• Feeding cues
  To feed effectively, a baby has to wake up and let his or her mother know that he or she wants to eat often enough in 24 hours. Watch your baby and begin breastfeeding when you see him or her demonstrating any of these feeding cues:

• Licking.

• Making sucking movements.

• Rooting.

• Bobbing the head against the mattress or your neck or shoulder.

• Bringing hands to face or mouth.

• Squawking.

Crying is a late feeding cue, and many babies have difficulty latching once they become frustrated and begin to cry.

• Feeding positions
  It will be easier for your baby to accomplish latch-on if he or she is snugly in a good position for feeding. The most common feeding positions include the following:

• Cradle - the baby is held in the crook/elbow area of the arm on the same side as the breast to be used for feeding; mother supports the breast with the opposite hand; baby's body is rolled in toward mother's body so they are belly-to-belly. 

• Cross-cradle - baby's head is supported by the hand opposite the breast to be used for feeding; mother supports breast with hand; baby is rolled in toward mother's body belly-to-belly. 
  

•  Football/clutch - baby's head is supported by the hand on the same side as the breast to be used for feeding; baby's body is supported on a pillow and tucked under the arm on the same side as the breast to be used for feeding. 

• Side-lying using modified cradle - in this position, the baby lies next to the mother with mother's and baby's bodies facing each other. If a pillow under your arm is uncomfortable, try placing your baby in the crook of your arm. This way, you will not be likely to roll over on the baby should you doze off. This position also keeps the baby's head at a good angle to bring baby and breast together, with the baby's head higher than his or her tummy, which can be helpful for babies who are more likely to spit up.

• Deep latch-on
  To help your baby achieve a deep latch, support your breast from underneath with your hand. A C-hold, with your thumb on top and your fingers underneath your breast - at least 1 ½ to 2 inches behind the nipple - gives good support for the cradle or cross-cradle positions. A U-hold, in which you slide your hand so your thumb is on one side of the breast and your fingers on the other, is a variation of the C-hold often used when a baby is placed in the football (clutch) position for feeding. You may not have to continue to use a C or U hold if your breasts are smaller, but mothers with larger breasts often maintain the hold throughout the feeding.

To help your baby latch-on correctly, tickle baby's lip with your nipple and wait for him or her to open wide. Then bring the baby and your breast together in one swift motion. The baby should have a big mouthful of your breast, and his or her chin and nose should be touching your breast. Your baby's lips should be flanged outward like a trumpet or fish lips. The lips should not be pursed or rolled in. If you were to roll down your baby's lower lip, you should see baby's tongue gliding in front of the lower gum. The tongue should also "cup" your nipple and areola.

Do not press down near the areola with your thumb thinking this will help your baby breathe. This will pull your nipple from the back of your baby's mouth, where it needs to be. Babies' noses are designed to "smush" against their mother's breast as they feed. That is why their noses are flat - so they can latch-on deeply to the breast yet still be able to breathe.  If you are concerned about your baby's ability to breathe, pull your baby's lower body in closer to you or lift your breast rather than pressing down on your breast.

It is called breastfeeding, not nipple-feeding, for a reason. If your baby's latch is shallow - not deep onto the areola, he or she may appear to be "hanging" on the nipple tip. When this occurs, the baby will not be able to remove milk from your breast very well. This would decrease the amount of milk your baby drinks, so feedings may take more than 45 minutes and your baby may not gain weight as he or she should. Also, your nipples are more likely to become very sore or cracked.

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Find out information about the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Lactation Management Service.

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