Latching and Milk Transfer
A good latch is key to a successful breastfeeding relationship . A good latch should be comfortable for you and effective at transferring milk to the baby . Toward the back of the roof of baby ’ s mouth , the hard palate changes to a soft palate . Your baby needs to take in enough breast tissue so that the nipple goes to the soft palate . Generally , this means taking most or all of the areola into the mouth , and not just the end of the nipple . Trying to breastfeed with a shallow latch will cause you pain and frustrate both you and your baby .
Latching and Feeding
Transferring Milk
Several days after birth when your milk volume increases , you may notice changes in the way baby breastfeeds . When your baby first attaches to the breast , initial sucking can seem choppy , have a lot of tongue movement and look like nibbling . This initial suckling triggers your let-down reflex , which causes milk to flow freely into baby ’ s mouth .
Once milk is flowing , baby will usually switch to a deep , rhythmic sucking with pauses . As baby drinks , you can see their jaw or ears moving and hear quiet swallowing .
Preview
In the beginning , it can be difficult to tell if baby is latched well . Use these tips to help :
No Bottles or Pacifiers
• When latching , baby ’ s mouth should open very wide ( as pictured to the left ). They should take in a large amount of areola , with their lips flared out ( as pictured above ).
While breastfeeding , their tongue curls around
• Baby ’ s chin should touch the breast and their head should be tipped back slightly .
• If the latch is painful or shallow , break the suction by pressing on baby ’ s cheek at the corner of the lips , then take baby off the breast and begin again .
• When a good latch is established , continue to support baby ’ s neck and back and keep their body close . Use pillows to support your arms and back .
• Feed for as long as baby shows interest and is actively nursing . When activity slows , offer the other breast . Some babies will be satisfied with just one breast at a feeding .
• It is common for a nursing blister to form on the middle of a breastfed newborn ’ s upper lip . This does not indicate poor latching . Often this will simply flake off and a new one will form in its place . Long-term or severe blistering may need attention from a lactation professional .
Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding involve different positions and actions of your baby ’ s tongue .
the bottom of the nipple and pulls it deep into the mouth . The tongue works in a wave-like action to move milk from the breast . With bottles , the tongue is toward the back of the mouth and works to squeeze milk from the nipple .
Because of these differences , the use of a bottle ( or pacifier ) during the first few weeks of breastfeeding can cause challenges with latching ( sometimes called nipple confusion ). These challenges may include difficulty moving milk or a painful latch . It is recommended that you avoid using artificial nipples until breastfeeding is well established ( at least four to six weeks ).
Breastfeeding Your Baby 9