Breastfeeding Tips: The Best Way to Get Your Baby to Latch

Just because women have breastfed their babies for centuries doesn’t mean nursing is easy. In fact, research shows that 92 percent of new moms encounter at least one breastfeeding problem in the early days of motherhood. More than half of moms (52 percent) struggle with feeding issues, such as getting their baby to latch on properly, while 44 percent say breastfeeding is painful (which can happen with an incorrect latch).

Here’s how to help your baby latch properly to make breastfeeding more enjoyable for both of you.

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Get into position: Hunching towards your baby puts a strain on your neck, shoulders, and back. So bring your baby to you rather than the other way around. Try the laid-back position, a.k.a., biological nurturing. In this pose, “the starting point is to work with gravity rather than against it, so that you’re leaning back somewhat and your baby is lying across you on his tummy,” Diana West, lactation consultant and co-author of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, tells Yahoo Parenting. While you lean back, with a pillow supporting your back and head, make sure your baby’s head is higher than his bottom. “The infant also needs the ability to push against something with his feet, such as your thigh or hand, so that he can raise and lower himself to get the best angle,“ explains West. "When these three conditions are in place — tummy down, head higher than bottom, and feet touching something — and mothers adjust their breast, and use verbal encouragement, it very often clicks into place."

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You can also try the cradle position, suggests La Leche League International. Here, your baby lies on his side across your lap with his head resting on your forearm. His ear, shoulder, and hips should be in line, and his mouth level with your nipple. In this position, a breastfeeding pillow can help make you feel comfortable. You can also manually support your breast in a "U” or “C” hold, forming the shape of the letter with your hand.

Then there’s the football hold, a good option for moms who’ve had C-sections because the baby is kept away from the painful incision. In this position, your baby is placed alongside you and is facing you, while you support his head with your hand. Use a pillow to raise his mouth to the nipple and support your breast with the “C” hold.

Encourage your baby to open wide: Sucking on the nipple alone is painful and may inhibit milk production, so try to fit your baby’s mouth around the entire nipple and the majority of the areola. To do this, gently brush your nipple across his bottom lip, a sensation that triggers him to open his mouth wider. When inserting your breast, aim the nipple slightly upward, towards the roof your infant’s mouth, says La Leche League International. This helps ensure that the bottom of your areola is in your baby’s mouth, which helps stimulate the milk ducts.

Check for the signs of a good latch: “Mothers can know that the baby has latched well when they don’t feel pain, beyond some mild tenderness,” notes West. Also, your baby’s lips should be flanged (splayed) out, rather than curled inwards or pursed. However, a good latch doesn’t necessarily tell you if your baby is getting enough milk. For that, you need to watch his diaper output and make sure he’s gaining weight over time. “After the milk comes in on day three or four, babies should gain one ounce a day, until they are four months old,” says West.

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