Monday, August 18, 2008

Breastfeeding & How to Latch Your Baby

How to Latch your Baby


1. Position Yourself Properly.
Sit up in bed or in a comfortable armchair. You should be relaxed with no muscles straining.

2. Position Your Baby Properly.
Your baby should be lying on his side with his whole body facing you and his head reasting on your forearm or in the crook of your elbow. His back should be supported by your forearm and you can hold his bottom or upper thigh with your hand. His ear, shoulder, and hips should be in a straight line.

3. Offer Your Breast to Baby.
Cup your breast with your free hand, supporting it with your fingers underneath and your thumb on top. When the baby opens his mouth very wide, centre your nipple in his mouth and quickly pull baby toward you. Its important to pull him in very close to you, rather than you moving toward him.

4. Effective Sucking Techniques.
To suck effectively, your baby must get a large portion of the breast tissue into his mouth along with your nipple. His gums should completely bypass the nipple to take in the breast tissue. The bottom lip should be turned out, the upper lip should not be sucked in. Poor positioning can cause nipple damage or pain, so its worth getting it right from the start.

For more advice and help on breastfeeding, have a look our our Specialty Store.