Breastfeeding positions

Mothers have been using different breastfeeding positions since babies and breasts first got together. So how do you know what's the right choice for you and your baby?

Teresa Pitman,

Originally published in Today's Parent February 2011

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First, don’t get worried about finding the perfect position. “There’s no right or wrong,” says lactation consultant Edith Kernerman, executive director of the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute in Toronto. “A good position is one that helps you get a good latch; a good latch is one that is comfortable for the mother and works for the baby to get milk.” It doesn’t have to look a particular way if it works — although, generally, you want to see baby’s chin pressed into the breast and his head tipped back. Secondly, know your options:

Cross-cradle hold

In this position, the mother feeding her baby on the left breast would use her left hand to support her breast, and her right arm and hand to support the baby. “Many mothers are taught this position in the hospital,” says Kernerman. “It’s not one that’s used around the world, though.”

Jean Kouba, president of the Canadian Lactation Consultants Association, agrees that the cross-cradle position is good for teaching because the mother can more easily see what’s happening as the baby latches on. “It doesn’t work well for all babies, though, especially those who have bruising on their heads from the birth or those who have some asymmetry in their facial development.”

This position is sometimes called the transitional hold, and for good reason. “It’s uncomfortable to keep using this position as the baby gets bigger,” Kernerman says.

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