A good breastfeeding latch: how to tell your baby is latched well

Getting ready: position before the latch

Before your baby latches, get comfortable yourself. Support your back and arms with pillows so you don't lean over your baby. Bring your baby to the breast, not the breast to your baby.

• Your baby's tummy is against your tummy.
• Head, shoulders and body are in a straight line, without the head turned to the side.
• Your baby's nose is level with your nipple.
• Hold your baby at the neck and shoulders, not the back of the head, so they can tilt their head back freely.

Step by step: how your baby latches

1. Lightly touch your baby's upper lip with your nipple so they open their mouth.
2. Wait until they open their mouth really wide, like a yawn.
3. Bring them quickly to the breast. The chin touches the breast first, then the lower lip.
4. The lower lip lands well away from the nipple, so the nipple goes deep into the mouth, towards the roof of the mouth.

This is called an asymmetric latch: your baby takes more areola into their mouth from below than from above. The nipple shouldn't be in the centre of the mouth but higher up, towards the palate, where it isn't squeezed and doesn't hurt.

Signs of a good latch

• The mouth is wide open and the lips are turned outwards, not tucked in.
• The chin touches the breast and the nose is free to breathe.
• The cheeks are round and full, not sucked in.
• More areola is visible above the upper lip than below the lower lip.
• Sucking starts with quick movements and then becomes slower and rhythmic, with short pauses. You hear or see your baby swallowing.
• The sucking movement can be seen up to your baby's ear or temple.
• There are no clicking or smacking sounds.
• Your baby seems calm and lets go of the breast on their own at the end.

When the latch isn't right

A light pull in the first few seconds can be normal. But if the pain continues throughout the feed, the latch is usually shallow.

• Feeding hurts or your nipple gets damaged.
• After the feed the nipple comes out flattened, slanted or shaped like a new lipstick, instead of round.
• Your baby's cheeks are sucked in or you hear clicking.
• Your baby feeds for a very long time, seems unsatisfied after feeds or doesn't wet enough nappies.

To take your baby off without pain, slip a clean little finger into the corner of their mouth to break the suction, then take them off the breast and try again. It's better to try several times than to continue with a latch that hurts.

When to ask for help

Talk to your midwife, doctor or a lactation consultant if the pain doesn't ease after a few days, if your nipple is cracked or bleeding, if your baby isn't gaining weight or wets few nappies, or if your baby can't latch at all. Sometimes the cause is a tight tongue tie or the shape of the nipple, and with help it can be solved.

Sources

• NHS: Breastfeeding positioning and attachment
• WHO: Breastfeeding