The Guide to Breastfeeding: Emphases and Positions that You Need to Know
What has not been said about breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is extremely important to the health of both infants and mothers. It is also the best and healthiest way to establish a healthy lifestyle right from the beginning, and critical to reinforcing the infant’s immune system, helping the mother recover from childbirth, creating a bond through close skin-to-skin contact, and more.
All beginnings can be challenging
The first days and weeks of breastfeeding are a critical window for creating conditions for establishing breastfeeding, milk production and the amount of milk suitable for the baby, in addition to establishing a proper bond between you and the newborn. It is not always easy, but all beginnings can be challenging. Successful breastfeeding involves many variables, the main ones being:
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Latching (attachment) to the breast
Good attachment of the infant to the breast will allow effective breastfeeding and reduction of the pain during breastfeeding.
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Effective expression of milk
Expression of breast milk when breastfeeding will encourage the production of more milk. If the baby is sleepy and has trouble waking up, you can press the breast to express or pump the milk.
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Frequency
Infants in the first weeks of life need to breastfeed 10-12 times a day. The more you breastfeed, the more stable the basis you will establish for continued breastfeeding.
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Staying together
The more you and the infant are together, the greater are the chances of success. This is true already in the period of stay in the maternity ward and later at home.
First steps towards proper breastfeeding
Every woman has her own personal preferences as well as physical challenges and constraints. The process is one of trial and error - whatever is comfortable for you and helps your infant breastfeed. The article below lists the possible breastfeeding positions that will help you establish a correct and effective attachment to the breast and will allow you to examine and choose the positions that are best suited to you.
Attachment to the breast
- Support the infant with your arm opposite the breast, so that you simultaneously support the buttocks, back and nape of the neck. The palm of your hand that holds them should serve as a cushion and a supporting base for the neck and not the head.
- Place the infant under the breast and turn him or her slightly so that the eyes will look at you.
- Slightly tilt the head back - the backward tilt will push the chin, lower lip and tongue forward, so that the infant will reach the breast from below, which will allow the infant to keep the mouth open and sink deep into the breast.
- Position the infant so that the nose, not the mouth, is in front of your nipple.
- Some women support the breast with the hand, which helps them to breastfeed - it looks like this: with the hand on the side of the relevant breast, support the breast in a C or U shape, place the lower fingers where the breast attaches to the body (and not close to the nipple) and the thumb from above or from the side, in a manner that will not interfere or touch the infant's mouth. Gently pull the nipple upwards, as if “helping it escape" it for a moment, until the chin is positioned far and deep in the breast.
- As soon as the infant opens the mouth, quickly and gently allow him or her to latch onto the breast so that the lower lip touches the breast first, before the rest of the mouth, and the upper lip is as far above the nipple as possible. A successful attachment is usually asymmetrical, where the infant covers the majority of the lower areola in comparison with the upper areola.
- At this stage it is important to keep the buttocks ("the anchor of the attachment") close to your body, so that the infant’s attachment to the breast remains stable and prolonged.
Possible breastfeeding positions
Biological position
Position in which the infant lies above you and crawls before latching on to the breast. The koala position is effective as a position immediately after birth, when the baby is placed on you. It allows babies to raise their head towards the breast, climb up from below and land deep in the breast, thus thoroughly controlling the flow rate of the milk.
Transition position
The transition position can facilitate effective and good attachment while preventing pain and sores during breastfeeding. How will you get into position? Sit comfortably with back support, and with the help of your hand and arm opposite the breast, gently support the back of the infant's neck (and not the head), as you lie stomach to stomach. With your other hand closest to the breast, cup the breast from below so that the thumb is next to or above the nipple (but at a distance from it), and the other fingers are close to where the breast attaches to your body. By doing this, you will be able to control the angle of nipple insertion into the infant's mouth and attachment to you. If you feel that the position requires use of your hands, you can fill the spaces under your hand and the baby with a normal pillow or a nursing pillow.
Classic position
We are, of course, talking about the traditional and familiar position, in which the infant's body rests on your arm closest to the breast from which the infant nurses, with your palm supporting the buttocks. If you want to support the breast, support it, from below with your other hand and make sure that the fingers and thumb do not touch the areola. This position can be comfortable for the future, after breastfeeding is already established and you know what good breastfeeding feels like. For the most part, this position is less effective in challenging situations such as pain during breastfeeding, sores, ineffective breastfeeding, and so on.
Koala position
An upright position in which you sit, and the infant is positioned on your thigh as if riding a horse, close to your body, with a breastfeeding pillow or your hands behind the infant to support the body. With one hand, you will support the baby's neck and if necessary, you can hold the breast with your other hand. The koala position can sometimes help for infants who suffer from spit ups, rapid flow, and more.
Football position
The "football position" or the "darbuka position" is a lateral position that can be suitable and make breastfeeding easier after a cesarean section, large breasts, breasts facing outwards, breastfeeding twins or a tall infant. In this position, the infant will lie close to your waist with the hand closest to the infant supporting the back and neck, and the infant will nurse from the breast closest to him or her. If necessary, you can use your other hand to hold the breast.
Breastfeeding while lying on one side
Many women prefer to breastfeed lying down, after giving birth, if there are stitches or hemorrhoids, and especially when breastfeeding at night. This is a comfortable position when there is milk overflow, rapid flow or overproduction of milk. How to breastfeed lying down? Lie on your side with the infant facing you, with the mouth in front of your nipple. Position the infant so that he or she can attach the mouth to the nipple from the bottom up, and at a distance that will allow him or her to comfortably attach to the breast. Some women will feel more comfortable when their body is slightly elevated on a thin pillow.
Note! While breastfeeding while lying down is comfortable, it requires responsibility and awareness on your part and sleep safety measures. Read about safe sleep and prevention of SIDS
Important reminder: if you experience difficulty breastfeeding, we are here to remind you that it is natural and familiar, and that there are methods and professionals who can help make breastfeeding a good, connecting and fulfilling experience. It is recommended that you contact a Family Care Center nurse or the lactation consultant who accompanies you and that you read the article on breastfeeding support and guidance.