Breastfeeding Positions for Mothers

As mentioned in our previous post, breastfeeding is a wonderful and beneficial practice, both for the mother and child. However, sometimes, it can come with its own set of challenges. With the right knowledge and support, many of these challenges can be effectively managed.

In today's post we will be sharing some tips to make your breastfeeding journey easier. 

POSITIONING

Positioning in breastfeeding refers to the way a mother holds her baby during breastfeeding to ensure that the baby is properly aligned and able to latch onto the breast effectively. Good positioning helps the baby feed well, prevents nipple pain or damage for the mother, and ensures adequate milk transfer.

Now that we know that, here are some basic guidelines to ensure good positioning.

Ensure that:

a) Your baby’s head and body are in line: A baby cannot suckle or swallow easily if their head is twisted or bent.

b) Your baby is held close to your body: A baby cannot attach well to the breast if they are far away from it.

c) Your baby’s whole body is supported with your arm along their back: This is particularly important for newborns and young babies. For older babies, support of the upper part of the body is usually enough. 

d) Your baby approaches the breast nose to nipple, so that they come to your breast from underneath the nipple. 

There are different unique styles of breastfeeding, that suit different conditions:

A] Semi - Reclined position: The semi-reclined position, also known as laid-back breastfeeding, is a natural and comfortable breastfeeding position that promotes bonding and effective latching.

Here’s what it involves:

a) Lean back a little, upright enough to be able to look at your baby's face and far enough back that the whole of your baby's body rests against you. 

b) The baby is placed tummy-down on the mother's chest, with their whole front touching hers.

c) The baby's head is near the breast, and they find the nipple using instinctive reflexes  

Benefits:

a) This position makes it easy for your baby to attach deeply. And it's also comfortable for you particularly in the early days and weeks.

b) Good for babies with difficulty latching.

c) Good for calming crying and restless babies. 

Note: If you have had a Caesarean section, your baby can be positioned across your chest and away from your incision. 

B] Cross - Cradle hold: This position is useful when learning to breastfeed for the first time and is a great option for small babies. It allows you to have good control of your baby’s head while helping your little one to latch on.

Steps: 

a) Hold your baby close to you; bring him/her close to your chest with the opposite forearm from which you intend to breastfeed. 

b) Your hands form a C-shape that supports the base of your baby's head with the thumb and the index finger supporting the neck. 

Advantages:

It offers great support for newborns and preterm who are still learning to latch properly by allowing for greater control of the head

C] The Cradle hold: The cradle hold is the most common position and helps provide an enjoyable feeding and bonding experience for both of you. This is a natural and comfortable position once breastfeeding is well-established. 

Steps: 

Hold your baby on your arm, with his or her head just below the bend in your elbow and your arm supporting her bottom.

Advantages: 

It is comfortable, natural and intuitive for mothers. It is used when breastfeeding has been established. 

D] The under-arm or football hold: Yes, I know, this sounds strange! 😂 It's actually a breastfeeding position that holds many advantages.

Steps:

a) The baby is positioned beside the mother-tucked under her arm. A blanket or cushion under the baby may make him more comfortable. 

b) Her arm supports her baby's weight with the face towards her breast and the  nose opposite the nipples, 

c) Mother brings him to her breast with a quick arm movement. 

Advantages:

a) This position gives the mother a good view of her baby’s attachment. 

b) This position can be helpful for mothers with large breasts, after Caesarean births and for babies having difficulties attaching deeply.

c) This position also helps to deal with engorged breasts or sore nipples. 

d) It also helps  to prevent plugged ducts by positioning your baby to empty the bottom ducts –  You see it's a really great position 

E] Side lying position: The side-lying position is a breastfeeding position where both the mother and the baby lie on their sides.

Steps:

a) She positions her baby so that the baby  faces her with his nose level with the nipple.

b) Pull the baby close with your hand on his back. You can also use a roll up cushion to prevent your child from rolling over. 

Advantages:

This is a good position just after giving birth, at night, and after a caesarean delivery. 

ATTACHMENT

In breastfeeding, attachment refers to how the baby latches onto the breast to feed. It is the positioning of the baby’s mouth on the mother’s nipple and areola. Good attachment is important for the following reasons:

1.Ensures the baby gets enough milk.

2. Prevents nipple pain and damage for the mother.

3. Helps stimulate milk production through effective sucking.

Keys to Ensure Good Attachment 

1. Ensure to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.

2. Feed your baby when you notice hunger cues. You should be able to tell this by observation. You may notice motions such as sucking motions, or bringing hand to mouth, or turning head from side to side.

3. Proper positioning as explained earlier also serves as an important factor.

4. Align the baby's nose to the nipple. This stimulates a reflex that causes your baby to open her mouth like a yawn then, bring him quickly to the breast leading with the chin. 

5. A gentle push on the upper back may lead to deeper attachment.

6. Large round breasts may present with some challenges in deep attachment for young babies. To circumvent this, mothers can use their hands to shapen their breasts to fit into the babies mouth adequately 

Signs of good attachment include:

1. A comfortable experience with no pain.

2. More areola (darker, circular area of skin surrounding the nipple) is visible above your baby’s mouth than below

3. Your baby’s mouth is wide open

4. Their lower lip is turned out

5. Their chin is touching – or nearly touching – your breast and the nose is free.

Pheeeeeeew!!!!!! This has been a whole lot. Yet there is still a lot to come in the episodes to come on helping you have an easy breastfeeding experience - with the overall aim of seeing to it that you raise a Well Child!

In the next episode, we’ll be answering questions like: “How do I know if my child is getting enough breast milk? “ How do I know if my child is sucking well? ”

We love you dearly. Till then keep raising that Well Child. You can also get vital information on our social media channels on LinkedIn, Instagram and on Facebook.