All About Your Child

Always choose a Position that YOU ARE MOST COMFORTABLE with.

The Cradle Hold

This classic breastfeeding position requires you to cradle your baby’s head with the crook of your arm. Sit in a chair that has supportive armrests or on a bed with lots of pillows. Rest your feet on a stool, coffee table, or other raised surface to avoid leaning down toward your baby. Hold her in your lap (or on a pillow on your lap) so that she’s lying on her side with her face, stomach, and knees directly facing you. Tuck her lower arm under your own.

If she’s nursing on the right breast, rest her head in the crook of your right arm. Extend your forearm and hand down her back to support her neck, spine, and bottom. Secure her knees against your body, across or just below your left breast. She should lie horizontally, or at a slight angle.

Best for: The cradle hold often works well for full-term babies who were delivered vaginally. Some mothers say this hold makes it hard to guide their newborn’s mouth to the nipple, so you may prefer to use this position once your baby has stronger neck muscles at about 1 month old. Women who have had a cesarean section may find it puts too much pressure on their abdomen

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The Cross-Cradle or Football Hold

In this position you tuck your baby under your arm (on the same side that you’re nursing from) like a football or handbag. First, position your baby at your side, under your arm. She should be facing you with her nose level with your nipple and her feet pointing toward your back. Rest your arm on a pillow in your lap or right beside you, and support your baby’s shoulders, neck, and head with your hand. Using a C-hold (see picture), guide her to your nipple, chin first. But be careful — don’t push her toward your breast so much that she resists and arches her head against your hand. Use your forearm to support her upper back.

Best for: You may want to try this hold if you’ve had a Cesarean section (to avoid having the baby rest on your stomach). And if your baby is small or has trouble latching on, the hold allows you to guide her head to your nipple. It also works well for women who have large breasts or flat nipples, and for mothers of twins.

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For those of you who prefer to see the positions demonstrated, you can see this video. There are alot of pointers mentioned in the video. So mummy, tune up the volume and make sure you are paying attention.

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Side Lying Down Position

To nurse while lying on your side in bed, ask your partner or helper to place several pillows behind your back for support. You can put a pillow under your head and shoulders, and one between your bent knees, too. The goal is to keep your back and hips in a straight line. With your baby facing you, draw her close and cradle her head with the hand of your bottom arm. Or, cradle her head with your top arm, tucking your bottom arm under your head, out of the way. If your baby needs to be higher and closer to your breast, place a small pillow or folded receiving blanket under her head. She shouldn’t strain to reach your nipple, and you shouldn’t bend down toward her.

Best for: You may want to nurse lying down if you’re recovering from a cesarean or difficult delivery, sitting up is uncomfortable, or you’re nursing in bed at night or during the day

For me? The Cradle because I was most comfortable in it. For Matin’s mummy, its definitely the Side Lying Down Position and she often continues her sleep while little Matin is nursing, she still does that for her second son, Hadi.

What is your favourite position?

Mummy must have enough rest. I understand that there are bound to be alot of visitors for happy occasions like these, especially if this is your first baby. However, it would be better to limit visitors to allow more nursing opportunities.

Mothers and babies should learn how to sleep in the same rhythm. Thus, when the baby starts waking for a feed, the mother will also start to wake up naturally. The baby would normally shows signs before he starts crying that he is ready to feed.

His breathing may change or he may start to stretch. The mother, being in light sleep, will wake up, her milk will start to flow and the calm baby will be content to nurse. The amount of rest you have do affect the supply of your milk.

I remember there were a few days when Keatkeat was sick and I had to take extra time to take care of him. Binbin did not feed as well as he usually does, he would want to feed more often then usual and my breast gets emptied faster. Yet this was just a matter of a few days of less rest.

A baby who has been crying for some time before being tried on the breast may refuse to take the breast even if he is super hungry. Mothers and babies should be encouraged to sleep side by side in hospital. This is a great way for mothers to rest while the baby nurses, especially when you are nursing using the ‘lying down’ position. Breastfeeding should be relaxing and enjoyable, not tiring and frustrating.

Please, leave the household chores to your husband, get him to play his part to show his support in your duty to breastfeed. At this moment, really want the world to know how blessed I am to have Allan as my husband.

So did you have enough rest?

Review : Breastfeed with confidence tip 1-Timing, tip 2-Comfort, tip 3-Latching, tip 4-Milk Supply 1, tip 4-Milk Supply 2, tip 4-Milk Supply 3