How should I hold my baby when feeding?
There are 4 main breast-feeding positions: the cradle hold,
the cross-cradle hold, the football hold, and lying down.
Cradle hold
The most common position is the cradle hold. This is
when you are sitting with your baby in your lap and the
baby's head in the crook of your arm. The baby's chest
should be against your chest so that she doesn't have to
turn her head to reach your nipple. Be sure the arm of
the chair is at the right height to support your arm.
Use pillows to support your back, your arm, and the
baby's head. A footstool is also very helpful to elevate
your feet.
Cross-cradle hold
The cross-cradle hold is similar to the cradle hold
except your baby is laying the opposite direction, with
his head in your hand, rather than the crook of your arm.
This is a useful position when first learning to
breast-feed because it gives you good control of the
baby's head while helping your baby to latch on.
Football hold
Position your baby with his legs under your arm. Hold
your baby like a football along your forearm, with the
baby's body on your arm and her face toward your breast.
Use your other hand to support your breast. The football
hold is useful if you have engorged breasts or sore
nipples. It is also a good position if you have had a
cesarean section and cannot place the baby on your
stomach. If you are prone to having plugged ducts, the
football hold can help because it helps your baby empty
the bottom ducts. It is also a good position for nursing
twins!
Lying down
Breast-feeding when you are lying down is useful for
night feeding. Lie on your side and place the baby on
her side facing you, with her head at your breast. You
may want to place a couple of pillows at your back for
some extra support. Be sure that the baby can breathe
through his nose.
This position is restful for you; often both you and the
baby will drift off to sleep after feeding. By adjusting
your position slightly you can feed the baby from both
breasts while lying on one side. (Make sure that you
feed from both breasts. If you don't empty both breasts,
you can get a plugged milk duct.)
After feeding, be sure to place your baby on his back for
sleep. Avoid soft sleep surfaces, loose bedding, and
situations in which your baby can fall, become entrapped,
or be too close to a heating appliance.
How do I get my baby to latch on to my breast?
It is very important to get your baby to latch on correctly
to your breast. If the baby is not latched on correctly,
you will get sore nipples and the baby won't get as much
milk.
To get a good latch:
Hold your baby in one of the 4 positions described
above. With your other hand, support your breast with
your fingers underneath your breast and your thumb on
top (C-hold) or rotate your hand into a U-hold with your
fingers and thumb on either side of the breast.
Get the baby to turn his head toward your breast and
open his mouth. This is called the rooting reflex. To
do this, bring the baby close to your breast. Then
stroke the baby's cheek with your finger. You can also
tickle the baby's lower lip with your nipple. When you
do this, your baby will naturally want to turn his head
and open his mouth.
When he opens his mouth, put as much of the areola into
the baby's mouth as possible. Make sure the baby has a
good grasp of the nipple as well as the areola (brown
area around the nipple). NEVER allow the baby to suck
on just the nipple. You can guide your breast into a
good nursing position so that the nipple and areola
don't get pulled out of your baby's mouth by the weight
of the breast.
Make sure that your baby's nose is not pressed into the
breast so that she can't breathe. If your breast is
blocking the baby's nose, press a finger against your
breast near his nose to allow him to breathe. Also be
sure that your baby's body is directly facing the
breast.
If your baby does not latch on well, remove the baby
from your breast by pressing a finger gently on the
corner of his mouth. This will break the suction. Then
try again.
Tips on Breast-feeding Positions
As a general rule, anything that works is OK as long as
the baby has the whole nipple in her mouth (both nipple
and areola) and she can breathe.
Vary the nursing position to make sure all of the milk
ducts are drained of milk.
Always find a relaxed and comfortable position.
Special Situations
Nursing After Having a Cesarean Section
The lying-down position may be more comfortable for
breast-feeding after you have had a cesarean section.
The hospital nurses will help you change from side to
side.
If you nurse using the sitting position, put a pillow on
your lap to protect the incision.
The football hold can also be used, since it keeps the
baby from pressing on your incision.
Nursing Premature Infants
Support the baby's head with the crook of your arm while
placing your hand under her bottom. Use your other hand
to guide your nipple into her mouth.
If the baby's nursing reflex is weak, pull down on the
baby's chin and direct the nipple into the back of her
mouth.
Nursing Twins
Use the football hold with pillows under each arm to
support the babies. Using pillows helps free up your
hands.
You can use a regular sitting position with the babies
overlapping.
You can combine the regular sitting position for one baby
and the football hold for the other.
Alternate between feeding each baby separately and
nursing the babies at the same time.
Don't let one baby feed from just one breast. Alternate
breasts to keep a good milk supply in both breasts.
Nurse the hungriest baby on the fullest breast.
