Proper Latch On
Successful breastfeeding starts with a proper latch on. Remember that proper latch on techniques are relatively easy to learn and informing yourself is the first step. Also, your baby’s face is designed by nature to breastfeed—babies have a snub nose and receding chin that make breastfeeding a success!
Open Wide
Find a comfortable breastfeeding
position. The first step to proper latch on is getting your
baby to open her mouth. Gently tickle her lower lip with your nipple.
Your baby is ingrained with a reflex that will cause her to open her mouth.
As soon as she opens up, put your breast into her mouth. Move fast, because
in a second she’ll close her mouth!
Remember that when you’re putting your breast in her mouth, she needs to suckle on the areola, not just the nipple. This is because for successful breastfeeding, your baby needs to clamp down on the sinuses found behind the areola to stimulate the milk to come out. How much of the areola should the baby suckle on? About an inch radius behind the nipple; the nipple should be hitting the back of the throat.
Make A Fish Mouth
As your baby is breastfeeding, her mouth should be making a ‘fish
mouth.’ This means her lips need to be everted. If the lips are
not everted, then gently press on her chin to make her lip pop out. You
can also use the index finger on the hand supporting the breast to gently
pull out her lip.
Proper Breathing
Your baby should be able to breathe out the sides of her nose. If you
find out that she’s not breathing properly, then hold back some
of your breast tissue from her face with your one free hand.
Follow these steps and you’re on your way to happy and successful breast feeding!
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