Your baby’s latch may have seemed fine for the first few days or even weeks of breastfeeding, but suddenly, you’re experiencing discomfort or your baby’s not feeding well. This could mean your baby has a shallow latch and your baby needs to get a deep latch. But how can you do that?! In this article we discuss latching properly breastfeeding, my favorite breastfeeding latch trick, breastfeeding latch flat nipples, breastfeeding latch pain, how to get a good latch breastfeeding, and how to get a deeper latch breastfeeding!
Is Breastfeeding Latch Pain Normal?
Pain while breastfeeding is a common indicator for a bad latch.
However, many women do notice pain that peaks around the third day postpartum that goes away within two weeks. Some professionals say this is normal, while others, like myself, think this is an issue that can be resolved with a lactation consultant.
I think that this span of discomfort with breastfeeding that many women experience is due to a latch problem and that it only resolves through the baby growing bigger, including their jaws, and becoming better able to nurse in the positions they are put into.
For example, many people assume only the cradle breastfeeding position when this is usually quite difficult for a small newborn to handle.
Instead, check out and try the laid-back nursing position, Australian posture, cross-cradle, and football hold in 7 Breastfeeding Positions Every New Mom Should Know!
Further, if it’s not the positioning that’s the problem, learning how to get a good latch breastfeeding, then, checking for a tongue tie would be the following steps.
Abnormal pain with breastfeeding may also include:
- Pain that continues throughout the entire feeding.
- Pain between feedings.
- Skin damage such as cracks, blisters, or bleeding
- Your nipple looks flattened, creased, or pinched immediately after feeding
- Pain that continues past the first couple of weeks
How to Get a Good Latch Breastfeeding
The acronym C.H.I.N.S. is a great way to learn and remember how to get a good latch breastfeeding!
This acronym was developed by Dr. Lynette Shotton explains what to do when preparing to breastfeed. C.H.I.N.S. stands for:
- Close
- Head free
- In-line
- Nose to nipple
- Sustainable
C: Close
Bring your baby close to your body so they don’t have to stretch to reach your breast.
If your baby needs to stretch to reach your breast, this is setting them up for a shallow latch that can cause you pain.
I like to tell mothers to envision their baby’s head and neck in a “smelling rose” posture to ensure they are close, but not too close either because when smelling a rose one’s neck is just comfortably elongated.
H: head free
While supporting your baby’s neck, shoulders, and back, keep your hands off of their head to ensure they can move it as needed while latching and breastfeeding.
i: in line
Ensure your baby’s head is in line with the rest of their body, from their head to their shoulders, shoulders to tummy, and tummy to bum.
Further, while their body is in line, their tummy should be facing yours. I call this “tummy to mummy.”
n: nose to nipple
Before your baby opens their mouth to latch onto your breast, bring their nose in line with your nipple so that when they latch, they can open and take in an adequate amount of your breast.
This technique also helps them to take in more of the bottom of your breast than the top, which is how an optimal latch should be.
If you came here wondering, “how to get a deeper latch breastfeeding?” This is an essential trick to do that!
s: sustainable
Ensure your positioning feels comfortable and you are relaxed for the feeding. If you find yourself needing to relax your arms and shoulders try to utilize pillows! I enjoyed using the Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow for the cradle and cross-cradle holds. Plus, the Boppy pillow has other uses as your baby grows for things such as propping and sitting up!
However, whether you’re using a breastfeeding pillow or not, it may take some time to find breastfeeding positions that work for you and your baby. This is normal and probably more common than you think!
Check out 7 Breastfeeding Positions Every New Mom Should Know!
Signs You Have Found a Good Latch Breastfeeding
Some signs that you have found a good breastfeeding position include:
- Your breasts are hanging naturally
- Your baby can latch on well
- It doesn’t cause any strain to you or your baby
What a Good Breastfeeding Latch Looks Like
When your baby is well attached for breastfeeding, their:
- Chin touches your breast
- Mouth is flanged open and you can see the wet seals of the inside of their lips
- Cheeks are round and full, not sucked in or dimpled
- Sucks are slower and longer
Plus, you’ll feel a strong, drawing sensation and you won’t hear slurping or clicking sounds. Furthermore, they will show fullness cues when they finish feeding!
Fullness cues include:
- Letting go of the nipple
- Turning their head to the side
- No longer sucking or taking long pauses between sucks and swallows
- Falling asleep
- Baby’s body is relaxed, hands unclenched
Signs Your Baby Is NOT Properly Attached
If your baby isn’t well attached:
- feeding may be painful
- their sucks are short
- their cheeks are drawn in and dimpled
- if baby’s lips are not flanged out
- they are restless and keep coming off the breast
- clicking sounds
- if your nipple looks creased or compressed when baby comes off your breast
- if your nipple is discolored after feeding
Breastfeeding Latch with Flat Nipples
If you have flat or inverted nipples, check out Chapter 10: Breastfeeding Hurdles in the Balanced Breastfeeding Course to figure out which grade you have, things to consider, and 8 tips that can help!
Research has found that “Mothers who are knowledgeable about breastfeeding and hold a positive approach towards breastfeeding have the tendency to initiate breastfeeding and continue for a lengthened period” [1].
The Balanced Breastfeeding Course with 280 minutes of education and video demonstration with 160+ easy-to-follow PDF Pages plus photo demonstrations! This course fills the gap in our maternity care system, addressing everything you need to know to have a successful breastfeeding relationship.
Questions or Comments on “How to Overcome a Latch Breastfeeding Problem”
I hope this helps you and your baby navigate achieving a position and attachment for breastfeeding that is comfortable for both you and your baby!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below👇🏻
Talk soon, mama!
– Katelyn Lauren
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References:
[1] Kehinde J, O’Donnell C, Grealish A. The effectiveness of prenatal breastfeeding education on breastfeeding uptake postpartum: A systematic review. Midwifery. 2022 Dec 14;118:103579. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2022.103579. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36580847.
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