By Dr. Nancy Brent

Get comfortable and sit back with on a chair or couch that provides good support. You’ll need to bring your baby to you. Avoid leaning over the baby and trying to push the nipple into their mouth, this will most likely result in a backache and sore nipples for you due to a shallow latch.

Position your baby on their side, with their body turned towards you.  It’s hard for a baby to swallow with their head turned to the side. You can see this yourself: try to swallow while your head is turned to the side; compare it to swallowing while looking straight ahead. The added tension this position creates usually results in a poor and often painful latch. Look to make sure your baby’s ear, shoulder, and hip are all in a straight line.

Support your baby’s shoulders with your hand, using the hand on the side opposite to the breast being offered. Place your hand at the base of their neck, underneath the ears, with the palm of your hand resting between baby’s shoulders.  Avoid putting your hand on the top of baby’s head, as they may want to push back against your hand and end up further from the breast.

Place your nipple on the baby’s top lip,  just under his nose. Wait until baby opens wide.

Babies have a rooting reflex which consists of opening wide and then closing to start to suck. It’s easy to miss the wide-open mouth. Be patient, and try again if the mouth isn’t wide open. A narrow gape will result in a shallow, painful latch, and generally, less transfer of milk.

Aim the nipple toward the roof of your baby’s mouth and the lower lip as far from the base of the nipple as possible, so that baby will draw lots of the breast into their mouth. This is called an “asymmetric latch,” because more of the bottom part of the areola is in his mouth. If the latch is painful, something is wrong. Take the baby off and try again.

Remember that breastfeeding is a learned art for both of you. The more you practice, you and your baby will get better at it. However, if you continue to have difficulty with latching, resulting in ongoing nipple pain, please seek help from a lactation consultant, such as those at the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh.

For more information, see this excellent video from the Global Health Media Project.

Dr. Nancy Brent, who was named a National Pediatric Hero by Baby Talk magazine for her pioneering work in breastfeeding support and education, is the former Medical Director of the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh.