The Perfect Latch Part 2: Getting Prepared to Latch

Helping your baby to acheive a perfect latch makes breastfeeding so much more enjoyable for you and your baby. Let's break down the steps needed to prepare for that perfect latch.

Step #1. Get your self comfortable. Ensure you are using some pillows, rolled up blankets, armrests, etc to ensure you do not have strain on your body. You may need a foot stool if sitting up and feet don't touch the floor.

Why is my position important?

• The nerves that innervate the breast are located at the base of your neck and across your shoulder area. Lack of support on your extremities puts strain on this part of your body, making it more difficult for milk to flow.

Step #2. Massage your breasts. Take a minute or two to gently massage all around your breasts, using your fingertips, a fist, or your whole hand.

Why is breast massage important?

• Gentle breast massage helps your body to relax, increasing oxytocin, the hormone responsible for milk release and let-downs. Oxytocin also plays an important role in adding fat to your milk and preventing post partum blues.

Step #3. Stimulate your nipples (gentle rubbing, rolling or tugging but not pinching) for a minute or two. This part is often overlooked but maybe the most important.

Why is nipple stimulation important?

• Comfortable nipple stimulation is the driving force of increasing prolactin levels, the hormone responsible for producing milk.

Step #4. Hand express, using correct technique.

Why is hand expressing before latching important?

• Your baby has to suck without getting milk for several minutes until you have a let-down. Getting milk flowing first helps newborns realize milk is available if they suck, and it makes it much less frustrating for those babies who also receive bottle feedings.

• To create positive pressure in the back of the breast. Fluid flows from areas of high pressure (back of breast where lobules of alveoli are) to areas of low pressure (air at tip of nipple). This causes milk to flow without much effort on your part.

  
  

  What is Correct Hand Expression Technique?

• Fingers should be 1.5-2 inches/ 3.5-5 cm from base of nipple. Feel for the back of the lobules, which contain clusters of alveoli, where milk is made.

• Press back into the breast to get just behind the lobules, bring fingers together, gently squeezing the breast, and release. Keep hand expressing, moving hands around to stimulate all lobules until milk begins to flow out.

• Do not slide fingers forward toward your nipple. While you may immediately see milk at your nipple tip when squeezing close to the nipple, the milk ducts get compressed and closed off, making milk flow much more difficult until they can expand again. Very different than having milk flow and expanding the milk ducts.

Step # 5. Position baby correctly.

• If your baby is a newborn, they should be skin-to-skin with you for feedings. This helps regulate their temperature and helps boost your oxytocin levels.

• Your baby's head should always be higher than their body.

• Their ear, shoulder and hip should all be in a straight line, like you are when standing.

• They should be on their side, facing you with their head tipped back sightly like drinking from a cup. You will have to support their shoulders and a small amount of their neck, but do not hold the back of the head.

Why is positioning your baby important?

• To prevent choking and help with swallowing

• To stop your baby's latch from sliding down to your nipple during feeding

• To enable your baby's natural reflexes the awaken

Why is positioning difficult at times?

• The whole front of your baby's body (except for their face) needs to be touching you. This becomes challenging depending on:

  • How much space there is between your breasts and your belly (not as much immediately postpartum)

  • Whether you are wearing a bra to support your breasts

  • If you are sitting in a chair, on a couch, or up in bed

  • Whether there is an arm rest at an appropriate height, or not at the correct height, or no arm rest

  • If you are using a breastfeeding pillow or other pillows or rolled blankets/towels for support. Breastfeeding pillows are very challenging to use in the newborn stage as it is hard to angle so head is higher than body and hard to have all of the front of your baby's body touching you.

Now that you are prepared to latch, the actual latch itself should be much easier.