Breastfeeding your baby: step-by-step

Ensuring that your baby attaches properly to your breast can help to ensure a comfortable, successful feed.

Positioning

first of all, make sure you are comfortable – do whatever works for you. Hold your baby’s whole body turned towards you and tucked in very close with her head at the level of your breast
point your nipple towards your baby’s nose
allow her head to tilt back, and if she is ready to feed, her mouth will open. You can encourage this by gently rubbing your nipple across her mouth
when her mouth is wide open, bring her to your breast, with her head still tilted back.

Attachment

Your baby needs a good mouthful of breast as well as nipple to help her feed effectively.

She should have a good portion of your breast below the nipple in her mouth.

Signs that your baby is well attached:

her mouth is wide open
her cheeks are full and rounded
her chin is pressed into your breast
you should be able to see more areola (the circle of darker skin surrounding your nipple) above your baby’s top lip than below her bottom lip
she begins to feed right away with rhythmic sucks and swallows that may be rapid to start with
breastfeeding should be comfortable and pain free
your nipple is the same shape at the end of the feed as at the beginning.

The sleepy, reluctant feeder

All babies are different, but as a general guide, your baby should feed at least 6 times in 24 hours. Some babies are reluctant feeders and need encouragement to ensure that they feed often enough, and that they get enough milk.

Reasons for reluctant feeding include:

a mum who has had a lot of sedation or a long and difficult birth
a mum who is missing feeding cues
a baby who is premature or jaundiced
on rare occasions, a baby who is unwell.

If your baby is sleepy and reluctant to feed in the first few days you should speak to your midwife. In the meantime, you should express at least 6-8 times in a 24-hour period to build up your milk supply and prevent engorgement.