How to Make Sure the Baby Holds Onto Your Nipple

If you have decided you are going to breastfeed your baby, you can start right after the delivery no matter where you are. This can be done in the recovery room or in the delivery room. You of course will need to do this after the nurses have made sure the baby is in good health and when he or she has calmed down a little after the delivery. Don’t expect it to be something easy or comfortable at first as it tends to feel a little strange at first but don’t worry, it’s normal. Babies first need to learn to how to breastfeed and there are many that simply don’t want to at first. Be patient and you and your baby will learn together.

Although babies are born with the sucking reflex, many of them are not too enthusiastic about it in the beginning. They sometimes need a little bit of orientation to learn how to hold onto the nipple. Here are some ways you can achieve this:

• Place the baby in one of the breastfeeding positions.

• Softly stroke the baby’s lips or cheeks with your nipple.

• This action will probably cause the baby to open his or her mouth. If the baby does not seem to want to open his or her mouth, try to squeeze out a little bit of milk from your nipples and rub it over the baby’s lips.

• When the baby’s mouth is open, place the baby’s head near your chest and softly  place that baby’s open mouth in your whole nipple.

• This kind of stimulation will usually get the baby to start feeding. Just make sure that the whole areola is inside the baby’s mouth because otherwise the baby will not get enough milk and your nipples will get sore. This does not mean though that you have to press the whole breast inside the baby’s mouth, but rather bring the baby to your nipple and let the baby be the one who grabs onto the breast.

The tip of the baby’s nose should be slightly touching the skin around the nipple. Remember that the baby needs to breathe and the only way he or she can do this when breastfeeding is through the nose, so make sure you do not cover it with your breast. If your breast does obstruct the baby’s nose, use your free hand to put a little bit of pressure on the breast away from the baby’s nose.