Olidhealth.com – Experienced moms could do some breastfeeding positions to get a comfortable place. However, how about new moms who are first-timers? They may get confused choosing the best position to breastfeed their baby. Generally, there is no such good or bad position to breastfeeding, but in some cases, the baby might have a hard time getting latch on. Moreover, a newborn baby needs to get enough colostrum, the first yellow milk with high nutrients in the first month. Is there a way to make your baby latch properly? This article shows you the best breastfeeding position for a new mom. Keep reading to know more about a proper position for the baby to latch on you.
A Good Breastfeeding Position Promotes Good Baby Health
A good latch breastfeeding would provide fine pouring into their child. However, this claim is hard to be proven because of few studies that linked baby health and position during breastfeeding. Moreover, some variants of breastfeeding positions may be more beneficial for some moms than others since the baby may have various preferences positions in later months.
Some people also believe that more skin-to-skin positions could improve hormones to make more maternal milk. There is also another benefit of breastfeeding both moms and babies such as relieving stress in mom and giving plenty of nutrition for the baby. Moreover, some breastfeeding techniques considering to have benefits for baby health as long as it is comfortable for both baby and moms [1].
It’s also fine to change breastfeeding positions regularly. Try some proper positions for latching to get a more comfy zone and relieve stress both of mom and baby that could improve their health [2].
The Best Breastfeeding Position For a New Mom In General
The breastfeeding position for new moms is challenging since they have no experience with that. They should find the natural way to obtain a comfort zone for both babies and moms. After all, the position also depends on the body shape and posture of each new mom and the baby. For example, plus-size moms are good for lying-related positions, newborns that have difficulty with latching should have cross-cradle positions, and many more. These are selected breastfeeding positions for the new moms that you can try.
Side-Lying Breastfeeding Position
This position is the best for the first-timers since you can do it leisurely on your bed while keeping properly watching your baby. How to do this is just lie down on your side and latch the baby properly with your free hand to hold it. If you get C-section, this breastfeeding position is good to improve wound recovery after delivery. Some moms say that this position is good to latch on breastfeeding easily.
Moreover, a mom with a large breast could use this position to give space and attention to the baby during breastfeeding since other positions could smother the baby. You can add some pillow if your arm gets a cramp and hold up the baby in place.
Cradle Hold Position
Every mom could do this position since it’s a basic breastfeeding position to be known. This breastfeeding position needs to hold your baby with the hand on that same side breast. Moreover, the new mom should be in an upright position while doing this. If it’s hard to hold in one hand, you can add a pillow as a cushion for the baby.
This breastfeeding position is good with newborn babies since they have a small weight. However, be careful to not lift it too high because it may strain your back and have an incorrect latch that could hurt your nipple. If you have C-section, we do not recommend this position because it will scrub the wound underbelly and felt pain if added some weight on it, try another position that doesn’t trigger your after-C-section pain.
Cross-cradle Breastfeeding Position
This breastfeeding is another common position for babies that are too small and has difficulty latching on. Moreover, it’s like cradle position but with the opposite hand to hold the baby. For example, if your baby latch in the left breast, hold the baby with the right arm on their neck up to head. It also usually uses a pillow to hold up since it will weary your arm if too long.
The benefit of this breastfeeding position is getting a free hand to follow up on baby needs. It can help to latch breastfeeding into a baby’s lips efficiently. Moreover, you could help control pressure on the breast to release more milk.
Laid-back Breastfeeding Position
This breastfeeding position is a famous way for baby to get their milk with their own will after delivery. This position also has another name such as recline position or biological nurturing position since it’s a natural position for humans to breastfeed the baby in this way.
Put your baby in your stomach and let the baby crawl to get breast milk. Add a cushion to elevate your back since it is not good to do it in a flat position. If your baby has difficulty reaching the breast, you could gently support it to get proper latch breastfeeding.
This position could have assimilated benefit both baby and mom. Mom’s body temperature will keep up with the baby if you do this with skin-to-skin contact. Moreover, it also improves affection between them that reduces the risk of postpartum depression. You can put your baby across you while taking this breastfeeding position if you have a cesarean to avoid direct contact with your incision.
Upright Hold Position
Putting your baby on your thigh and supporting the baby’s back is one way to do this breastfeeding position. Moreover, this technique has another name like koala hold position since it is like a koala that embraces your tummy to get a proper latch.
This breastfeeding position has many benefits for a baby with weak muscle since you could freely help the baby to latch directly to your nipple. Baby with reflux is also good with this upright breastfeeding method because it could keep stomach acid in place and prevent its leaking caused by a laid down position. For moms with small breasts, this position is good to give the perfect latch for the baby during breastfeeding since side-lying have a weak latch on.
Football Breastfeeding Position
This position is good for moms who recover from a cesarean because it doesn’t press the wound directly. If you have twin babies, do this technique can breastfeed both your baby at some time with ease. All you can do is put your baby like holding a rugby ball along your side. Moreover, you have full control to support the baby during latch breastfeeding. You can do this in a chair that has an armrest or on the bed with an additional cushion to keep your baby stay close to have a good latch.
This breastfeeding position is flexible to be done with newborn or premature babies. Moreover, moms with large breasts are also good with this method. However, be mindful to keep watching the baby during breastfeeding and adjust the height of your baby since a large breast could suffocate the baby.
Supported Hold Position With Sling
This position is the best public breastfeeding since it can be done as long as you have a sling. If your baby is old enough, you can try this breastfeeding position. It may be difficult at first to use a sling for a new mom for holding the baby and worry about its safety if doesn’t have used properly. However, once you can do this, every house chore while breastfeeding your baby becomes easier. The sling supported the overall weight into your shoulder and you get a free hand to do your activities.
Though it’s a convenient position, don’t use this breastfeeding position for babies below 3 months. Wait until your baby could hold her head up and tuck her lips to the nipple by herself. Moreover, this position could have a proper position for latching since your hand could aid the baby to get good latch breastfeeding. Combine with cradle hold or koala hold position could find your cozy position both baby and new mom.
Raise The Difficulty of Breastfeeding Positions
If you have mastered 7 basic positions to breastfeed, you can go to the next difficulty. We encourage new moms to take another level of breastfeeding position. This section isn’t just for new moms, but every mom that may have difficulty while breastfeeding the baby in some cases. The baby may be hyperactive with kicking and pushing, can’t stay in one place, and have a difficult position to breastfeed. There are some positions that could be done if the conventional position can’t help it.
- Inverted laid-back breastfeeding position – It has the same way you do with laid-back position, but your baby has an inverted position. It may be latch off easily and prone to have nipple pain. However, It works well on a large breast mom that has a hyperactive baby.
- Dangle breastfeeding position – This position is a modification method from the side-lying position. The difference is in the way the baby gets the breast at its own will. Don’t support it with your hand and encourage the baby by dangling in front of it. However, this position will strain your back if too long. Use this breastfeeding position occasionally as a variant to breastfeed your baby.
- Dancing hand breastfeeding position – This is just an improvement to help the breast release more maternal milk. You could use this position as long as you have a free hand to play with your baby. This breastfeeding position is also well combined with a laid-back position and cross-cradle position.
Problem That Commonly Happens During Breastfeeding For New Mom
Breastfeeding isn’t easy for new moms since it’s their first experiment to do that. When it’s time to get breastfeed their baby, new moms need to learn how to have good latching to avoid pain. Moreover, several factors such as how large your breast, inverted nipple, and how to get comfortable breastfeeding season would affect the baby to get maternal milk [2]. Some tips for proper breastfeeding positions may help you to gain confidence in your baby and get a comfortable season.
When to Change Breastfeeding Position
A new mom in the first delivery may have fluctuating hormones that could change your body shape, especially in the breast. At a later time, the breast may be getting big and could harm your baby during breastfeeding. Changing positions could provide better latching and give some space for your baby.
For example, upright breastfeeding positions are basically out of option for large breasts since it’s hard to get a good latch. While side-lying or football positions are a good choice to watch your baby properly. We recommended holding your breast during breastfeeding with a hand or supported item to minimize the pressure against the baby’s face, especially on lips and chin.
The baby also could feel uncomfortable and cry if don’t get proper position for latching throughout breastfeeding season. Change the position occasionally to make your baby comfortable and get enough breast milk.
Tips To Have a Good Latch in Breastfeeding
It’s meaningless if you understand how to do breastfeeding position without knowing proper latch breastfeed. It is important to provide efficient breastmilk and nutrition to the baby [3]. There are some tips and step for latching breastfeeding for mom to make sure your baby gets enough of maternal milk.
- Encourage the baby to open up her mouth by tickling her lips or nose with nipples.
- Precisely aim the top lip and push it into the baby’s mouth until lips turn out.
- Fill up her lips with her breast (not just the nipple) until its latch on and seal off perfectly.
- If the breastmilk leaked out or feels sore nipple, it means the latch is incomplete and you can redo it and try again.
If you get the proper position for latching, you will receive some health benefits like avoiding pain during breastfeeding and your baby can get proper breast milk. The proper latch also prevents excess gas in your baby that can make her gassy. Moreover, it is cute to have your baby’s lips turn out and furiously smooch your milk.
Conclusion
For some new moms, trying to have a good breastfeeding position is quite challenging since there is more variant to do it. However, there is also limited condition to do some positions. Mom’s body shape and with the baby’s preferred position may be hard to have a good position at first but along with the time, they will build up close feelings to get their preferred position.
The laid-back position is a well-started pack to do breastfeeding for newborns. As time passed, you could find variations of breastfeeding to keep up with baby needs as long as your know how to have a good latch breastfeeding. Hopefully, some tips in these articles could help new moms to have the best breastfeeding position and proper latch to support the baby’s growth.
Reference
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3159232/ – Effective breastfeeding position study in Lybia.
[2] https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-018-0147-z – Proper breastfeeding position raise awareness of nutrition need for baby.
[3] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332261452 – Good practice breastfeeding position and latching in Ethiopia promote good health for baby.