The cradle and cross-cradle positions are two of the most widely used positions. They are the natural ways in which we hold infants, cradled close to our bodies and held securely. In the cradle and cross-cradle position, you will want to sit up straight on a comfortable chair, couch, or bed—ideally, a seat without arms on it, so you can freely move your arms to position yourself and your baby better.
To nurse in the cross-cradle position, hold your baby with the opposite arm and hand from the breast you’re feeding with by supporting the back of your baby’s head with your open hand. If you need to support your breast, you can do so with your other hand. If you don’t need to support your breast, then your other arm can either relax or go directly under the arm actively holding your little one.
The cradle position is very similar to the cross-cradle position, except the other arm is actively holding your baby. In the cradle position, hold and support your baby with the arm on the same side of your body as the breast you’re feeding with.
So, if you’re nursing on the left side, support your baby with your left arm, and if you are nursing on the right side, support your baby with your right arm. With the cradle position, instead of your baby’s head resting on your open hand, it will now be resting in the crook of your arm. While this position can be a natural, easy way to nurse, one major pitfall can be your natural tendency to slouch forward to meet the baby to nurse. This can cause pain in your back, shoulders, arms, and wrists.
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Instead, in this position and all positions, you should bring your baby toward you to nurse, pulling him up and close to you rather than leaning toward him. Keep your baby in a neutral and comfortable position with your arms holding him securely, but stay relaxed. While it may be helpful for some mothers to hold their breast when nursing young infants who don’t yet have the head, neck, and body control to stay at the breast effectively, it isn’t necessary for all mothers to do this.
If you and your infant can nurse comfortably without supporting your breast with
your hands, then, by all means, do so.
Cradle Position
Football Hold
The football hold is a favorite of hospital lactation consultants because it gives the breastfeeding mother a lot of control over her infant’s position, especially if the baby is squirming or small and needs lots of support at the breast. It’s also a great position for mothers who have had a cesarean section and mothers who have large or pendulous breasts. However, you should remember that just because it might be the favorite position of the lactation consultant who taught you to nurse at the hospital, this doesn’t mean it has to be yours, or even that you have to master this position. Remember, even when someone is showing you multiple nursing positions, you should always stick with the one that’s the most comfortable for you and your baby. If the football hold isn’t it, that’s OK.
baby—as if you were a quarterback running down the field with the ball tucked under your arm. Sit comfortably and position your baby on the side of your body that you’ll be feeding on. Hold your little one close, with his abdomen touching the side of your rib cage. In the early stages, using a nursing pillow can be useful to help position your baby while you work on getting your arms and hands in the right place. With your open hand, support your baby’s head and guide it toward your breast. If you need to support your breast, use the open hand from your inactive arm. This is also the most common position used to nurse two infants at once, although siblings can also comfortably be nursed while they’re in a seated position or in two different positions at once, such as one infant in a cradle hold and the other in the ball hold.
Football Hold
Laid-Back Position
Much as the name “laid-back breastfeeding” implies, in this position, all you have to do is lie back and your baby does the rest. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that he’s well supported by your hands, but in this position, the baby calls the shots. Many now believe that the laid-back position is the most natural position for an infant to nurse in, which is why it also goes by the name “biological nurturing” or “biological nursing.” In fact, immediately after birth, if allowed, an infant will slowly crawl on his own up his mother’s stomach and to the breast of his choosing and latch on. Newborns are not known for their speed or accuracy so this process can take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour, which is why it’s not often observed. However, seeing infants do this on their own is an awe-inspiring treat. If you don’t have the time to wait for your infant to crawl all the way up your belly to latch on his own, don’t worry—there’s a shortcut. In this position, you’ll need to position yourself comfortably in bed or on a sofa with an ottoman so that you’re in a well-supported, reclined position. Position your little one on your stomach right in front of your breast so that you’re stomach to stomach. He will do a lot of bobbing around at the breast, opening his mouth widely to take in the nipple and coming back up to correct his position and latch if he does not do it properly the first time. This position facilitates a wide latch that gives your baby complete control over the feeding process. If you have a strong or fast letdown reflex—the hormonal reaction that causes your milk to surge in a large stream—then this position allows your infant to let some milk fall out of his mouth rather than trying to suck it all down at a frantic pace. Laid-back nursing is a relaxing position in which you and your baby should be well supported and able to enjoy the experience of nursing together.
Laid Back
Seated Hold
The seated breastfeeding position is one that older babies who have good control over their heads and necks tend to naturally do on their own. Depending on the developmental stage, many infants will even go from sitting to standing at the breast in this position, straddling your legs. This position is also useful for mothers who have a strong or fast letdown or for infants with swallowing difficulties, physical anomalies (like a cleft palate), or problems with reflux. To breastfeed your baby in a seated position, sit him on one thigh, hugging him close to your body. Support his back and head with your hand as needed according to his developmental stage.
Seated Hold
Side-Lying Position
Side-lying is an ideal position for just about any time of day but is especially useful when your little one is going through a growth spurt and is nursing more often and longer than usual. Side-lying is a passive nursing position in which almost your entire body can relax, allowing you to nurse in comfort—making it an ideal nighttime nursing position as well. In fact, many mothers have told me that just the small act of lying down to nurse at night rather than sitting up in bed or in a chair makes a great deal of difference in how rested they feel the next day. To nurse in the side-lying position, lie on your side with your baby facing your breast. Support your little one with one hand and position your other arm above your head. This formation is
a natural and instinctive position called the “Mother’s C.” You’ll notice that with your little one lying next to you, your arm will automatically extend above your head and your knees will curl up to provide a cocoon for him to nurse in. This is a protective position that helps prevent rolling onto or away from your baby as well as prevents others nearby from doing the same.
Side-Lying Position
SWITCHING BREASTS
Some women worry that they won’t be able to adequately feed their baby due to the size of their breasts. However, you can’t determine your breast milk storage capacity by looking at your breast. The size or shape does not determine how much milk each breast can hold at one time. A mother with a higher breast milk storage capacity has all the milk her infant needs for one nursing session in one breast, while a
mother with a moderate breast milk storage capacity has all the milk her infant needs for one nursing session split between both breasts—neither is “right” or better. Sometimes your infant will nurse at one breast, sometimes both. It all depends on your breasts’ storage capacity, your infant’s calorie needs at that time, or even your infant’s mood at that nursing session.
How will you know when and if to switch breasts during a nursing session? Follow your infant’s cues. If your infant nurses at one breast, then unlatch, content and no longer showing signs of hunger, then the nursing session is complete. If he nurses on one side but is still showing signs of hunger, then offer the other breast.
Early signs of hunger in an infant include smacking lips, rooting, trying to get into a nursing position, suckling, or attempting to suck on his lips, fingers, or hands.
However, not every infant will have these same hunger cues, and some of these are just normal baby behavior. For instance, in many babies, lip-smacking isn’t related to hunger, whereas in some infants it is. It’s important to watch your baby’s body language to learn what his needs are as best you can.
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