Essay Post #1: How To Establish a Proper Latch

For my composition class, I was given several different types of essays to write. I chose to do them on topic I am passionate about: Breastfeeding, not letting a baby Cry It Out, more breastfeeding and the story of how I met my husband. I plan to share all of these essays in a series, starting tonight. I will be sharing them on Lactastic Mommies, my facebook, as well as Baby's Breastie and Badass Breastfeeders of NW Ohio. All wonderful pages devoted to supporting breastfeeding mothers. Here is the first essay.

When a woman is about to become a mother, she is given endless advice. Most women know that breast milk is best for babies, yet rarely are they told that breastfeeding is not always easy. Breastfeeding can be rewarding for both the mother and the baby, but getting a healthy latch can be difficult, these steps should guide a mother to a healthy latch.


When you are preparing to nurse your baby, first, you must get comfortable. It is a mother’s natural instinct to want to comfort her infant, but the letdown occurs only when a mother is relaxed. Nursing sessions can last thirty minutes or more and you don’t want to spend all of that time hunched into an uncomfortable position. Get yourself comfortable by propping your arms up with pillows, resting your feet on a nursing stool or trying multiple nursing positions.

Once you are in a comfortable position it is time to place the baby. You want to bring baby straight in towards you. His body should be coming in sideways so your stomach and his are facing each other. He should not have to turn his head to the side or arch his neck in order to get to the breast. At any age, it is harder to swallow with your head turned towards the side versus having your head straight.

Get baby into a comfortable position. Babies love to be close to their mothers and nursing is the perfect time to incorporate their need to snuggle. Pull baby close and wrap his around you and support his with your arm that will not be supporting the breast you intend to offer. If baby is flailing, try swaddling or resting your hand or thumb on top of any arms that are getting in the way.

Once everyone is comfortable, it is time to present your breast to your baby. Cup your breast in your palm and place your thumb past your areola to form a sandwich. This should project your nipple forward. Baby needs to take the majority of the areola into his mouth. To stimulate baby to open his mouth, use your nipple to tap him on his lower lip or chin. If he is stubborn, it may be necessary to squeeze your hand and thumb together and express a drop or two of milk or colostrum onto your nipple or finger and rub it along his lips.

When baby has opened his mouth, aim your nipple for the center of his palate and pull your infant to you, not your breast towards your infant. You want to make sure you are aiming upwards towards the roof of his mouth. Your baby’s gums should be past the nipple and taking in as much of the areola as it takes in order for your nipple to be pressing against his palate. Your milk reservoirs are in the areola, not the nipple. The areola needs to be stimulated.

To make sure your latch is sufficient, examine baby’s lips. Are they both folded outwards rather than in? If not, remove your breast by inserting a finger to break the suction, and then try the latch again. Your latch should not be painful. In the beginning, you may feel a burning sensation as baby sucks, but it should be in the center of the nipple, never around the areola.

These steps should help a mother establish a healthy latch which is the most important part of nursing. There are many medical cases that can hinder breastfeeding, but a bad latch should not be one of those reasons. Breastfed babies receive over four hundred ingredients from breast milk that cannot be found in formula. They have higher immunities, closer bonds with their mothers and a healthier digestive system. Breastfeeding can help a mother lose weight, lowers her risk for multiple medical conditions and helps the body repair itself from pregnancy. Every woman deserves the opportunity to nurse her child and every child deserves the chance to nurse from her mother, hopefully, with these steps, they will have a positive breastfeeding experience.

    Thank you for reading and Happy Breastfeeding Week! I hope all of you are meeting up for a Big Latch On Event!