Breastfeeding Positions: Choose what Works for You!
There are many breastfeeding positions you can learn and find the most comfortable for your situation.
Breastfeeding is a very natural way to nourish your baby during the first months of his or her life.
In some women breastfeeding come easy and they feel comfortable using many breastfeeding positions, in others the skill has to be acquired through the help of a lactation consultant.
Do not struggle on your own while trying to get your baby to latch, get help immediately! Your baby needs to learn as soon as possible (the best time is a few moments after birth) to get on the breast the proper way.
A lactation consultant will provide breastfeeding training before birth, right after birth to ensure proper latching, and during the first week after birth to reduce breastfeeding pain.
Mom breastfeeding training should be done at least one month before the baby is due. A little breastfeeding pain at the beginning is quite normal, but it can be minimized by having the right tools and support.
Benefits of Learning Breastfeeding Positions
Less breastfeeding pain
Your baby will be more content
You will fell more relaxed
You will be able to nurse longer
Mom Breastfeeding Training
If you learn how to use the best breastfeeding position for you and your baby, your breastfeeding experience will be a positive one.
Do You Know How to Prevent Breastfeeding Pain?
Well, it is all in the latch! That's why how you position your baby while breastfeeding is very important.
When your baby is properly latched on, you might feel pain for about one minute.
This is due to your baby pulling the nipple into her mouth. Once she begins suckling, you will feel the initial pulling and then the breastfeeding pain will stop.
It the nipple pain continues, stop feeding your baby and re-position her on your breast. If your baby learns the wrong way to latch on your breast, you will continue to experience pain and you will develop cracked sore nipples.
If you are not sure about the latch and you feel pain, ask for help. Sometimes baby suckle the tip of the nipple and never get the entire portion of the areola in their mouth.
These babies will not get enough milk and will be hungry within one hour and will constantly want to feed. You will have breastfeeding pain and your baby will not be getting enough nourishment at each feed.
Try to see if a different breastfeeding position will help re-train your baby to latch on properly.
Why Breastfeeding Training
Breastfeeding is very natural and very innate. The training really takes less than an hour if you have the proper support.
When my daughter was born, the breastfeeding consultant put her on my breast a few minutes after birth. That's it, she was trained!
She learned the proper latch, because she was shown how to properly latch on right at birth. I had to learn the different breastfeeding positions in order to find the most comfortable way for me to nurse her.
That took literally about one hour.
With my first son, things went a lot different. We struggled with breastfeeding for weeks. I developed cracked, bleeding, and very sore nipples.
I had two mastitis, engorged breasts and blocked ducts. I also had high fever and I was crying all the time because of the breastfeeding pain.
My son was constantly hungry, he had to be put on formula for supplementation for a short period of time because he was not gaining enough weight.
All because of the latch! Once we found help, he learned how to latch properly and after that, all was well.
He stated gaining weight and he was more content after each feeding. The nipple pain went away and we continued to nurse for many months without problems.
With my last son, it was the easiest! He was properly put on my breast right after birth like his sister, and I had no breastfeeding pain.
He never lost weight and never had formula. It is amazing how a little training can go a long way!
If you are planning to breastfeed your baby, learn the correct latch with the best breastfeeding position and your breastfeeding experience will be a great experience.
There are different breastfeeding positions. The following are the most commonly used positions for breastfeeding:
Cross-Cradle Hold Breastfeeding Position: For Small Babies
Hold your baby using your left hand if you are going to put your baby to nurse from your right breast. Use the other hand for the other breast.
Hold your baby securely using your hand and your entire arm. The baby should be facing you with his chest and his tummy should touch your tummy.
To properly hold your baby put your fingers behind his head just at the base of his occipital area just below the ears. This way will allow you to guide his mouth to your nipple with ease.
The Cradle Hold Breastfeeding Position for Older Babies
Support your baby in the fold of your arm. Use a breastfeeding pillow at first by placing it firmly on your lap. The baby's face, tummy and knees should be facing you.
His hips should be in line with your tummy, while his nose and your nipple should line up.
This breastfeeding position is most suited for large or older babies and it may not be easy to achieve with small and premature babies.
This is one of those breastfeeding positions, many mothers use when the baby is about three month old and has stronger neck support.
If you had a C-section, try to avoid this position at the beginning.
Football Hold Breastfeeding Position for C-Section
Just like its name, this nursing position requires that you hold your baby as if you were holding a football.
This is accomplished by positioning the baby at your side making sure that his nose is at the same level as your nipple.
If you are feeding him on your right breasts, hold him by resting his body on your right arm and with your right hand hold his neck and supporting his head.
It is best to rest your harm on a pillow, which should be positioned at your right side. Now, with your left hand support your breast.
This breastfeeding position is great for mothers who had a C-section or that are going to breastfeed twins.
Side-Lying Breastfeeding Position for night time feeding
You can use this breastfeeding position if you want to nurse your baby while lying on your side in bed or on a couch.
Make sure to keep your body in a straight line. Put the baby right on the bed facing you and hold his head with your harm.
Keep his head and body as close as possible to your body and do not let him reach with his neck while nursing. Also, try not to bend over to accommodate your baby because this can put a lot of strain on your back and shoulders.
Keep a straight line at all times. This breastfeeding position is recommended for mothers who had a difficult delivery, a C-section and who are very weak and tired after delivery.
It is also great to use at night if you and your baby choose to co-sleep.
Learning how to hold and support your baby in a comfortable position is to key to successful breastfeeding.
Before you learn how to put your baby on the breast make sure that you are confortable:
Is Your Body Supported?
Use a breastfeeding pillow to help support the baby so that he is at the same level as your breasts.
Use a stool to rest your feet and keep your back supported with a pillow. Make sure not to bend toward your baby because this can cause shoulder and back problems in the long run.
The rule number one in positioning your baby for breastfeeding is bringing your baby to you and check your position often and re-adjusting if necessary to avoid twisting your torso and developing back, neck or shoulder strain.
You can use a mirror.
Are Your Breasts Supported?
At the beginning, when your baby is small and you are inexperienced you will need to make sure that your breasts are properly supported. Many call this the C-hold where you make a C with your thumb and index finger.
Make sure to support your breast so that you are not too close to the nipple: give the baby room to properly latch.
As your baby grows, you will notice that you will find a more comfortable position and that breastfeeding positioning will come very natural.
Is Your Baby Supported?
Use a breastfeeding pillow to achieve a comfortable breastfeeding position. Use your arm and hand, plus pillows or a folded blanket, to support your baby's head, neck, back, and hips and keep them in a straight line.
Make sure your baby's neck is not tilted. If so, your baby will have difficulty swallowing.
Watch the following breastfeeding video and see how important it is to make sure your baby latches onto your breast properly.
This mom breastfeeding video is a great breastfeeding training that shows all the different breastfeeding positions. Thy each one of them and choose the one that you and your baby prefer.
I used the cross-cradle when the baby was just born, then when the baby was around 3 months I switch to the cradle position and at night I used the side-lying only when really tired and kept the baby close to me.
I used the football hold very rarely because It was difficult for me to achieve correctly.
"Breastfeeding is the most natural way to nurse your baby because it contains live food, antibodies, water, energy and love."
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