Latching your baby to breastfeed

A latch can look close from across the room yet still feel pinching, leave a nipple misshapen after a feed, or make feeding feel like an anxious negotiation rather than a moment of connection. Learning how to improve infant latch is not about achieving a picture-perfect position. It is about helping an individual baby feed as comfortably and effectively as possible, while protecting the wellbeing of the person feeding them.

For some families, a few small changes can make a meaningful difference quite quickly. For others, persistent difficulty is a sign that the whole feeding picture needs skilled attention. This may include the baby’s health and development, feeding history, milk supply, breast or chest comfort, bottle-feeding technique, oral function and the circumstances surrounding the feeding difficulties. Anatomy provides information. Function provides context.

How to breastfeed: begin with the feed, not a diagnosis

A single symptom does not always have a single cause. Sometimes there is one clear contributing factor, but often several factors overlap. Nipple pain, frequent feeding, clicking, slipping from the breast, unsettled behaviour or concerns about milk transfer can all have different explanations, and the same symptom may have more than one possible cause.

This is why it can be more useful to observe an entire feed where possible rather than immediately focusing on the latch itself. The baby’s age, gestation, weight, health, feeding history and development all provide important context, as does the caregiver’s experience, comfort and feeding goal.

Before bringing the baby to the breast or chest, look for early feeding cues. These can include stirring, waking, turning towards touch, bringing their hands towards their mouth, licking and opening the mouth. Responding to these cues gives the baby an opportunity to begin feeding before they become very distressed.

If a baby is already crying hard, you may have missed the earlier feeding cues. Crying is a late feeding cue, and a baby who is highly distressed may find it more difficult to organise their movements and coordinate feeding. Trying repeatedly to latch a very upset baby can make the experience stressful for both of you.

Instead, calm first. Holding the baby close, offering skin-to-skin contact, cuddling or simply allowing them a moment to settle can help. Once the baby is calmer and showing signs that they are ready to feed, you can try again. This is not a failure or a missed opportunity; it is responding to what the baby needs at that moment.

Positioning your baby for breastfeeding

There is no single correct breastfeeding position. The caregiver needs to be comfortable and well supported, while the baby needs to be close enough to remain stable and secure. Keeping the baby’s whole body in contact with the caregiver can help them feel anchored and supported while feeding, rather than having to use energy to stabilise themselves.

Where possible, bring the baby’s body towards you rather than leaning your breast or chest towards the baby. Their head, neck and body should be positioned so that they can approach the breast or chest without having to twist their head. Supporting the shoulders and upper back, rather than pressing on the back of the head, allows the baby freedom to move their head and neck as they open their mouth and attach.

The exact position will vary according to the baby’s size, gestation, tone, development and health, as well as the caregiver’s body, breast or chest shape, comfort and feeding history. Positioning should therefore be adapted to the individual baby and caregiver rather than treated as a rigid set of instructions.

How to latch a baby: head and chin first, then up and over

Once your baby is calm, close to you and showing feeding readiness, position them so that their nose is in line with your nipple. The next part is not about putting the nipple directly into the centre of the baby’s mouth. Instead, the nipple can be used to gently stimulate the baby’s upper lip and encourage the gape reflex, giving the baby an opportunity to open their mouth widely before attachment.

As the mouth opens, think about the baby’s head and chin coming towards the breast or chest first. The nipple should be angled upwards towards the roof of the baby’s mouth rather than pointing directly forwards into the centre of the mouth.

A useful way to visualise the direction is to think about pointing the nipple upwards towards the baby’s nose, almost as though you were going up towards the eye, rather than straight forwards. This encourages an asymmetrical approach to the breast or chest rather than trying to position the nipple like a bullseye in the centre of the mouth.

As the baby’s mouth opens wide, allow their head to tip back into extension and bring the baby up and over the nipple and breast or chest. The chin comes into contact with the breast or chest first, followed by the mouth coming up and over to take in a mouthful of breast or chest tissue.

One way of picturing the movement is to imagine someone taking a drink from a pint glass. Their head tips back, their chin comes forward and their mouth comes up and over the rim of the glass. The baby’s attachment has a similar up-and-over quality.

This is very different from trying to place the nipple directly into the centre of the baby’s mouth, as though the baby were sucking through a straw. The baby is not simply being positioned over the nipple; they are using their own movements to open, approach and attach.

If the baby misses the latch, nothing has gone wrong. They can try again. Newborn babies are learning how to breastfeed, and caregivers are learning how to support them. It can take practice for both parties to become familiar with the movements involved.

There is no need for either of you to get it right first time. The aim is not to make the baby hit a precise target, but to give them the opportunity to open widely, approach the breast or chest effectively and develop a comfortable, functional attachment.

The asymmetrical latch

A comfortable latch does not necessarily look symmetrical. Rather than aiming the nipple directly into the centre of the baby’s mouth, an asymmetrical attachment allows the baby to take breast or chest tissue into the mouth, with the nipple positioned towards the roof of the mouth.

This is why trying to achieve a “bullseye” latch can be unhelpful. The aim is not for the nipple to sit centrally in the baby’s mouth, nor is the aim for the baby to suck only on the nipple as though it were a straw. The baby needs to take an appropriate amount of breast or chest tissue into their mouth so that they can maintain attachment, generate suction and transfer milk.

The baby’s chin may be deeply into the breast or chest while the nose remains relatively clear. Exactly how this looks will vary according to the individual baby’s mouth, the caregiver’s anatomy and the feeding position. What matters is not whether the latch looks identical to a textbook image, but whether the baby is feeding effectively and comfortably.

A latch can look unusual and still function very well. Equally, a latch can look close to the expected picture and still be painful or ineffective. Appearance provides information, but function provides the context.

What should a comfortable and effective latch feel like?

A comfortable latch generally feels different from a pinching, rubbing or biting sensation. Breastfeeding can feel unfamiliar, particularly during the early days, and some caregivers may experience brief tenderness, but persistent sharp or pinching pain should not simply be accepted as something that has to be endured.

After a feed, the nipple should not routinely be severely compressed, creased or misshapen. You may see the baby’s jaw moving as they feed, with periods of quicker sucking followed by deeper, slower sucking and pauses. Swallowing may be visible or audible, although it is not always easy to recognise.

The baby may come off the breast or chest looking relaxed and satisfied, but behaviour alone cannot tell us whether milk transfer has been adequate. Feeding frequency, urine and stool output, weight gain and the baby’s general wellbeing all form part of the wider picture.

Milk transfer cannot be judged by latch appearance alone. A baby may feed frequently for many different reasons, and frequent feeding does not automatically mean that there is not enough milk. Equally, a baby appearing settled after a feed does not, by itself, confirm effective milk transfer.

If breastfeeding hurts, try again

If the latch feels pinchy or shallow, gently breaking the suction and trying again can be more helpful than continuing through pain. Place a clean finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth to release the suction, then allow both of you to reset before offering the breast or chest again.

A reset is not a setback. It gives the baby another opportunity to practise and gives the caregiver another opportunity to adjust the baby’s position and attachment. Sometimes a small change is enough, such as bringing the baby’s body closer, allowing the head to tip back, waiting for a wider gape or changing the angle at which the baby approaches.

If pain continues despite adjustments, or if the baby repeatedly slips towards the nipple or cannot maintain the attachment, it is worth looking beyond positioning alone.

Persistent nipple pain, cracking, bleeding or repeated nipple compression deserves attention rather than simply being accepted as part of breastfeeding.

Protecting your milk supply

Effective and frequent milk removal is an important part of establishing and maintaining milk supply. Milk production is regulated by the process of milk removal and the physiological signals associated with demand. If milk is consistently removed less effectively, this can reduce the stimulation to produce milk.

However, concerns about milk supply should not automatically be attributed to latch. Supply can be influenced by many factors, including feeding frequency, infant milk transfer, breast or chest physiology, previous breastfeeding experiences, supplementation, expressing or pumping, medications and caregiver health.

This is why protecting milk supply is not about making every feed look perfect. It is about understanding what is happening and ensuring that milk is being removed appropriately for the family’s feeding goals. If milk transfer is a concern, a feeding assessment can help determine whether the issue relates to attachment, the baby’s ability to transfer milk, milk flow, feeding frequency or another factor.

When latch difficulties need a wider assessment

Sometimes changing positioning solves a breastfeeding problem. Sometimes it does not. If difficulties persist, it is important to consider the whole feeding picture rather than repeatedly changing the position of the baby and hoping that something eventually works.

A baby’s gestation, birth experience, health, jaundice, nasal congestion, tone, oral function, neurological development and previous feeding experiences may all influence feeding. Breast or chest fullness, nipple anatomy, milk flow and the caregiver’s physical comfort can also affect the experience.

Emotional wellbeing matters too. When every feed has become an anxious negotiation, families may need more than another instruction to “get a deeper latch”. They may need someone to observe what is actually happening, listen to their experience and consider the possible contributing factors with them.

A single symptom should therefore not automatically lead to a single diagnosis. Clicking, pain, frequent feeding, slipping from the breast, unsettled behaviour or concerns about milk supply are all useful pieces of information, but none should be interpreted in isolation.

What about tongue-tie?

A lingual frenulum is an anatomical structure. Its presence does not automatically mean that a baby has a functional feeding problem or requires treatment.

Tongue-tie may be one consideration when feeding difficulties persist, but it should not be used as a catch-all explanation for pain, poor attachment, clicking, frequent feeding or concerns about milk transfer. Many babies with a visible lingual frenulum feed effectively, while babies with feeding difficulties may have other contributing factors.

Assessment should consider tongue movement and oral function in the context of feeding, alongside the infant’s history, development, weight and clinical wellbeing.

Anatomy provides information. Function provides context.

Where tongue-tie is considered clinically relevant, decisions about frenotomy should be based on the individual infant and feeding circumstances rather than the appearance of the frenulum alone. Evidence from randomised trials remains limited, although frenotomy may provide short-term relief of maternal nipple pain in some circumstances (O’Shea et al., 2017).

Breastfeeding support should include bottle feeding too

Infant feeding support should not stop at the breast or chest. Some families exclusively breastfeed, while others combination feed, express milk, use donor milk or formula, or bottle feed their baby. Feeding plans can also change over time as the needs of the baby and family change.

Bottle feeding is a skill too. A baby may have difficulty maintaining a seal around the teat, coordinating sucking, swallowing and breathing, managing milk flow or remaining regulated throughout a feed. Signs such as clicking, dribbling, repeated loss of the teat, coughing, spluttering, prolonged feeds or distress may provide useful information, but none of these signs alone identifies a particular cause.

Responsive bottle feeding can help caregivers follow the baby’s cues. Holding the baby close and semi-upright, allowing pauses and avoiding pressure to finish a feed can help the baby have greater control over the pace and volume of the feed.

Skilled infant-feeding support should therefore reflect the feeding method a family is actually using rather than assuming that every family is exclusively breastfeeding.

When should you seek skilled breastfeeding support?

You do not need to wait until feeding has become unbearable before asking for help. Skilled support may be useful if breastfeeding remains painful, nipples are cracked or bleeding, the nipple is repeatedly misshapen after feeds, the baby repeatedly slips off the breast or cannot maintain attachment, feeds are consistently very long or exhausting, or there are concerns about milk transfer, milk supply or weight gain.

Support can also be valuable for families who are combination feeding, expressing or pumping, introducing bottles or managing a change in their feeding plan. If you have concerns about your baby’s oral function, or feeding has become stressful and is affecting your wellbeing, a detailed assessment can help identify what support may be appropriate.

If a baby is difficult to wake for feeds, has signs of dehydration, is becoming increasingly lethargic, has significant jaundice or there are concerns about inadequate intake or weight gain, prompt assessment by an appropriate healthcare professional is important.

Early, individualised breastfeeding support is recommended by the World Health Organization and NICE, particularly when pain, milk-transfer concerns or feeding difficulties are present. Evidence suggests that breastfeeding support can improve breastfeeding outcomes, particularly when support is appropriately targeted and tailored to the needs of the individual family (McFadden et al., 2017; World Health Organization, 2018).

The value of skilled breastfeeding and infant-feeding support

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is a specialist in lactation and infant feeding who has met the education, clinical experience and examination requirements established by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.

The IBCLC Commission describes the IBCLC credential as the “gold standard in lactation care”. Maintaining the credential requires ongoing professional development and recertification, supporting continuing competence as evidence, professional standards and infant-feeding practice develop (IBCLC Commission, 2026).

Skilled IBCLC support extends well beyond demonstrating a particular latch technique. An IBCLC can take a detailed feeding history, observe a feed, consider infant and caregiver factors, assess breastfeeding and milk transfer, discuss milk supply, support expressing and pumping, and help families who are breastfeeding, combination feeding or bottle feeding.

A skilled practitioner should also recognise the limits of their own scope of practice and identify when medical, paediatric, speech and language therapy, dietetic, dental, oral-motor or other specialist assessment may be appropriate. Good infant-feeding care is not about finding one explanation for every difficulty; it is about assessing the individual feeding situation and knowing when further expertise is needed.

Professional certification is not the end of learning. IBCLCs are required to maintain their credential through continuing professional development and recertification requirements. This provides a framework for maintaining professional competence throughout practice (IBCLC Commission, 2026).

For families, this matters because infant feeding is not static. A newborn’s needs can change rapidly, and prematurity, illness, growth, developmental changes, changes in milk supply, returning to work, introducing bottles, expressing or changing feeding goals can all alter the support that is needed.

The most useful support is therefore individualised, evidence-informed and responsive to the family rather than based on a single snapshot of feeding.

There is no single way to breastfeed

The goal is not to make every baby look the same while feeding. It is to help each baby and caregiver find a way of feeding that is comfortable, effective and sustainable for them.

Sometimes that means a small positioning adjustment. Sometimes it means calming a baby before trying again. Sometimes it means changing the way the baby approaches the breast or chest and allowing an asymmetrical attachment. Sometimes persistent difficulties require a much broader assessment.

And sometimes the most helpful thing a family can hear is that they are learning together. Missing the latch on the first attempt does not mean that either the baby or caregiver is doing anything wrong. Breastfeeding is a skill that develops through repeated opportunities, observation and adjustment.

The most useful question is not simply whether a latch looks right. It is whether the baby is feeding effectively and comfortably, whether milk transfer and supply are being supported, and whether the approach is sustainable for the person feeding them.

That is where calm, skilled and individualised breastfeeding and infant-feeding support can make a real difference.

References

Colson, S., Meek, J. and Hawdon, J. (2008) ‘Optimal positions for the release of primitive neonatal reflexes stimulating breastfeeding’, Early Human Development, 84(7), pp. 441–449. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.12.003.

IBCLC Commission (2026) Start your IBCLC journey. Available at: https://ibclc-commission.org/how-to-become-an-ibclc/ (Accessed: 31 August 2026).

IBCLC Commission (2026) Step 1: Prepare for IBCLC recertification. Available at: https://ibclc-commission.org/how-to-become-an-ibclc/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-recertification/ (Accessed: 31 August 2026).

McFadden, A., Gavine, A., Renfrew, M.J., Wade, A., Buchanan, P., Taylor, J.L., Veitch, E., Rennie, A.M., Crowther, S.A., Neiman, S. and MacGillivray, S. (2017) ‘Support for healthy breastfeeding mothers with healthy term babies’, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, CD001141. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001141.pub5.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2021) Postnatal care: NICE guideline NG194. London: NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194 (Accessed: 31 August 2026).

O’Shea, J.E., Foster, J.P., O’Donnell, C.P.F., Breathnach, D., Jacobs, S.E., Todd, D.A. and Davis, P.G. (2017) ‘Frenotomy for tongue-tie in newborn infants’, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3, CD011065. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011065.pub2.

World Health Organization (2018) Guideline: counselling of women to improve breastfeeding practices. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550468 (Accessed: 31 August 2026).