Breastfeeding Positions
Choosing comfortable and effective breastfeeding positions for you and your baby’s unique needs is important. Finding a good position can not only help your baby transfer milk well but it can also prevent nipple pain and trauma, neck and back pain, and help you comfortably breastfeed for as long as you wish.
In this article, we discuss the most common breastfeeding positions used by nursing parents and different factors that make certain positions more comfortable.
It is normal if this feels awkward at first. Think back to any other physical skill you have learned, like riding a bike. Breastfeeding is a learned skill. It requires practice until your muscle memory allows you to automatically do the necessary motions without thinking.
Some positions may just not work for you for whatever reason. You don’t need to force it; just try a different position or get some guidance from a professional or experienced nursing mother.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Do you want to learn more about breastfeeding while ensuring safe and adequate feeding?
Dr. Christie and board-certified lactation consultant Lynnette Hafken have just released the online Fed Is Best Breastfeeding Course, where they discuss all the things that you will not hear from a breastfeeding book or class. In it they include secret tips and tricks that you normally have to pay hundreds of dollars to learn about, for the same cost of a hospital breastfeeding class. Click below to get in on the training!
Steps to Getting a Comfortable Breastfeeding Position
- First choose a comfortable breastfeeding position (see below) and have relaxed shoulders. A foot stool or back pillow may help.
- Position (nursing) pillow(s) to support your arms and hands while you are positioning your baby. A pillow for your back or head may be useful.
- Always bring your baby to where the breast and nipple naturally falls to avoid tension on the nipple. Avoid leaning over. Pull your baby in close, belly to belly with:
- their ears, shoulders and hips aligned.
- their nose in front of your nipple.
- their chest snuggled into the base of your breast.
- hips and chest against your rib cage for stability.
- support their neck and base of the head, with their head tipped back (not tucked in) to allow wide mouth opening.
- Initiate latching as described in the Breastfeeding Latch article.
The following describes several common breastfeeding positions and circumstances they are most useful for.
Cradle Hold
Many mothers we have worked with find this to be the most comfortable position, but it can be tricky with wiggly newborns.
Hold your baby in the crook of your arm, with their ear resting on the part of your arm near your elbow and the rest of your forearm providing them with shoulder, back, and hip support.
If their body is slightly diagonal, with hips and legs tucked under your other breast, that allows them to get closer for optimal latching. Their hips must be tucked in tight against your rib cage.
Position them such that their arms hug the breast, so they’re out of the way and their face is in contact with the breast. This enables them to feel where to target their mouth.
Reminder: Do not have their head so far forward that they have to tuck their chin down to reach your nipple. Their head must be able to tip back for maximum jaw opening.
Cross Cradle Hold
You will use your opposite arm for this hold. Place your baby so their spine is supported by your forearm with their bottom in the crook of your elbow.
Your thumb and index finger will provide a cradle to support the base of their head; place them behind their ears. This hold enables you to have more control over your baby’s body and head.
As with the cradle hold, keep your baby’s body tight against your ribcage; hips snuggled in close and chest against the base of your breast.
As the baby feels the breast against their face, they will tip back their head and open their mouth to prepare for latching.
Football Hold
This hold is essentially the same as the cross cradle hold, but your baby’s body is tucked under your armpit instead of across the front of your body. The football hold is good for women with large breasts. Many birthing parents who have just had a cesarean section find that it is the most comfortable nursing position as it keeps the baby off the incision site.
Baby is held at the mom’s side, under her arm. The mother’s hand supports the baby’s neck and head, mom’s thumb and index fingers behind the baby’s ears.
The baby is brought up to the breast with the mother sitting up straight, her arm supported by pillows. Baby’s body should be far enough back so that their chin is not tucked to their chest.
Laid Back Position
This position is baby led. Your role is to make sure your baby doesn’t fall off of you, to keep them calm and awake enough to stay focused on latching. Some with overactive letdown (where the flow of milk is faster than what a baby can handle) find this useful for helping baby manage the flow.
Start by leaning your hospital bed back, or using a reclining chair, so that your baby’s weight can rest on top of you rather than you holding them up.
What will happen next is called the “breast crawl,” and you can find plenty of videos online that show how babies use their instincts to find and latch onto the nipple. Place your baby upright between your breasts facing you. You will start to see them move their face around, feeling what’s in their immediate environment.
Your baby may gradually move towards your nipple, or quickly lunge. Support their lower body, while they adjust their upper body to an optimal position.
When they feel the nipple on their cheek, they may rest a minute and then start bobbing their head to get some momentum to latch deeply.
Some babies prefer this method to having a parent controlled latching process, and mothers may find it restful to be able to lean back and let the baby do all the work.
It is important to be patient and not try to rush the baby. They may take a good twenty minutes to make their way over to the breast, taking breaks to cry or rest a little; or it may be immediate. Don’t stress if this doesn’t seem to work for you and your baby though; there are other positions that will.
Not all babies do the breast crawl and the breast crawl is not necessary to make use of this position. You can simply place them closer to the nipple if you wish to use this position without waiting for them to crawl to it.
Do not use this hold if you are sleepy; since your baby would be face down and not on a secure surface, there is a risk of them falling or blocking their breathing passage if you fall asleep
Side Lying Position
As with the laid back position, side-lying is mostly baby led. The side-lying position is most useful for mothers with larger breasts, as they may find that they can see their nipple and baby better in this position. It is also ideal for mothers who have pain from vaginal tears from delivery.
It does not usually work after a c-section due to strain on the abdominal muscles.
If you are in the hospital, you will need to lean your hospital bed back so you can lie on a flat surface. Although, if you are at all sleepy and do not have a trained observer in the hospital, this position is not recommended.
Lie on your side in a comfortable position with your head on a pillow, and if desired, a pillow
between your knees.
Place your baby below your breast that’s closest to the bed (so their head can tip back in the drinking position), and use a rolled up receiving blanket wedged behind their back to prevent them from rolling away from you or feeling unstable. Their hips and torso should be snug against your abdomen.
This position allows the baby to find and latch onto the nipple without much help from you, as the bed is supporting their weight and the weight of your breast, allowing them to use their instincts to latch.
They may need you to slightly shape the breast or have your hand pressing their body against you (especially on their lower back and hips), but first try to let them latch on themselves. Remember, latching in this position is baby led.
This is a very relaxing position, so do not use this position if you are sleepy. Take caution that you don’t fall asleep with the baby next to you, due to the risk of suffocation or entrapment.
Koala Hold
This hold is usually used for older babies, but it is possible for newborns with enough support for their backs and heads.
Your baby sits facing your breast with their legs on either side of your thigh. Your arm wraps around their back, providing support for their upper back and base of the head (older babies don’t need as much support).
Hug them close so their body is stable and they can reach your breast, which should be about eye level. Mothers with more pendulous breasts may find this position doesn’t work well for them.
Finding the Right Positions
Many nursing parents find that they will use several of these breastfeeding positions over time and that their favorite positions may change as their baby grows. It’s helpful to know about them ahead of time so that you can be ready to make use of these positions when your baby arrives.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Do you want to learn more about breastfeeding while ensuring safe and adequate feeding?
Dr. Christie and board-certified lactation consultant Lynnette Hafken have just released the online Fed Is Best Breastfeeding Course, where they discuss all the things that you will not hear from a breastfeeding book or class. In it they include secret tips and tricks that you normally have to pay hundreds of dollars to learn about, for the same cost of a hospital breastfeeding class. Click below to get in on the training!
To learn more about this topic, read the Fed Is Best book available on paperback, e-book, and audiobook.