Breastfeeding 101: Get the latch to get the milk
Breastfeeding is a goal many expectant mothers set for themselves early on in pregnancy. It can be so hard to find accurate and quality information in our electronic based world. We are here to help! How your baby latches is one of the most important things to learn on your breastfeeding journey to make it successful and joyful.
Breastfeeding may be natural, but it is a learned skill. You and your baby have to learn together what feels best. Like learning a dance, it may be challenging, or you might step on a few toes first, but you will find a rhythm that works for you and your baby.
The latch is one of the most important things to learn about breastfeeding, as this will help to support the remainder of your journey with your baby. It is also one of the most important things to help support your supply and to make sure that baby is efficiently transferring milk to get enough calories and adequate nutrition for growth. Breastmilk supply is largely based on supply and demand. Meaning, the movement of milk cues the body to continue to make more milk. Good attachment or latch, results in the transfer of milk, therefore increasing and supporting milk production.
Before we get to the latch, we need to think about positioning. There are many ways to position yourself and your baby while breastfeeding, however there are several key components to watch for when thinking about positioning.
Baby’s belly should be turned towards and touching Mom’s belly
Baby’s ear, shoulder, hip and knee should all be in a straight line.
Baby’s hands/arms should be around Mom’s breast.
There are several reasons that we need baby to have the positioning above. When Mom and baby’s bellies are touching, they are close to each other, and Mom can have a supportive hold on baby. It also allows for baby to be positioned in a neutral position and for their ear, shoulder, hip and knee to align more easily. We need this alignment for optimal positioning of the airway, esophagus and swallowing muscles for safe and efficient eating. Have you ever tried to swallow a drink with your head turned to the side? It’s not very easy. Last, baby’s arms and hands around the breast may seem like they’re in the way and make it difficulty to see, however your baby instinctually knows to massage and knead at the breast to assist in the milk ejection reflex and to help the milk flow more easily out of the breast.
Next: The latch
With baby properly positioned, the steps needed to successfully latch can happen much more naturally and easily. When opening their mouth, baby will automatically tilt their head backwards to open their mouth very wide. It is important to support baby’s shoulders and neck but to not impede the movement of their backward head tilt. When their mouth is at the widest, bring baby close to the breast. Their bottom lip should reach the areola first. Then, the top lip will come to the breast and create a seal around the breast tissue. It is important to note that not only the nipple is in baby’s mouth, also some of the areola will be in baby’s mouth.
Once feeding, Mom should feel a light tugging sensation, but it should NOT be painful. Pain is a sign of a poor latch, or poor movement in the tongue. Other signs of a poor latch include; nipple shaped by the latch (may look like a tube of lipstick), pain or discomfort with nursing, sore nipple, cracked or bleeding nipples, blisters on baby’s lips, unlatching frequently during a feeding, falling asleep at breast before the baby would be full, baby getting frustrated at the breast, noisy feeding including clicking or smacking sounds.
When should you seek help?
Knowing when to get help can be challenging. You will hear many opinions on breastfeeding, and get lots of well meaning advice. Signs that you should seek help and talk to a professional include: limited tongue movement (up, out and side to side), narrow mouth opening, or consistent shallow latch, head turn preferences, increased spit ups, poor milk production, clogged ducts, mastitis, excessive gassiness, hiccups, bloated belly or pain with nursing.
Our OTs are also Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs).