Latch & Learn: Breastfeeding Position Tips for a Better Start
By Sarah Nazaruk, IBCLC at Kyah Family Health Studio
The number one question I encounter from most expecting parents, and parents who have just had their baby is:
“How do I know if I’m latching my baby correctly?”
It can feel so intimidating to get breastfeeding off to a good start, and frustrating when you feel like you’re doing everything you can to make it work.
When I’m working as an LC in the community, or even as a nurse at the hospital, I always discuss the possibility that baby may not be ready to latch immediately after birth, or even after a few days.
Birth is tough!
Each birth experience is unique, and depending on various factors during birth, babies can be naturally sleepier, full of mucous, fussy, and may not be ready to latch onto the breast right away.
If we were to look at the reality of breastfeeding, it would be a fair comparison to learning how to ride a bike without training wheels.
Both mom and baby are equipped to do the work, but integrating your skills and your infant's feeding skills can take some patience and practice.
If you are looking to breastfeed your infant, and things are not starting off the way you pictured, there is still time to make adjustments and practice latching so that each time feeding feels much easier and less stressful.
What Can I Do to Latch My Baby Effectively?
1. Get Yourself Comfy First
When we are going to latch our babies to the breast, the first and arguably most important thing to do is to make sure that mom is in a comfortable position.
There is always the opportunity to adjust, but starting the feed out in a comfortable spot can help you to feel more in control and confident in latching.
Sitting up in a recliner chair with good back support is helpful for you to be able to have more control of baby.
Elevating your feet may also be more comfortable.
2. Have Baby Positioned Correctly Before Attempting to Latch
When you are ready to latch your infant, there are a few things to look at before we get them feeding.
Are they turned in to your body?
Your baby should be facing your body directly, tummy-to-tummy with you.
They should not be turning just their head towards the breast and latching this way, and their body should have ear-shoulder-hip alignment.
Is your baby able to tilt their head back and keep their chin off their chest?
Think about how we drink out of a cup — we have to tilt our heads back in order to use our mouth and jaw muscles effectively.
The same goes for your baby.
To get them into a position where they can do this, have your infant lined up so that their nose is at your nipple, not their mouth.
It seems odd to not have their mouth directly in line with your nipple, but this is because the nipple is the target, not the starting point.
Is their chin touching the breast prior to latching?
Their chin should be on the breast tissue, and with the nose-to-nipple stimulation, this will help to elicit their gape response and allow them to open wide.
Bringing your baby onto your breast from further away reduces the control with latching, and makes it more difficult to achieve an effective latch with baby opening wide.
3. Bring Baby to the Breast, Not the Breast to Baby
What does this mean?
It means that when your infant is ready with a wide-open mouth, you are not moving the breast into their mouth.
By doing this, you change the angle of their latch, and they will either tuck their chin, which can cause a pinch-y/painful latch, or they will not latch at all.
Instead, when your baby has their mouth open wide (like a yawn), you swiftly bring them up onto the breast.
4. Where Do I Put My Hands?
In a cross-cradle position, your arm will hold your baby along their back, and your palm will provide support along their upper back/shoulder area.
We want to avoid placing our hands on their head, as this does not support them being able to tilt their head back and open wide if there is pressure on their head.
The other hand is there to support the breast — but again, we are not moving the breast into baby's open mouth.
5. What About Baby’s Hands?
Babies use their hands to signal they are hungry, navigate your body, and assist them with breastfeeding.
In order to support them with latching, you want your baby to have their hands available.
Think of your baby as hugging your breast.
One hand will go underneath and around the underside of the breast, and the other on top.
We don’t want their arms tucked down at their sides, or across the front of their chest, as this puts more space between their body and the breast, and does not support a deep and effective latch.
6. The Complete Picture
When you have done all of the above, and your baby is ready to latch, they should open their mouth widely and you will swiftly bring them onto the breast by maintaining pressure along their upper back/shoulders.
There should be no pain or pinching.
Baby should be completely sealed to the breast — their lips will not be visible, just their cheeks and chin firmly planted onto the breast tissue.
You will notice that the suckles are rhythmic and even, and you will see that their head is slightly tilted back, chin off of their chest.
The Bigger Picture
Putting this all together, you have a small checklist of items you can go through either prior to feeding, or to help troubleshoot why the latch may not be working for you and your baby.
Is mom comfortable and in a position that supports feeding?
Is baby turned in towards mom?
Is baby in a position that they are able to open their mouth widely and utilize their full range of motion of their jaw?
AKA — nose-to-nipple and chin-to-skin.
Does your baby have good body support and alignment?
Is their ear, shoulder, and hip in a line?
Do they have any part of their body that appears unsupported?
Are they turned or twisted in any way?
Can you see baby’s lips?
If you can see their lips pursed onto the breast, they are either not tilting their head back enough, or are not up close enough to the breast.
You can remedy either of these by applying firmer pressure onto their shoulders, and tugging them back slightly towards their feet.
Whether you are latching your baby in a cross-cradle, football, reclined, or side-lying position, all of these principles apply to make the latch deep and effective.
This Is Still Difficult for Us.
What Can We Do?
Okay, so what if you’ve done all of this, or you’ve tried troubleshooting the latch, and yet your baby still will not latch on, or the latch is uncomfortable?
Breastfeeding support from an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) can be helpful to identify areas that may require further adjustment or assessment.
No breastfeeding journey is the same, and can even be different from your first and second baby.
Lactation consultants have the assessment skills to:
Identify issues with milk transfer and supply
Identify issues with milk transfer, supply, and recommend ways to support and protect milk supply.
Assess infant oral function
Assess infant oral function and ties/restrictions.
Identify body tension
Identify body tension preventing baby from latching effectively, and then refer you and your infant to a bodywork specialist.
Sometimes it takes someone looking at the feed from a different perspective to notice physical barriers to feeding.
Provide support with positioning
Provide support with adjusting positions or trying something new that may work better for you and your infant.
You’ve tried cross-cradle, but would a football, side-lying, or reclined position support feedings at the breast?
Recommend follow-up with other practitioners
Recommend follow-up with other practitioners who have a broader scope of practice to assess, diagnose, and, when appropriate, treat concerns such as tongue or lip ties.
As an IBCLC, there are certain limitations to my scope of practice, including the inability to diagnose or treat oral restrictions.
However, I can identify barriers to feeding and oral dysfunction, and provide resources for further assessment and support.
In the meantime, I can continue to help manage your current feeding situation and milk supply while you pursue further assessment or treatment.
In the Meantime, Protect Your Supply
While you await getting support, the number one thing to do is protect your supply.
If you are unable to latch your infant, or latching has become painful/unbearable, utilize techniques such as:
Skin-to-skin
Hand expression
Pumping
These techniques can help support supply maintenance.
The Realities of Infant Feeding
In a perfect world, breastfeeding would be a breeze, babies would latch on immediately and feed effectively, and parents would have one less thing to worry about on their mind.
The reality is, there are many different situations and issues that can present in breastfeeding that can make things more challenging, overwhelming, and frustrating.
Is There a Tongue or Lip Tie?
If your baby is not latching on, is there a tongue or lip tie (or both) present?
An IBCLC can look at physical restrictions to feeding that make latching on, transferring milk, and getting the milk baby needs much more difficult for your infant.
We know as IBCLCs that it’s much more than “just a tongue tie,” and an in-depth oral assessment and feeding assessment is required in order to provide a family with appropriate support and guidance for managing oral restriction.
This may need further evaluation from a diagnosing provider:
Doctor
Midwife
ENT
Pediatric Dentist
It may also require intervention, such as a release of this tie, before feedings truly are effective.
However, it is important to note that with tongue and lip ties, FUNCTION matters more than APPEARANCE, and IBCLCs have the ability to assess this function during an appointment.
It is often much more complex than cutting the tie, and requires further follow-up support.
Does Your Baby Seem Extra Sleepy at the Breast?
Does your baby only suckle for a few minutes before falling asleep?
We look at various reasons why baby seems to be more interested in a nap than a snack.
Are they able to transfer the milk effectively, or is it so much work that they tire easily?
Do you have a preterm or late preterm infant who does not have the energy for big feeds, and may need more frequent feedings in order to get the volume they require?
There are many factors to consider when we have a sleepy baby, and a full feeding and functional assessment of baby can provide more clarity and direction.
Does Your Baby NEVER Seem to Settle?
Do you feel like your baby NEVER settles, and is constantly feeding, no matter how long they just spent on the breast?
This can be such a frustrating scenario for both mom and baby.
Mom feels like she can never put baby down because they will not rest or settle, and baby is constantly showing us cues that they are hungry.
Here is a situation where looking at:
Baby’s oral function and feeding capability
Mom’s supply
Mom’s ability to latch baby
A feeding session assessment
…can give us clues into what we are facing and how to appropriately remedy this so that baby is satisfied, and mom feels content knowing baby is full.
These are just a few examples of things I’ve encountered and supported through my practice.
Overwhelming? You Bet.
Feeling like this will never get better? I understand completely.
The great news is that this is my job and passion, and it is never that the expectation is on a family to figure out feeding difficulties unsupported.
The saying, “it takes a village,” is truly the driving force of my passion for helping families navigate breastfeeding.
When Is the Best Time to Get Support?
Breastfeeding can come with challenges, but you don’t have to navigate them alone.
Reaching out for support early can help improve feeding outcomes, create a more positive feeding experience, and ease some of the anxiety that can come with caring for a newborn.
There are times when feeding your baby starts easy and then challenges arise, or things start off a bit more difficult than you anticipated.
I’ve even supported families who just wanted a check-in to make sure they are on track with infant feeding because it is so overwhelming to try and figure out if everything is going as it should.
I’m always happy to support families, whether your concerns feel big, small, or somewhere in between.
Every concern matters, and you deserve to feel heard and supported.
My hope is that, with the right guidance and support, you can feel confident in your feeding choices and enjoy your feeding journey with your baby.
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Book a Lactation Consultation in Stony Plain
If you’re looking for an IBCLC or lactation consultant near Stony Plain or Spruce Grove, we’re here to help.
Book your lactation consultation with Sarah at Kyah Family Health Studio today and get the personalized breastfeeding support you and your baby deserve.
780-232-6814
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