Breastfeeding Latch Tricks Every Mother Should Know
Symptoms of a poor latch: Before we believe the breastfeeding latch trick, first you need to know whether you’re actually dealing with a poor latch. The top sign is nipple pain, usually because your baby is chewing on your nipple instead of gumming the areola. Ditto if you hear clicking noises, which indicate the baby’s not latched on properly (and is likely only sucking the nipple). Sometimes your baby is so eager to suck that she grabs onto any part of the breast and continues to suck even if no milk is forthcoming, leaving a painful bruise. Other signs of poor latch include your baby fussing, chewing, rooting and gaping, or even turning red because she’s so frustrated.
What is a proper breastfeeding latch? A proper latch can be tricky to nail down at first, but it’s key to ramping up your milk production and keeping your baby well-fed. A good latch encompasses both the nipple and the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple), so that the milk ducts around the areola are compressed to begin milk flow. When your baby is latched on correctly, you’ll know it: her chin and tip of her nose are touching your breast, her lips are flanged out (like a fish) instead of being tucked in, and she falls right into the rhythmic suck-swallow-breath pattern of suckling.
How to fix a poor breastfeeding latch: Practice (and a bit of help from an expert) really will make perfect. Get into the right breastfeeding position, then compress your areola between your fingers. Tickle baby’s cheek to stimulate the rooting reflex, which gets her to open wide, then bring your baby right up to the breast. When she latches on, her mouth should cover the nipple and the areola (though it may not cover all of it if yours is larger), and her chin and nose should touch your breast with her lips flaying outward.
If you’re not sure if your baby is properly latched, don’t be afraid to break the seal. Put your finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth and pull your breast out. Try again until you get a seal with both the nipple and the areola covered.
To make sure you’re doing it right, watch this breastfeeding latch video.
