This is the 3rd of 7 emails I wrote in 2022 to help a mom-to-be get ready to breastfeed and care for her first baby. The first was about establishing a milk supply and the second about signs that baby’s getting enough milk.
Today’s topic is latch and positioning. Latch is super important for baby to get enough, and positioning is important to get a good latch. So here we go…
Latch and Positioning
Dear Mom-to-be,
It’s me again, writing to you about breastfeeding while I nurse my sweet little 6 month old. 💕
I don’t know what you already know about latch and positioning. I think positioning was one of the few things I read about before I started breastfeeding over 18 years ago. It’s nice to know that there are several different positions that work for breastfeeding, but there are things I know now that would have been helpful in the beginning, so that’s what I’ll get into this time.
When positioning for breastfeeding, it’s important that mom is supported and comfortable. Think back support and pillows or rolled up blankets for resting your arms.
It’s also important that baby is secure. Their little body should be well supported, with their tummy up against you and your arm or hand supporting their head. We don’t want to hold their head – they need to be able to pull back when they want to – just support it.
Baby should be in a position where their head is tipped back slightly, just enough to open the airway and throat. I’ve heard that you should line up their nose to your nipple to encourage them to open wide and tilt their head back. But the reality of a hungry, wiggly baby is not easy to line up.😆
The latch is important! Baby’s job is to open wide. Your job is to get as much of the areola (darker part of the breast) as you can in Baby’s mouth. This creates optimal pressure and suction to get milk out, and is most comfortable for mom.
One way to help Baby with latching is to kind of roll the areola and nipple into their mouth, starting at their bottom lip. (I hope I described that in a way you can understand.) Another way is to “pinch” it together with thumb and forefinger at the edge of the areola to help you get it in that little mouth. The way I do it is called the sandwich hold, closing my scissor fingers around there to fit it into Baby’s mouth.
Once you’ve gotten into baby’s mouth, keep your hand there supporting the breast till Baby’s got a good grip and is eating contently. For some babies that will take a minute or two, and others will need your hand helping the whole feeding for a few weeks. You’ll both get better at it as you practice.
Please ask me if you have any questions. I’ll be sending more info in a few days.
Your friend, Anne
The next email is on what pain is normal for breastfeeding.
