Here are some practical tips for getting your baby latched on for breastfeeding.

Wash your hands and make yourself comfortable. Use pillows to help you hold and support your baby.

Understanding how the baby should place her mouth on the breast makes this process much easier. Sometimes in the early feedings, babies need extra latching help so choose either the cross-cradle or football positions. These two positions allow you to hold the baby with one hand and cup your breast with the other hand so you have more control of the baby and the breast. Position your baby’s mouth opposite your nipple. When your baby opens widely, bring her to the breast chin first. Place the lower jaw on the areola as far away from the nipple as possible, while still allowing enough room for the baby’s upper lip to clear the nipple.

Cross-cradle and cradle - When supporting your breast with one hand, think of creating a ‘U’ shape to your breast (with your thumb on one side and four fingers on the other side). Bring the baby to the breast so your nipple enters the baby’s mouth right under her upper lip. The chin should remain close to the breast so the baby can maintain a good seal to the breast during the feeding.

How your baby gets milk from your breast

The nipple really is the ‘straw’ for the breast -- the milk is inside the breast and comes out through the nipple. The baby’s mouth should be deeply positioned on the dark part of the nipple called the areola. Then the mouth squeezes the areola, allowing the milk to come out through the nipple. You will know the baby is positioned just right if it feels like a pulling sensation without discomfort. You should not feel any pinching or biting-type sensations.

Latching on tips

• Have pillows or folded blankets under the baby. The baby's hips need to be almost as high as the baby's head. This will help keep the baby's jaw relaxed to nurse without pinching your nipple. As your baby gets older you may not need this support, but it is very helpful at first.
• Hold your baby close to you. The baby's ear, shoulder and hip should be in a straight line. Do not push the baby's head forward. Pushing the head makes it hard for the baby to swallow.
•  Have your hand back from the areola (the dark skin around the nipple). Your hand should not get in the way as the baby latches on. The baby needs to get the nipple far back in the mouth to nurse so milk can flow easily.
• If it hurts, start over. Put your finger in the baby's mouth between the gums and take your nipple out. Make sure the baby's mouth is wide open and the tongue is down before the baby latches on again. It is okay to start over several times
• Avoid giving your baby bottles, pacifiers or using nipple shields in the first few weeks of life unless directed to do so by a doctor. The more often you breastfeed, the more milk you make. It is normal for babies to breastfeed every 1 to 3 hours in the beginning.

By Linda Yandell Smith RN, MSN, IBCLC Co-author of The Triumphant Child-Caring for your newborn: How to enjoy the first 60 days as a new mom.

Parent story

"Unfortunately, breastfeeding my first baby just did not work out, but with my second child I began the breastfeeding journey armed with an even stronger commitment to making it happen. The first night I buzzed for a midwife each time I attempted a latch-on. I was determined not to leave hospital with sore nipples and without being able to breastfeed properly. After feeding my little boy every hour on the hour, a midwife asked if I had had any sleep. I said I hadn’t because I was concentrating on feeding my baby. She realized at this point that something wasn’t working quite right and brought in the lactation consultant. The lactation consultant figured out that my baby wasn’t sucking properly. It then took two other people to help him to work it out … one person to hold him in the right position, and a midwife to move my baby’s chin up and down to teach him how to suck -- and me just sitting there watching and silently thinking, oh my goodness, how in the world am I ever going to do this on my own! After 24 hours of doing this, my little boy figured out how to suck correctly and we were flying solo again. I think this was the same problem my first baby experienced, so thank goodness for lactation consultants and my persistence the second time around.

It took a great deal of inner strength to continually push the call button because one does not want to be known as the ‘high maintenance patient’! One of the midwives said that I was the only mother on the maternity ward without sore nipples. The importance of proper latch-on cannot be overstated. My son continued to breastfeed until he was fourteen months old and it was such a rewarding and beautiful experience. I treasured every moment of it."
Nicole
Reference: Nutrition NC, www.healthinfotranslations.org

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