Breastfeeding positions: a good latch is the secret to feeding without pain

Breastfeeding is "natural", yes — but it's also a skill you and your baby learn together, step by step. It's entirely normal for the beginnings to stumble a little, and to need a few tries before you find the position that's comfortable for you both. The good news? Most of the difficulties of the first weeks have one key that unlocks the majority of them: a good latch at the breast.

The golden rule: a good latch above all

Before we talk about any position comes the latch — the way your baby takes the breast into their mouth. The signs are clear: a wide-open mouth, a good part of the areola inside the mouth rather than the nipple alone, the chin touching the breast, the lips turned outward, and the cheeks full and rounded during sucking. When the latch is good, the greater amount of milk reaches your baby and your nipple is spared harm. Pain that lasts throughout the feed, on the other hand, is a sign that the latch needs reviewing, not a price you're obliged to pay: ask your midwife or a lactation consultant to watch you through a whole feed — a single expert glance can change everything.

And a small trick that makes a good latch easier from the start: bring your baby in so that their nose, not their mouth, faces the nipple, brush their upper lip with the nipple and wait until they open their mouth wide — like a yawn — then bring them to the breast in one movement, not the breast to them. Their whole body faces you, tummy to your tummy, with their head, neck and back in one straight line so they don't have to twist their neck to swallow.

Signs that your baby is feeding well

How can you feel reassured that the feed is "working"? Listen and watch: audible, regular swallowing, a rhythm of deep sucking broken by short pauses in which your baby catches their breath and then returns, a relaxed, contented baby after the feed whose little fists unclench, and regularly wet nappies through the day. These signs together — along with weight checks at the doctor's — are truer than any feeling of the breast being full or empty. You'll also notice that the sucking rhythm changes during the feed itself: short quick sucks at first to call the milk down, then deeper, slower sucks with clear swallows once the flow begins — that shift is a reassuring sign in itself.

4 positions worth trying

There isn't one single "correct" position, but rather the one that suits the two of you in that moment. 1) The cradle hold: the classic — your baby in your lap, tummy to your tummy, with a pillow to support your arm and raise them to breast level. 2) The rugby-ball hold (underarm): your baby's body along your side under your armpit and their feet toward the back — precious after a caesarean because it keeps their weight away from the incision. 3) Lying on your side: you and your baby facing each other on your sides, a real lifesaver for night feeds — with one important caution: if you feel drowsiness coming on, put your baby back in their own cot beside your bed before you doze off. 4) The laid-back position (biological nurturing): you lean back and relax with your baby on your chest, so gravity and skin contact awaken their instincts to find their own way to the breast.

The rhythm of the first weeks: a lot… and very normal

In the first weeks, expect somewhere between 8 and 12 feeds every 24 hours, day and night, and on demand: this is not a sign that your milk is lacking but exactly what your baby needs and what builds your milk supply. And remember that the let-down — that reflex which pushes the milk toward your baby — can take about a minute from the start of sucking, so don't rush and don't worry if your baby seems to "work" a little before the regular swallowing begins. Patience and relaxation are this reflex's friends, and tension is its first enemy. You may also go through evenings where your baby asks for the breast feed after feed with almost no gaps — what's known as cluster feeding — which is common at this stage and doesn't mean your milk is lacking; rather, it's your baby's way of asking for reassurance and boosting supply at the same time. Sit down, drink your water, and let the evening pass at an easy pace.

Also worth reading: Is your baby crying? A calm guide to understanding and soothing your newborn · Skin-to-skin: why those first cuddles matter

This article is for information only and has been reviewed by the Mama4care team. It does not replace medical advice: for any question about your health or your baby's, talk to your midwife, doctor or paediatrician. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.