Types of breast feeding babies
11 Different Breastfeeding Positions | Medela
You may need to try a few breastfeeding positions before finding a favourite that works best for you and your baby. Check out our picture gallery for inspiration
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There’s no right or wrong way to hold and feed your baby, and each mum and baby will find their own preferred position to feed in. What’s important is that you both feel comfortable.1,2 Knowing a few different breastfeeding positions and techniques can be helpful because life often requires us to be versatile, especially as your baby gets bigger and you start to go out and about more.
Discover 11 different breastfeeding positions and find out what is best for you and your baby:
- Laid-back breastfeeding or reclined position
- Cradle hold
- Cross-cradle hold
- Rugby ball hold
- Side-lying position
- Laid-back breastfeeding after a c-section
- Upright breastfeeding or koala hold
- Dangle feeding
- Nursing in a sling
- Double rugby ball hold
- Dancer hand nursing position
Whichever breastfeeding position you choose, remember:
- Gather everything you need, such as a drink, snacks, your mobile, TV remote, book or magazine, before you start feeding.
And don’t forget to have a wee first – you may not be able to get up again for some time!
- Make sure your baby is comfy. Whatever position you’re in, your baby should be stable and supported, while his head, neck and spine should not be twisted.
- Ensure you feel relaxed and comfy too. Use cushions, pillows or rolled towels to support your back or arms if you need to.
- Check your baby is latching on correctly. A good latch is vital for comfortable breastfeeding.
- If your baby struggles to latch or breastfeeding makes you sore, seek support from a lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist. They will also be able to show you how to support your baby to help you feed more comfortably.
1: Laid-back breastfeeding or reclined position
The laid-back breastfeeding position, also known as biological nurturing,1 is often the first mums try. If your baby is placed on your chest or tummy as soon as he’s born, all being well he’ll instinctively work his way towards one of your breasts and attempt to latch on – this is known as the ‘breast crawl’.
Skin-to-skin contact helps stimulate his feeding instincts, while gravity helps him to latch on well and keeps him in place.
However, laid-back breastfeeding isn’t just for newborns – it can work well with babies of any age. It may be especially useful if your baby struggles to latch in other holds, he doesn’t like his head being touched as he feeds, if you have a forceful let down, or if your breasts are large, as mum-of-one Isabel, UK, discovered: “The combination of my big boobs and a small 2.7 kg (6 lb) baby made positioning tricky at first. It took me a few weeks to realise there was no position I ‘should’ be in. In the end I mainly breastfed lying down with my baby balanced on top of me.”
You’ll probably be comfier if you’re reclining gently rather than lying flat on your back. Use cushions or pillows so you’re supported and can see your baby.
2: Cradle hold
This is the classic position most of us picture when we think of breastfeeding. It involves you sitting upright, with your baby positioned on his side, his head and neck laying along your forearm and his body against your stomach, in a tummy-to-mummy position.
3 Although it’s a very popular position, it’s not always easy with a newborn because it doesn’t give your baby as much support as some other holds. A pillow or cushion behind you and a breastfeeding pillow across your lap propping up your baby or your arms may give you more support, and avoid strain on your back or shoulders. If you use a breastfeeding pillow, make sure it doesn’t lift your baby too high – your breasts should remain at their natural resting height to avoid sore nipples and a strained latch.
“I used the cradle hold because it worked! It felt comfortable and I liked sitting there just looking at my baby,” says Rachael, mum of two, Italy.
3: Cross-cradle hold
This looks similar to the cradle hold but your arms switch roles so your baby’s body lies along your opposite forearm.3 The aim is to support your baby around his neck and shoulders to allow him to tilt his head prior to latch. This is a great newborn breastfeeding position and is also good for small babies and those with latching difficulties.
Because your baby is fully supported on your opposite arm, you have more control over his positioning, and you can use your free hand to shape your breast.
Julie, mum of two, UK, likes the flexibility of this position: “I normally do the cross-cradle with my newborn. It gives me a hand free to tend to my toddler at the same time.”
In the early days, don’t hold your baby around his head as you might push his chin on to his chest. This can result in a shallow latch (as your nipple hits the base of his tongue rather than his palate) and sore nipples for you. As your baby gets bigger this technique becomes much easier, and you can rest your baby’s head in your hand (as shown in our gallery image above).
4: Rugby ball hold
In this position (also known as the underarm or clutch), you sit with your baby resting along your forearm. His body tucks alongside your side, with his feet towards the back of the chair, or whatever you’re sitting on.3 This is another helpful early nursing position because it supports your baby well, while giving you plenty of control and a good view of his face.
Being tucked in closely alongside your body will help your baby feel safe too. Mums who’ve had a c-section, twins, or a premature baby, along with those who have larger breasts, may also like this position.
“With my first daughter I had very large K-size breasts that were double the size of her head,” remembers Amy, mum of two, Australia. “I placed a rolled-up towel underneath each breast to help lift them up as they were so heavy, and fed her in a rugby ball hold, but more upright so she wasn’t overwhelmed by their size. This position was also good as I had a c-section wound and couldn’t rest her across my body.”
5: Side-lying position
Ideal for relaxed night feeds and breastfeeding in bed or on the sofa, side-lying can also be more comfortable than sitting if you’ve had a caesarean or stitches.3 You and your baby need to lie on your sides next to one another, belly-to-belly.
“I struggled to sit up in bed during countless night feeds, partly due to having had a c-section, partly due to exhaustion,” says Francesca, mum of one, UK.
“Then I discovered I could feed my baby lying on my side and relax at the same time.”
“Maisie couldn’t attach any other way than the side-lying position due to her tongue-tie. A lactation consultant showed me how to do it. It seemed like she could handle the strength of my flow and hold on better in this position. When her mouth grew bigger she became much better at attaching in the regular way,” says Sarah, mum of two, Australia.
6: Laid-back breastfeeding after a c-section
If you’ve had a caesarean delivery and can’t find a comfortable breastfeeding position,3 this may help. Reclining with your baby’s body across your shoulder will let you nurse comfortably without any weight or pressure on your wound, or you could also try side-lying.
7: Upright breastfeeding or koala hold
In the upright or koala hold, your baby sits straddling your thigh, or on your hip, with his spine and head upright as he feeds.4 You can do this hold with a newborn if you give your baby plenty of support, and it’s also a convenient way to feed an older baby who can sit unaided.
The upright or koala hold is often the most comfortable breastfeeding position for babies who suffer from reflux or ear infections (who often prefer to be upright), and it can also work well with babies who have a tongue-tie or low muscle tone.
“When my baby was older I often used the upright hold because it was comfortable for both of us and I could still feel her body close to mine,” says Peggy, mum of one, Switzerland. “It was also discreet when we were feeding in public.”
8: Dangle feeding
This breastfeeding position involves your baby lying on his back, while you crouch over him on all fours and dangle your nipple in his mouth.4 Some mums say doing this for short periods helps if they have conditions like mastitis and don’t want their breasts to be squashed or touched; others claim that gravity helps unplug blocked milk ducts, although there’s no scientific evidence to support this yet. You can also dangle feed while you’re sitting, kneeling up over your baby on a bed or sofa, or almost lying down but propped up on your arms.
You may need to use cushions and pillows to support yourself so you don’t strain your back or shoulders.
“I used the dangle feeding position a few times when I had blocked ducts and other methods of easing out the lumps in my breasts hadn’t worked. It seemed to help – I think because gravity was in my favour, and because the angle and position of my baby were so different to our normal breastfeeds that she drained my breast differently,” says Ellie, mum of two, UK.
Dangle feeding is probably not a breastfeeding position you want to do regularly, but it might just help if you need to mix it up.
“I used a dangle feeding position when my baby was struggling to latch,” says Lorna, mum of two, UK. “It wasn’t the most comfortable way to breastfeed, but at the time I’d do absolutely anything to get him to latch. It worked – and we’re still breastfeeding eight months on!”
9: Nursing in a sling
It may take a little practice, but breastfeeding your baby in a sling can be convenient when you’re out and about, looking after older children, or even doing light chores.
It’s also handy if your baby dislikes being put down or feeds frequently, as Lindsay, mum of two, US, found: “I used a front carrier often with both my babies. When we were out I tied a sarong around my neck and draped it over the carrier so it worked as a cover. They would nurse like this until they fell asleep.”
This method usually works best if your baby is an experienced breastfeeder and can hold his head up by himself. You can breastfeed in all sorts of slings, including stretchy wraps, ring slings and front carriers. Whichever you choose, make sure you can always see your baby’s face and his chin is not pressed against his chest.
10: Double rugby ball hold
The double rugby ball hold (also known as the double clutch) is a great breastfeeding position for twins, as you can feed them in tandem while having your hands relatively free.4 You’ll probably need to use a specially designed twin breastfeeding pillow while feeding like this, especially in the early days.
This gives extra support to get both babies into position, and also minimises pressure on your belly if you’ve had a c-section. You may also find that with your hands freer, you can tend to one baby without disrupting the other’s feed.
“When my twins were born they were tiny and needed feeding every two hours, day and night. I soon realised for me to achieve anything other than feeding, I needed to tandem feed,” says Emma, mum of two, UK. “I used the double rugby ball hold with a breastfeeding cushion.”
Other breastfeeding positions you could try with twins include two cradles crossed across one another, one twin in a rugby ball hold and one in a cradle hold, and double laid-back or double upright breastfeeding positions.
11: Dancer hand nursing position
If your baby struggles to stay latched on or has low muscle tone – perhaps because he was born prematurely, has a condition such as Down’s syndrome, or has an illness or disability – try this hold to support both his head and your breast.
4 Start by cupping your breast with your hand underneath, fingers on one side and thumb on the other. Then edge your hand forwards so your thumb and index finger form a ‘U’ shape just in front of the breast. Your three remaining fingers should continue to support the breast underneath. Rest your baby’s jaw on your thumb and index finger as he feeds, with his chin at the bottom of the ‘U’, your thumb gently holding one of his cheeks and your index finger the other. This hold gives your baby plenty of support and you control over his position, as well as a great view of his latch.
References
1 Colson SD et al. Optimal positions for the release of primitive neonatal reflexes stimulating breastfeeding. Early Hum Dev. 2008;84(7):441-449.
2 UNICEF UK BFHI [Internet]. Off to the best start; 2015 [cited 2018 Feb].
3 Cadwell K. Latching‐On and Suckling of the Healthy Term Neonate: Breastfeeding Assessment. J Midwifery & Women’s Health. 2007;52(6):638-642.
4 Wambach K, Riordan J, editors.
Breastfeeding and human lactation. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2014. 966 p.
Feeding Patterns | Baby Behavior
Home / Baby Behavior / Feeding Patterns
Content begins hereFirst Feedings
Your newborn baby is growing quickly, and that means she needs to eat often. Follow your baby’s lead. It is normal and healthy for your baby to eat 8-12 times in a 24-hour period. That’s about once every 2-3 hours!
In these early days, each breastfeeding session might last 25-40 minutes, but this can vary based on how hungry or sleepy your baby is. It is important to remember that, in addition to food, babies get their hydration, comfort and snuggle time while at the breast.
Offer Both Breasts
Feed your baby on the fuller breast first until she naturally comes off or falls asleep, then try to burp her and offer the other breast. Breastfed babies often don’t burp, but it never hurts to try. Sitting your baby up to burp can also help wake her up, which may help her eat more actively on the second breast.
Cramps While Breastfeeding
In the days after delivery, you may feel uterine cramping when you breastfeed. This is completely normal and can last for several days or weeks. Cramps are a sign that your uterus is contracting and shrinking to its pre-pregnancy size. If you have any concerns, reach out to your healthcare provider.
Cluster Feeding
Your baby may have a period of time during the day when she wants to nurse more often—sometimes every hour. This “cluster feeding” tends to happen in the evenings for the first 4-6 weeks of a baby’s life. As long as your baby is cluster feeding only during one part of the day, you can be sure that all is well and she is healthy.
Follow your baby’s lead, and offer her the breast whenever she is showing hunger cues. Cluster feeding helps your baby get what she needs and also boosts your milk supply. Talk with a lactation consultant or your pediatrician if your baby is cluster feeding for more than one stretch during the day or if you have any concerns about her feeding pattern.
Growth Spurts
As your baby grows and her body changes, her feeding patterns will likely change, too. You may hear these periods called “growth spurts,” and they are a normal part of a baby’s development. During these times, your baby may spend 1-2 days nursing more often and for longer sessions. Some babies may be also be more fussy during this time. You can learn about calming your crying baby here.
Growth spurts are not always predictable, but they often happen around 1-3 weeks, around 4-6 weeks, at 3 months, and again at 6 months. As your baby grows, she’ll need to eat more, and these increased feedings help build your milk supply. If you feel your baby isn’t getting enough to eat, talk to your pediatrician and a lactation consultant.
Introducing a Bottle
Most lactation consultants recommend that you wait to offer a bottle until your baby is around 4 weeks old and breastfeeding is well established. Many families find it helpful to have someone other than mom, such as dad, grandma or another caregiver offer the first bottle.
Learn how to help your baby move between the bottle and breast by downloading Bottle-Feeding Your Breastfed Baby: A Guide for Success.
Solid Foods
Breastmilk provides complete nutrition for the first 6 months. Once your baby is able to sit up on her own, has good control of her head and neck and begins to show interest in food, you can start offering solid foods.
Great options for first foods are pureed or soft meats, fruits and vegetables. Breastmilk and formula will still provide the bulk of nutrition for your baby’s first year. Visit the Solid Foods page to learn more about introducing solids.
Weaning
Breastfeeding is recommended for the first year of your baby’s life and can continue for as long as you both wish. When you are ready to wean, do it slowly over time. Choose the breastfeeding or pumping session you or your baby like the least and remove it from your day. Give your body 3-5 days to adjust before removing the next feeding session.
This slow and steady approach to weaning helps your body and your baby transition more smoothly away from breastfeeding.
Talk to your pediatrician about how to replace your breastmilk with formula or cow’s milk. (Cow’s milk is only recommended for babies 1 year of age or older.)
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Breastfeeding and its benefits for the normal development of the infant.
Mother's milk is a natural biological product that provides physiologically adequate nutrition for babies. This is the "gold standard" of early childhood nutrition, and far from all aspects of its multifaceted influence have been studied.
Breastfed mothers can follow different dietary patterns for their baby. Free feeding, or "on demand" feeding, is the diet of a child of the first year of life, when the mother puts the child to the breast as many times and at the time as the child requires, including at night. The duration of feeding is also determined by the child. It is more often carried out in the first months of life and with exclusive breastfeeding. Regulated feeding is such a diet of a child when feedings are carried out at more or less fixed hours, the frequency and volume of feedings is recommended by the doctor, taking into account the age, body weight, appetite and individual characteristics of the child. It is more often carried out after 1-2 months of life, especially with the option of mixed feeding.
The duration of feeding of newborns ranges from 20 to 30 minutes, and for children older than 1 month - from 10 to 20 minutes. The water requirement of children in the first months of life is satisfied by breast milk with a sufficient level of lactation, so they do not need additional drinking. nine0006
The criteria for a sufficient level of lactation are normal daily diuresis (600-700 ml), weight gain adequate to the age of the child and psychomotor development. If you suspect a lack of milk, you should determine the daily volume of lactation using control weighing and compare it with the calculated one, take measures to restore lactation or introduce supplementary feeding.
Breast milk is the most complex biologically active substance with unique properties:
- regulation of the processes of growth, development and differentiation of tissues;
- anti-infective protection;
- formation of immunological tolerance to dietary antigens;
- influence on the formation of the maxillofacial skeleton, speech, hearing;
- prevention of obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis;
- beneficial effect on mental and behavioral responses, intelligence, learning ability and social adaptation;
- reduced risk of cancer in the mother, contraceptive effect in the first months of lactation.
nine0016
Breast milk provides anti-inflammatory (antioxidants, enzymes that break down pro-inflammatory neurotransmitters, anti-inflammatory cytokines) and immunomodulatory substances (live CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, nucleotides, IgA, cytokines IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, etc., soluble cytokine receptors). Breastfeeding and the state of the intestinal microflora play a key role in maintaining a balance in the Thh Th3, Th4 cytokine system. Thanks to the bifidogenic properties of human milk, a complete intestinal microbiota of the child is formed, innate immunity and protective mechanisms of the intestinal mucosa are activated, and the immune response matures. nine0006
Digestive system:
- One of the main advantages of women's milk is the proximity of its proteins in terms of qualitative composition to blood serum proteins. Breast milk contains mainly finely dispersed, that is, consisting of the smallest particles, albumin proteins, which are easily absorbed in the child's digestive tract.
Digestibility, absorption completeness of women's milk proteins reaches 98-99%, for cow's milk proteins this figure is much less. The main protein component of cow's milk is casein, the content of which is up to ten times higher than that in human breast milk. Casein, being a large and aggressive soluble protein, is able to penetrate the intestinal walls, forcing the child's body to produce an endogenous inflammatory mediator - histamine. What can cause both intestinal bleeding, which is fraught with the subsequent development of anemia, and various kinds of allergic reactions. nine0006
- The residence time of food in the gastrointestinal tract of the baby with natural and artificial feeding is also different. The child's stomach is freed from food after 2-3 hours with breastfeeding, and with artificial feeding - after 3-4 hours. Thus, artificial feeding puts a lot of stress on the digestive tract and on the baby's body as a whole.
- The activity of the enzyme lipase, which is responsible for the breakdown of fat in the gastrointestinal tract of the child, is much higher in women's breast milk.
Due to the activity of maternal lipase, a high degree of fat dispersion is achieved, which facilitates their further absorption and assimilation. As a result of the action of breast milk lipase, there is a significantly lower load on the pancreas and liver of the baby, the organs responsible for the digestion of fat
- Women's milk contains 5-6 times more linoleic acid. With a lack of this polyunsaturated fatty acid, a child may experience a delay in physical development, metabolism is disturbed, and adverse changes in the condition of the skin are possible.
Immune system:
- The most important advantage of mother's milk in comparison with its artificial substitutes is the presence in it of a large group of substances that protect the child's body from infections. These are secretory immunoglobulin A - sIgA, interferon, lysozyme, lactoferrin, bifidus factor, cells of the immune system. nine0006
- Immunoglobulin A is contained in secrets (fluids) on the surface of mucous membranes in contact with the external environment - lungs, nasal cavity, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract.
Maternal secretory immunoglobulin A provides protection against infection of the vital organs and systems of the child.
- Human milk lactoferrin plays an exceptional role in protecting the baby from viral infections, preventing the penetration of viral particles through the cell membrane, thus preventing infection from entering the baby's body. In addition to the antiviral action, lactoferrin also has antibacterial properties. Many microorganisms contain receptors for lactoferrin on their surface, and the binding of lactoferrin to the corresponding receptor leads to the death of a foreign bacterial cell. Lactoferrin has a bactericidal effect against a large number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. nine0006
- the bifidus factor of human milk is represented by a whole complex of various sugars (oligosaccharides) and their monomers: beta-lactose, galactooligosaccharides, D-glucose, D-galactose, N-acetylglucosamines, L-fucose and sialic acids. The bifidus factor of human milk stimulates the formation of the intestinal microflora, mainly consisting of bifidobacteria (B.
Bifidum) and lactobacilli. Normal intestinal microflora lines the intestinal crypts like a blanket, creating a protective layer that prevents foreign bacteria and allergens from entering the baby's circulatory system. Also, bifido- and lactobacilli create a favorable intra-intestinal environment with a shift in the pH of the contents of the colon to the acid side, which inhibits the growth of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria and promotes the absorption of iron, calcium, vitamin D and other micro- and macroelements; participates in the synthesis of vitamins B1, B2, B3, PP, B6, B12, folic acid, biotin. In addition, the normal intestinal microflora makes the baby's immunity stronger. nine0006
At present, using the latest scientific methods, the existence of oligosaccharides containing up to 32 sugar fragments and up to 15 fructose fragments has been established. This means that the number of different types of oligosaccharides in human breast milk can reach several tens of thousands of units.
Naturally, even modern artificial mixtures containing prebiotics (industrial analogues of the bifidus factor) cannot be compared in quality and variety with breast milk.
Urinary system:
- The formation of the child's urinary system and the development of its functions takes place in the first year of life. In an infant at the time of birth, the plasma flow and the process of formation of primary urine by filtering plasma in the renal glomeruli are reduced, osmotic concentration of urine is not effective enough. The main indicators of kidney function come to the level of an adult by the beginning of the second year of life. Therefore, it is very important that the load on the kidneys, depending on the content of proteins and mineral salts in the food taken, be adequate to the physiological age of the child. nine0016
- The protein level in women's milk averages from 0.8 to 1.2 g / 100 ml, while even in the adapted ready-made milk formula this figure is 40 - 70% higher and is 1.
4 - 1, 6 g/100 ml. The increased content of proteins increases the load on the glomerular apparatus of the kidney. - Another problem with milk mixtures is their normalization in terms of mineral composition. Excess salt can overload the kidneys and cause thirst, which is reflected in the addition of water to formula-fed babies. nine0016
- Many pediatricians still recommend giving babies about 100 ml of water daily to avoid dehydration. However, at present, the World Health Organization and UNICEF insist that there is no need for supplementation and the introduction of any foreign liquids and products before the child reaches the age of 6 months.
- What is the basis for these recommendations? If breastfeeding is organized correctly (the mother feeds the baby on demand, approximately every 1.5 - 2 hours, keeping night feedings), then the baby receives enough water from milk in the first six months of life. nine0016
This section describes only the main advantages of breastfeeding.
Is there any benefit from breastfeeding for the mother and does this process affect the "usual" way of life?
The benefits for the mother can be divided into three groups:
1. Health benefits
- Breastfeeding within the first hour after birth significantly reduces the risk of postpartum uterine bleeding.
- Breastfeeding maintains a high level of hormones (oxytocin and prolactin) in the blood of the mother, which contributes to the formation of strong maternal feelings. nine0016
- If a woman breastfeeds her baby exclusively, then in the first 4-6 months after birth, the probability of pregnancy is reduced by 95%.
- Long-term breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer by 50%, and if a mother breastfeeds multiple children, breastfeeding each child reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 25%. Also, women who breastfeed for a long time are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.\
2. Economic benefits
- You don't need to buy breast milk, you don't need additional accessories - nipples, sterilizers, heaters, breast pumps, which you still need to run around and choose exactly those that fit the size and shape of your breasts.
