“Here are some examples of common breastfeeding positions, featuring me, my son’s baby, and my big ole 30 week baby belly. 😊
Each with their own advantages, some positions are more preferable than others.
The most important element here is the mother and baby’s comfort, as well as body posture that encourages effective milk transfer.
✨ Baby’s body should be flexed with ears, shoulders, and hips in alignment.
Their belly button and eyes should be facing the same direction. Have you tried drinking with your head turned sideways? Not comfy!
✨ The football hold is commonly used for mamas recovering from cesarean births, because this positioning protects their tender abdominal area. It is also commonly used for mother’s with larger breasts, as it offers more control over baby’s head positioning in relationship to breast, without compromising mother’s posture.
✨ Reclined or “prone” positioning helps encourage a baby’s natural reflexes, head and neck control, and can be helpful for the mama with an overactive letdown or abundant milk supply that tends to overwhelm baby. It’s also useful for the biting baby, because gravity encourages baby’s jaw to come forward.
✨ The cross cradle hold is helpful to assist a preterm or smaller baby to latch and stay latched well, by using mama’s dominant hand to support baby’s head and neck. Some mom’s may start out using this hold then move other arm underneath once baby is feeding well, transferring into a comfortable cradle position.
✨ Side lying is great to help mama get some rest, allows baby to self latch, with pillows supporting mom’s head, back and between her knees, sometimes with a rolled towel or pillow behind newborns back for extra side lying support.
There is no one right way to hold a baby. There are anatomical variations in every mother and baby, so it is important to use whichever feels most natural to you.
Which are your favorites?
Instagram: @mothermadelactation
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