Bring baby to breast nose-to-nipple, wait for a wide gape, then hug baby in chin-first—deep latch should feel tugging, not pinching.
What A Good Latch Looks Like
A deep latch feels like steady tugging, not sharp pain. Your baby’s mouth opens wide, lips curl out like fish lips, and cheeks stay rounded. You’ll hear soft swallows, see more areola above the top lip than below, and your nipple comes out the same shape it went in—no creases, no lipstick tilt.
If feeding hurts after the first moments, unlatch with a clean finger between gums and try again. Small tweaks change everything: line the nose with the nipple, wait for a gape, then bring the whole baby in close, tummy to you, chin first. Think chin deep, nose free, body snug.
| What You Notice | Good? | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Rounded cheeks, steady swallows | Yes | Keep baby close; watch for relaxed hands and longer sucks. |
| Clicking sounds, dimpled cheeks | No | Re-latch deeper: aim nipple to roof, hug shoulders in as mouth opens wide. |
| Nipple looks flattened or creased | No | Break the seal, shift baby lower so chin leads and lips flare. |
| Pain that builds through the feed | No | Try a new position; adjust angle so nose lines up, not the nipple. |
| More areola visible below than above | No | Lift baby’s bum, roll belly to belly, and scoop more breast up and in. |
Step-By-Step Latch Routine For The First Days
Start when baby shows early hunger cues: stirring, hand-to-mouth, rooting. Hold baby close, belly to you, shoulders and hips in one line. Hold the neck and shoulders, not the back of the head, so your little one can tip the head back to open wide.
Touch the top lip with your nipple and wait for a big yawn-like gape. Scoop baby in quickly: chin first, then the rest of the body. Bring baby to the breast, not breast to baby, so you stay upright. In the first days, offer both sides each session to wake the reflexes and practice the pattern.
During the feed, listen for swallows. If sucks stay quick and fluttery, compress the breast gently between thumb and fingers in a C-hold to help milk flow. When the rhythm slows and baby relaxes, switch sides. End by sliding a finger between gums to release the seal; never pull straight off.
For step-by-step pictures of attachment, the NHS latching guide shows mouth shape, lip flanging, and body alignment in clear photos.
Getting A Newborn To Latch At Night: Quick Steps
Night feeds often feel hardest because you’re sleepy and lights are low. Set up before the cry: water, pillows, and a dim light. Try side-lying with baby’s nose level with your nipple. Roll the belly toward you, tuck the bum in close, and let gravity help. If the latch slips, pause, reset the nose-to-nipple aim, and try again.
Short, calm resets beat long struggle sessions. Two or three fresh tries with a wide mouth give a better result than pushing through a shallow latch. If you’re sore, start on the comfier side, then switch. Skin-to-skin settles most babies fast and boosts your reflexes too.
Positions That Make Latching Easier
Cross-Cradle
Sit tall with feet supported. Use the hand opposite the nursing breast to hold baby’s shoulders and neck. With the other hand, shape your breast if needed. Aim the nipple to the roof of the mouth and sweep the shoulders in as the mouth opens. This setup gives you the most control for early practice.
Side-Lying
Lie on your side with a rolled towel behind baby’s back. Nose and nipple level, belly to belly. Great for nights and long cluster feeds. Keep a finger ready to flip the bottom lip out if it tucks under.
Football Or Clutch Hold
Tuck baby along your side, legs behind you. This keeps pressure off a sore belly after a cesarean and helps tiny babies who need extra head hold. Keep the nose level with the nipple, wait for the wide gape, then lift the base of the head and shoulders in.
Troubleshooting Common Hurdles
Global guidance on positioning and early support also appears in the WHO guideline on breastfeeding in facilities, which underlines hands-on help with attachment.
Engorgement Or Fast Flow
Full breasts can feel firm and slippery, making latching tricky. Soften the areola first: hand express or pump for a minute, then try again. You can also press back the swelling around the nipple for sixty seconds with fingertip circles. If milk sprays fast, lean back and let baby set the pace.
Flat Or Inverted Nipples
Many babies latch just fine to all shapes. If the area is flat right after birth, do a brief pump or hand express to draw it out, then offer quickly. Shape the breast like a sandwich that matches baby’s mouth—parallel to lips, not across the nose. A short-term nipple shield can help in some cases when used with skilled guidance.
Sleepy Or Small Baby
Skin-to-skin, gentle back rubs, a diaper change, or a few drops of expressed milk on the lips can wake interest. Keep sessions frequent and brief so baby practices often. Track diapers and weight checks with your care team to be sure intake is on track.
Tongue-Tie Questions
Some babies do have a tight frenulum that limits lift or extension. Many feed well with positioning help, so a careful latch assessment comes first. If feeds stay painful or transfer seems low even with good technique, ask for an in-person review with an IBCLC and your pediatric team before any procedure.
How To Tell Baby Is Getting Milk
Weight gain over time, swallowing sounds, and diaper counts paint the picture. Expect the pattern below to shift by baby, but steady wet diapers and soft color changes in stools suggest good intake. If numbers drop, book an in-person latch and transfer check.
| Day | Wet & Dirty Diapers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 1 pee, 1 meconium stool or more | Feed at the breast 8–12 times, watch for swallows. |
| Day 2 | 2 pees, 2 stools brown-green | Keep skin-to-skin and practice wide-mouth latches. |
| Day 3–4 | 3–4 pees, 3–4 stools green-to-yellow | Milk volume rises; latch should feel comfortable. |
| Day 5+ | 5–6+ pees, 3–4+ yellow stools | Baby often settles into longer rhythmic suck–swallow patterns. |
Output varies with each dyad. Track patterns, not single feeds. If diapers are far below the guide, if your nipples stay damaged, or if baby seems sleepy at the breast most sessions, arrange a same-day review with your IBCLC or pediatric team.
Comfort Care While You Heal
Use hand expression after feeds if breasts feel full in spots. A warm shower before feeding and cool packs for short periods after feeding can ease aches. Air-dry with a thin layer of expressed milk or a plain lanolin product if your skin tolerates it. Switch positions across the day to change pressure points on tender areas.
Between sessions, rest cheek-to-chest with your baby. Skin-to-skin steadies breathing, boosts your hormones that drive milk flow, and calms fussy stretches. Stretches for your shoulders and jaw while baby nurses can ease tension and help you settle into the next feed.
When To Get Hands-On Help
Book help fast if baby cannot stay on the breast, if you hear clicking with every suck, if nipples have open cracks that don’t improve, or if diaper counts are low. Weight checks that fall outside the expected pattern also deserve a prompt visit. Early tweaks protect your supply and your comfort.
If you live far from services, ask about video latch coaching for positioning, then follow with an in-person weight and oral exam. Keep a brief log of feed times, sides, and diaper counts to bring to that visit.
Hand Expression: A Helpful Bridge
When a baby struggles to latch in the first hours, your hands can get milk moving. Rub the areola in a circle to wake the reflexes, then place your thumb and finger about an inch behind the nipple. Press back toward the ribs, gently compress together. Rotate your hand around the breast and switch sides every few minutes.
Offer the drops on a clean spoon or your finger while practicing new latches. A minute or two of hand expression before each attempt softens the area so baby can take a bigger mouthful. If you have a pump nearby, a short priming session works too; keep it gentle and brief in the early days.
Sample 24-Hour Feeding Rhythm In The Early Days
Most newborns feed eight to twelve times across twenty-four hours. Think of it as one feed every two to three hours on average, with one cluster of closer feeds in the evening or overnight. Start the clock from the beginning of a feed, not the end. If three hours pass without cues, offer the breast anyway and use skin-to-skin to spark interest.
A sample day might look like this: a morning feed on the right, a brief burp and diaper check, then a second side. Ninety minutes later, a left-side start. Midday, a longer nap and then two closer late-afternoon feeds. After bedtime, side-lying can make overnight sessions calmer. This loose pattern keeps practice frequent while leaving room for your baby’s own rhythm.