Breastfeeding Latch and Positioning | University Hospitals (2024)

This helps your baby start to become familiar with life outside the womb, stay warm, feel safe and start breastfeeding.

• The amniotic fluid covering your baby at birth smells like colostrum.
• You baby is able to smell your colostrum when he/she is held close to you.
• After spending some time skin to skin with you after birth, your baby may “crawl” his/her way to your breast and latch on by him/herself.

• Babies are alert for the first few hours after birth. This is the best time to start breastfeeding.
• After this wakeful period, babies typically sleep a lot the rest of their first day. During the next two days, babies tend to wake up and spend a lot of time at the breast, getting nourishment and building your milk supply.
• Babies can get overstimulated from all the sights, sounds and activities of their new world. Being held close at the breast helps calm and soothe your baby.
• This close time of feeding frequently facilitates bonding and releasing hormones that make milk in your body.

• Hold your baby close, tummy to tummy.
• Bring the baby up to the level of your breast by putting a pillow under the baby.
• Have one hand support the baby’s neck.
• The other hand supports the breast, well behind the areola.
• Have the baby’s chin pressed into your breast with your nipple just opposite the baby’s nose.
• Tickle the baby’s upper lip with your nipple to make his/her mouth open wide.
• Bring the baby to your breast quickly.
• Your baby should latch onto the areola, not just the nipple. This will enable the baby to get more milk and reduce the likelihood of you developing nipple soreness.
• If you feel discomfort during nursing, your baby may not have enough breast in his/her mouth. Insert your finger between the baby’s jaws to break suction, then relatch.

• Consider taking a breastfeeding class. Prepare a list of people you can call or talk to that have breastfeeding experience. This can be family, friends, the LaLeche League or your clinic.
• Ask for help from the hospital staff. The nurses are specially trained to assist you and your baby in learning to breastfeed. You and your baby learn to breastfeed together. The hospital will provide a list of contacts, including lactation consultants, that you can call.

• Day of birth: Place your baby on your chest right after birth, with his/her skin next to yours. Baby may crawl to your breast and attach with very little assistance. After the first few hours, the baby may be sleepy. Take this time to sleep yourself.
• Day one: The baby will be more alert and want to nurse often. This time of frequent feeding gives you lots of nursing practice. Frequent feeding also stimulates your body to produce hormones, which trigger milk production.
• Day two: The baby may want to be at the breast very frequently. Let the baby feed as often as he/she wants.
• Day three: You may notice your breasts getting fuller and the milk changing to be more fluid in nature. Let your baby end a feeding by falling asleep or detaching. After the baby is finished with the first breast, offer the other.

Hold your baby close next to your skin, tummy to tummy. Press the baby’s chin into your breast with your nipple just opposite his/her nose. Tickle the baby’s upper lip with your nipple to make his/her mouth open wide, like a yawn. Hold your hand behind the baby’s neck and shoulders. This will allow the baby to tip his/her head back so he/she can open his/her mouth wider. Use your other hand to support the breast, and compress it slightly in the same direction as the baby’s lips. This will help him/her to get more of a mouthful. When your baby’s mouth is wide open, bring him/her to your breast quickly to help the baby get more breast into his mouth. The baby should latch onto the areola, not just the nipple. This will enable the baby to get more milk. If you feel discomfort with nursing, the baby may not have enough breast in his/her mouth. Insert your finger between the baby’s jaws to break suction, then relatch.

• Cross cradle: Hold your baby, tummy to tummy. Hold your forearm along the baby’s back, with your hand supporting the baby’s neck and shoulders. Your other hand supports the breast in a U shape.
• Football: The baby’s body is under your arm and your hand supports his/her neck and shoulders. The baby’s head is under the breast, looking up at you. Your other hand supports the breast in a C shape.
• Laid back: You can lean back in an almost slouched position, but not flat and not sitting up right. Your upper and lower back, shoulders and neck should be well supported. Your baby will lie on your chest with his/her cheek close to the breast. Gravity will keep him/her in position as the baby’s body molds to yours. You can either hold or not hold your breast and help your baby as much as you like. You are a feeding team!
• Side lying: You can rest while your baby feeds. Lay on your side, tummy to tummy. Use your upper arm to support your breast in a C hold. When the baby’s mouth opens wide, press the baby onto the breast with your lower hand between the baby’s shoulder blades. Another way is to hold your body up on one elbow. Place the baby on his/her back, under your breast. Use your upper hand to support the breast in a C hold. Tickle the baby’s lip to get a wide gape, then lower your breast into the baby’s mouth. Once the baby is latched and sucking, move your lower arm and lay down. Turn the baby toward you.

• The first milk is colostrum. Colostrum is produced since midpregnancy. The small quantity matches your baby’s stomach size. It is thick and sticky. While your baby is learning to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing, the properties of colostrum protect your baby from overfilling or accidentally breathing it in. Colostrum also protects the baby from disease. The extra water weight babies are born with provides fluids while your colostrum meets all their nutritional needs. The baby will lose this extra water weight over the next few days.
• Milk production begins as soon as the baby is born. It increases daily in amounts to match the baby’s increasing stomach size. The baby’s stomach is very small at birth, about the size of a marble. Your milk is produced in that amount. On the second day, the baby’s stomach is about the size of a thimble, and the next day the size of a walnut. By the time your baby’s stomach has expanded, the milk has changed so that it has more water and volume. This occurs about the third day after your baby is born.