There is no one ‘best’ position to use for breastfeeding. You just need to check the following:
- Are your baby’s head and body in a straight line? If not, your baby might not be able to swallow easily
- Are you holding your baby close to you? Support his neck, shoulders and back. He should be able to tilt his head back easily, to achieve a wide open mouth, so make sure you’re not holding the back of his head
- Is your baby’s nose opposite your nipple? Your baby needs to get a big mouthful of breast from underneath the nipple. Placing your baby with his nose level with your nipple will allow him to reach up and attach to your breast well.
Click here to see a illustration of an effective latch. You can find good video footage of different latches, with practical tips on breastfeedinginc.ca.