When my second child was born and we first tried breastfeeding, I was quickly flooded with memories of my first week of learning to breastfeed my first. In that initial go-around with my first, trying to achieve a quality latch was a challenge. The first week or two was a real struggle, but eventually we got it down and we continued to breastfeed for 25 months. This time around, we were able to achieve a good latch in a couple of days instead of a couple of weeks.
Here’s my quick checklist to a good latch:
1) Hold: Turn baby’s body to face yours with their head in the crook of your elbow and their feet angled toward the opposite hip. (Parallel, stomach to stomach.) This provides them comfort so they’re not trying to crook their neck when feeding.
2) Hands: Get their hands out of the way. Tuck one arm under baby and restrain their other hand on top. When a baby’s hungry, they have mighty force trying to get their hands in their mouth.
3) Sandwich: With your opposing finger and thumb, sandwich your nipple and surrounding areola creating a flat surface to insert into their little birdie mouth. Wait until they close around it, then release. (It may be helpful to hand express a few drops of milk first to entice them to close around it.)
4) Lip: Once they’ve successfully closed around your sandwiched nipple (this will include the nipple and surrounding area), gently pull on their bottom lip so it’s facing outward (like they’re making a pouty face). This allows for a deeper, (and much less painful) latch. If you hear a clicking sound or it starts to be painful, try again.
To unlatch, press your finger into your breast at the side of their mouth to release the seal.
After everyone is comfortable with what’s going on, baby will automatically latch comfortably and it’ll be easier to explore other positions.
Also, keep a good moisturizer on hand. This is the one that I make. Eventually you probably won’t need one, but in those first few days and weeks, learning can make for very uncomfortable tatas.
Good luck on your journey! If you have questions, comments, or need support, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear from you. And for more tips, see my post on achieving breastfeeding success.
— Funky Crunchy Mama
