*DISCLAIMER*: This post may contain some boob~age. Beware!
TodayI…learned that there are different positions that you can hold your baby while breastfeeding. Different holds work different for different women. I wonder which one will work for me??? If you weren’t here last week, I decided to post about some of the tips I learned in this Breastfeeding class I took last week. It was very useful! See Part 1 here. Are there any mothers out there who favor a certain position? Do you have any breastfeeding tips? I’d love to hear suggestions or comments about this. Any info will be helpful, I’m sure, because I honestly am very foreign to this subject.
Breastfeeding Holds
Cradle-hold:
This position is where you hold your baby with his or her head on your forearm and the whole body facing yours.
Benefits of this postion:
- comfortable for most mothers
Cross-cradle hold or “transitional” hold:
This position is where you hold your baby along the opposite arm from the breast you are using. Support the baby’s head with the palm of your hand at the base of his or her neck.
Benefits of this position:
- good for new mothers who are just learning how to breastfeed!
- good for premature babies
- good for babies who are having trouble latching on
Side-lying position: (Why do I feel like I will use this one a lot?!?)
This position is where you lie on your side with your baby facing you. Pull the baby close and guide his or her mouth to your nipple.
Benefits of this position:
- allows for the mother to rest while baby nurses
- useful for mothers who had C-sections
Clutch or “football” hold:
This position is where you hold your baby at your side, lying on his or her back, with his or her head the level of your nipples. Support the baby’s head with the palm of your hand at the base of his or her head.
Benefits of this position:
- good for mothers with large breasts
- good for mothers with inverted nipples
- good for mothers who had a C-section
Thanks for reading! (Photos were taken from this site.)
~Melinda
