Why Positioning & Attachment Really Matter in Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding sounds natural, but it is a skill that you and your baby learn together. If you think about learning to drive a car, it takes lots of practice and patience! Two things can help get the basics off on the right start: positioning (how your baby is held at the breast) and attachment (how your baby’s mouth latches on).
Let’s break it down.
Positioning: “Where” Really Matters
Positioning is about how you and your baby are aligned, supported, and comfortable during a feed.
Good positioning helps your baby:
- Stay calm and stable
- Reach the breast easily
- Coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing
Positioning also hugely affects attachment — a comfortable posture makes it easier for your baby to latch deeply and feed effectively.
A great position that we often start with is “laid-back” breastfeeding (sometimes called biological nurturing), where you recline slightly and let your shoulders relax and be supported — its especially useful in the early days, fantastic to do skin-to-skin, or if your baby is sleepy.
See this approach here: https://www.biologicalnurturing.com/sample-of-biological-nurturing/
Research even finds that this position can help reduce nipple soreness as it’s working with gravity and encourages your baby to use its natural instincts and reflexes to find the breast
Attachment: The “Latch”
Attachment refers to how your baby takes the breast — and this is where we’re looking to create effective milk transfer.
An optimal latch means:
- Your baby’s mouth is wide open
- They take in a lot of breast tissue (not just the nipple)
- Their chin touches the breast, and their nose stays free
- Nursing feels comfortable or pain-free for you
A shallow latch can lead to:
- Painful nipples
- Ineffective milk transfer (which can affect baby’s weight gain)
- Fussier, longer feeds
- Blocked ducts or mastitis in the breastfeeding parent
Here are some great clips showing what an optimal attachment looks like:
- Classic latch demonstration (simple and clear): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjt-Ashodw8
- Anatomy-based explanation: https://globalhealthmedia.org/portfolio-items/attaching-your-baby-at-the-breast/
- Asymmetric latch focus — deeper latch, less pain: https://ibconline.ca/the-asymmetric-latch/
- A cool trick to help a deeper latch (“exaggerated/flipple latch”):
https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated-latch-flipple-breastfeeding-technique/
https://youtu.be/41fC0fQs1P8 - Another look at baby’s latch and rhythm: https://www.facebook.com/411977425899963/videos/652493668913491/
Wrap-Up
Positioning and attachment are the foundations of effective, comfortable breastfeeding. When your baby is well positioned and deeply attached, they get more milk, you make more milk, and both of you enjoy sweeter, calmer feeds.
Remember:
- Keep baby close and aligned — tummy to tummy, baby’s spine aligned (horizontal, diagonal, vertical) no obstructions to hands or nose
- If feeds hurt — gently unlatch and try again; pain isn’t “normal.”
- Try different positions — your comfort matters too
You can also try out, side-lying feeding which is brilliant for resting during night feeds or when you’re tired — and they can make it easier for your baby to stay relaxed and latch.
Watch how it looks here: https://youtu.be/MZARPE9RUGE
And remember: every baby is different. What works for your friend might not be perfect for you — so take your time, watch helpful videos, and trust that with a few tweaks, it can get easier.