Get your child to latch on

• Place your nipple between your baby’s upper lip and nose. 
• Help the baby to open its mouth wide by gently brushing her upper lip with your nipple or brush your baby's cheek with your nipple, which will make it turn toward the nipple with its mouth open.
• When your baby is rooting or looking for the breast with its mouth open, pull it to your breast. 
• Your baby’s lips should be around the breast. The best latch is when you do not feel any pain and the baby is feeding on milk.
• When the baby is latched on, its nose is pressed right up against the breast, and you see a straight line from its nose right down to their chin. That's how you know that you have a good latch.
• If the latch hurts, break the feeding process by inserting your little finger between your baby’s gums and your breast. Try again until you baby nurses contentedly.   

Positions to latch on

Cross-cradle position – This is the most common breastfeeding position for newborns. For this positioning sit up straight in a chair preferably with arm rests. Hold your baby crosswise in the crook of the arm opposite the breast you are feeding from; left arm for right breast, right arm for left. Support the baby’s trunk and head with your forearm and palm. Place your other hand beneath your breast in a U-shaped hold and guide the baby’s mouth to your breast. Do not bend over or lean forward. Instead, cradle your baby close to your breast.

Cradle hold – This position is good for older babies with better head control. The cradle hold is similar to the cross-cradle hold, but you support the baby with the arm on the same side as the nursing breast, rather than the opposite arm. As with the cross-cradle hold, sit up straight, preferably in a chair with armrests. Cradle your baby and rest his or her head in the crook of your elbow while he or she faces your breast. For extra support, you can place a pillow on your lap.

Football hold - This position is comfortable for a mother who has very large breasts, who has had a C-section or who have had premature or very tiny babies. Hold your baby at your side, with your elbow bent. With your open hand, support your baby’s head and face him or her toward your breast. Your baby's back will rest on your forearm. It may help to support your breast in a C-shaped hold with your other hand. For comfort, put a pillow on your lap and use a chair with broad, low arms.

Side-lying position – The position is good for nursing in bed. A lying position may help your baby latch on to your breast correctly in the early days of breast-feeding, especially after a C-section. It's also a good option when you are tired. Lie on your side and face your baby toward your breast, supporting him or her with the hand of the arm you're resting on. With your other arm and hand, grasp your breast and then touch your nipple to your baby's lips. Once your baby latches on, use the bottom arm to support your own head and your top hand and arm to help support the baby.

(Source: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, US)

Picture Credit: Daniel Jaeger Vendruscolo