Breastfeeding will be so much easier if you go in knowing just how to help your baby latch on. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not an instinct for the baby to just know how to latch.
And it’s certainly not as easy as just sticking your baby on the boob and letting them suckle. It takes a very specific technique and not knowing this technique can lead to serious consequences.
Not understanding how to latch could cause horrible sore nipples that feel like they’re on fire, frustration for both you and your baby, milk that comes in late, or a low supply right from the start.
***Want Breastfeeding Freebies?! You can get them with the coupon code ” Thislittlenest22 ” that was created with each company just for my readers. Yes! They’re really free so check it out!!
Breastfeeding Pillow Nursing cover Nursing band Reusable breast pads
Read the full post here on how to get even more pregnancy freebies.
So it’s important to go in knowing what you’re doing. Also, you cannot rely on the hospital staff helping you out. Sometimes they can help but at other facilities, you might find they’d just rather stick a bottle in the baby’s mouth and not be bothered by your attempts at breastfeeding. Sad but true.
I’m going to give you some helpful information below but the best way to learn to breastfeed is to take a quick and cheap Breastfeeding course that uses video to demonstrate the exact technique you need.
There’s a video course called Milkology that’s only $19 and it will teach you everything you need to know in less than three hours. It’s a very popular course and many women have found great success with it. You can see it here. She also has a pumping course and you can find that here.
I also have a free breastfeeding Course you can sign up for below:
Ok, let’s go over how to get the perfect latch every time.
*You may also be interested in The One thing I did that helped me breastfeed the first few weeks with NO pain.
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How To Get The Perfect Latch Right Away
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Begin By helping your baby get his ( or her ) mouth wide open. Then You’ll place your nipple in the baby’s mouth.
Here’s how:
- move baby toward the breast, touch top lip against the nipple
- move mouth away just a bit then touch top lip against nipple again, move away again
- repeat until your baby opens her mouth very wide in a receiving way
- When he opens his mouth wide with the chin dropped and tongue down, he should latch on to the nipple.
- Put his lower lip on the very bottom of your nipple an put it in his mouth.
- Try to get as much of the lower portion of the areola (the area around the nipple) in the baby’s mouth.
- The baby’s chin should indent the lower portion of your breast.
- She should have a large portion of nipple and areola in her mouth from the bottom lip up.
***Taking a prenatal course is the single most proactive thing you can do to prepare your body and mind for what’s to come. There’s a great online course you can take in the comfort of your home that was created by a labor and delivery nurse named Hillary. It’s very popular and the first part of it is totally free. You can sign up for free right here.
Must Read: 5 Things That Happen When You Have An Epidural That Know One Tells You About
5 Painful Ways You’re Making Your Labor Worse
And 18 Pregnancy Hacks That Will Change Your Life
And The 6 best Ways To Induce Labor Naturally At Home
It sounds a bit confusing to understand so here’ s diagram to help you see what I mean.
And here’s a side photo of a beautiful baby with a very wide, deep latch to give you a more in-depth look.
{ Check out my Pinterest Breastfeeding Board here for TONS of info and make sure you follow me for more great stuff! }
I’m Afraid It Will Still Hurt Some
I’m not going to sugar coat it, Even with a good latch you are going to get really sore in the very beginning, But it’s not as bad as some might have you believe.
For the first few weeks when the baby latches on it will burn pretty intensely, but the good news is that it fades after about 20 seconds and you won’t feel that pain again until the next feeding. If you don’t get that latch right from the beginning this pain will go on and on and that’s when most moms give up. Don’t be that mom.
Again, taking a quick course online is the best way to prepare.
Related Posts:
- One thing that I did that saved me from Breastfeeding Pain
- Your Third Trimester To Do List~
- These companies will give you $300 worth of free baby stuff and it’s not samples either!
- How to get your baby to sleep through the night so you don’t lose your mind
- How to survive postpartum pain without crying
After a few weeks, the pain will fade completely. It’s well worth it despite the burn you feel and most mamas endure it well.
With all that being said, there are some really great ways to help minimize breastfeeding pain. You don’t need to suffer so don’t!
Here are a few things that will REALLY help.
Medela Hydro-Gel Breast pads are an absolute must! These are so very comforting and cooling to and they work like a charm. Y These Gel Pads from Lansinoh are really great too.
Breast shells and nipple shields will also minimize the pain you feel great so you’ll be able to concentrate on helping your babe more.
This information should get you headed in the right direction. But again, there’s a lot to learn about breastfeeding and getting a deep latch so make sure you are fully educated going in to save yourself from pain and disappointment.
I hope this helps!
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