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Proper Attachment (Latch)
The most important aspect of breastfeeding is proper latch. Latch is a term used to refer to the baby attaching to the breast. Improper latch can be detrimental to the breastfeeding relationship. This is the #1 cause for sore/damaged nipples, and nipple pain is the #1 reason mothers have reported for quitting breastfeeding before meeting their personal breastfeeding goal. I would like to give you a few key points to remember so you can assess if your baby is latched on correctly.
- Breastfeeding should not be a painful experience. Yes, some mild soreness may be experienced until you body gets used to the act of breastfeeding. Mild soreness with initial latch can be normal. You should not experience discomfort throughout the entire feeding.
- Baby should have both lips flanged out while latched to the breast. Lips sometimes resemble the mouth of a fish.
- The angle of the mouth should be around 140 degrees while latched. You want to be sure the baby has a wide open mouth. You want him to have the entire nipple and as much of the areola in his mouth as possible. Because each woman has different shaped and sized breasts, it would be unrealistic to say the entire nipple and areola should be in baby’s mouth. The point is to have as much in the baby’s mouth as possible. If he latches on shallow and only takes the tip of the nipple into his mouth, you will experience pain and discomfort.
- Any time he does not latch properly it is very important to break his latch immediately and correct the latch by attempting again. It may take several attempts before he latches properly. Remember, breastfeeding is a learned behavior for mother and baby and practice makes perfect. So, be patient and stay calm because perfection comes with time. To break latch you simply insert the end of your pinky finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth and break suction.
- After breaking latch always take a minute to look at your nipples. Your nipple should be round or the same shape it was before breastfeeding. After latch is broken or baby self detaches from breast, if the nipples appears misshaped or flattened then the latch was not correct.
