Bounty

Breastfeeding may be a new experience for you and it’s also new for your baby. It may take a while, but here’s how you’ll learn together.

It’s important to remember that your baby is ‘breastfeeding’ not ‘nipple feeding’. She will need to take a good mouthful of breast in order to massage the milk from the breast. Make sure you can sit comfortably, and have a pillow or two to hand for support.

Positioning and attachment

1. Hold your baby horizontally. Her forehead, shoulder and hip should be in a straight line. Make sure she is facing you – ‘tummy to mummy’. Support her neck and shoulders between your spread out fingers and thumb.
2. To start attachment properly, your nipple should be opposite your baby’s nose. Support your breast by placing your fingers underneath and your thumb on top, well away from the nipple area.
3. Gently tickle her lips by brushing with your nipple. Wait until your baby’s mouth is wide open then quickly bring your baby to you, positioning the nipple under the roof of her mouth so that the nipple comes to rest at the back of her throat. Her bottom lip should first make contact with the breast on the areola (brown bit) well away from the base of the nipple.
4. You should now make sure that your baby’s cheek is just touching your breast. Her chin should be pressing into your breast and her nose should be clear. You should see some areola showing above her top lip. Avoid holding your breast away from her nose with your fingers. If you’re concerned that she can’t breathe, tuck her bottom in closer to your body. This allows baby’s nose to clear the breast.
5. Hold your baby very close to you until she starts sucking. Once she is taking long, slow sucks, your hand should be brought to rest underneath her as she enjoys the rest of her feed. You may find a pillow under your arm helps you support you both.