Better Health Centre |+| Breastfeeding Positions

How to find the best Breastfeeding positions.

The first few weeks of breastfeeding have been said to be a few of the toughest a new mother will experience. Not only will feeding seem frequent, but adjusting to different techniques can cause painful or sore nipples. Some new mothers even get nipple infections from this. Learning the proper position to breastfeed the baby can be a key factor for new mothers to prevent these problems.

One position that is commonly recommended to mothers is called the cradle hold.

This hold can be easily achieved by using nursing pillows, or other pillows to make your baby level with the mother's nipple. A mother can also use the pillows to rest her elbows. When using the cradle hold, the mother should support her breast by forming a "U" or a "C" with her hand and cupping it around the breast she intends to use for nursing. If the mother has the baby in the proper position, his head should rest gently against her forearm, and his back along her inner arm and palm. When she looks down at her baby, she should see his side.

When a baby is ready to latch onto his mother's breast, his mouth should cover approximately a half inch of her nipple. His ears, shoulders, and hips should be parallel to the mother's lap. Both the baby's head and buttocks should be level with one another when his mother is using the cradle hold to breastfeed him.

When breastfeeding, it is important to vary your positions periodically.

A good variation of the cradle hold, is the cross cradle hold. The cross cradle hold can provide the same ease as the cradle hold, but many breastfeeding mothers report having more control during feeding with the cross cradle hold. As with the first position described, the baby can be supported with nursing pillows across his mother's lap to make him level with his mother's nipple. With the cross cradle position, the baby's head should rest gently in his mother's hand, between her thumb and her index finger. The rest of her hand should be placed between her baby's shoulders. When the baby opens his mouth to receive his mother's breast, the baby should be gently moved forward, and as with the cradle hold, the baby's mouth will likely cover approximately a half an inch of his mother's nipple.

There are numerous breastfeeding positions recommended by women worldwide including:

• clutch or football hold
• side lying positions
• and many others

If a new mother has difficulty positioning her baby to be fed, she should contact a lactation specialist. A lactation specialist can also help determine a breastfeeding technique that works best for both mother and baby.