes oxytocin release that aids in letdown
- Decreases stress – lowers stress hormone levels
Find a comfortable position
There are multiple positions that you can experiment with to figure out what is most comfortable for both you and your baby. Here are some common positions that you can try:
- Cradle
- Cross-cradle
- Football or clutch
- Side-lying cradle
- Laid-back breastfeeding
Watch our video showing breastfeeding holds step by step.
Remember to have a full water bottle near you so you can stay hydrated. Ask your partner to hold your baby while you get into position. Prop pillows to provide extra support.
Help your baby to latch properly
Support your breast from underneath with your hand. Your baby’s bottom lip should be at the base of your areola and the nose opposite your nipple. When done correctly, baby should have a big mouthful of your breast, including both nipple and areola.
The baby’s chin and nose should be touching your breast, and your baby’s lips should be flanged outward like a trumpet or fish lips. Rub or gently squeeze your nipple to compress the areola and make a little milk come out. Your baby will smell it and latch on.
Here are some suggestions for helping your baby latch:
- You can try a C-hold, the term used for putting your thumb on top of the breast and your fingers underneath your breast, creating a “C” shape. Fingers should be placed behind the areola. This works well with the cradle or cross-cradle positions.
- A U-hold is the term used for positioning your hand with your thumb on one side of the breast and your fingers on the other, creating a “U” shape. This is often used when a baby is placed in the football position.
- You may not have to continue to use a C-hold or U-hold after baby begins breastfeeding if your breasts are smaller, but mothers with larger breasts often maintain the hold throughout feeding.
- If baby isn’t showing interest in latching, use your nipple to stroke the baby from the nose to the lower lip in a downward motion. Wait for your baby’s mouth to open. Then, quickly bring your baby and your breast together.
- When your baby is latched, their lips should not be pursed or rolled in. If you were to roll down your baby’s lower lip, you should see baby’s tongue gliding in front of the lower gum. You should be able to feel your baby’s tongue cupping your nipple.
- Do not press down near the areola with your thumb. Some mothers do this thinking baby’s face looks so buried in their skin that doing this will help the baby breathe better. However, it will pull your nipple from the back of your baby’s mouth and that is where it should be.
- Babies’ noses are flatter at birth and in early months because this allows them to latch on and still breathe. If you really are concerned about your baby’s breathing, pull the baby’s lower body closer to you or lift your breast rather than pressing downward on it.
Learn how to identify a good latch
If you feel a pulling sensation on your breast, that’s a good sign. Check to see if your baby’s lips are around the nipple and areola. If they are not fully around the area, you are likely to get sore nipples, and your baby is not getting a good feeding.
Also, check if your baby is getting milk. Look at your baby’s temple and lower jaw. If both are moving consistently and you occasionally hear a small gasp or noise from baby, that means your baby is drinking and exhaling. In the beginning when your milk hasn’t come in yet, this won’t be as obvious because colostrum isn’t as abundant and does not flow as easily as milk.
Keep this information in mind to ensure your baby is latching correctly and gaining appropriate weight:
- If your baby’s latch is shallow, feedings will take much longer with your baby getting less milk. Your nipples will get sore and can become cracked and painful. This will make it more difficult for your baby and you to enjoy feeding time.
- If you can tell that the latch isn’t good, release your baby’s suction and try again. Try the various positions to achieve a better latch.
- Allow your baby to feed on the first breast until they come off the breast, then switch to the other breast, but avoid switching. Switching back and forth may interfere with your baby getting enough of the calorie-rich hindmilk, which your baby gets more of as a feeding continues on one breast. Please note that some providers recommend switching breasts frequently if your baby continually falls asleep during feedings.
As you become more comfortable breastfeeding, you will likely be able to tell if your baby is getting sufficient milk just by the levels of tugging you feel.
Getting breastfeeding help
Having sore or tender breasts is common in early weeks of breastfeeding. However, you shouldn’t feel pain or discomfort all the way through a feeding. If that’s the case, something isn’t working correctly.
Additionally, if your baby is not gaining weight adequately, a poor latch may be the cause.
When difficulty with latching or sucking persists beyond the first several days after birth, it can be discouraging. Most babies do learn to breastfeed effectively — some learn a little more slowly than others! Until the issue resolves, there are several things you can do to help breastfeeding progress to make sure your baby is getting enough to eat.
Talk to your health care provider and a certified lactation consultant if you are having difficulty. Lactation consultants are experts who can easily identify positioning and other factors that may be impacting feedings.
They can also help with special feeding strategies when your baby has a physical impediment that makes breastfeeding more difficult. And they can assist you with alternative feeding methods, if advisable.
Best of all, they are a source of knowledge and comfort that will help you and your baby achieve success.
Sanford Health offers support for every mom, whether you’re breastfeeding, pumping or formula feeding. Learn more about lactation services.
Learn more
- 5 breastfeeding FAQs for new moms
- The importance of skin-to-skin with baby after delivery
- Breastfeeding: Why it’s good for mom and baby
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Posted In Children's, Health Information, Women's
