How to Get a Good Latch: A Step-by-Step Guide

Almost every feeding question we get in a home visit traces back to the same thing: how the baby is attaching to the breast. A deep latch protects your comfort, drains the breast well, and tells your body to keep making milk. A shallow one does the opposite.

Here is the sequence we walk families through in person.

1. Get yourself comfortable first

Sit back rather than hunching forward. Support your own back and arms with pillows, and bring the baby to you instead of leaning down to the baby. Your shoulders should be able to drop.

2. Line the baby up nose-to-nipple

Baby's whole body faces you, ear, shoulder and hip in one line. Their nose, not their mouth, should line up with your nipple. That small offset is what allows the head to tip back and the chin to lead.

3. Wait for a wide mouth

Brush your nipple down from the nose to the upper lip. Wait for the mouth to open wide, like a yawn, before bringing the baby on. Bringing a baby on to a half-open mouth is the single most common cause of a shallow latch.

4. Chin first, then bring them close

Aim the chin into the breast and hug the baby in quickly and firmly across the shoulders. More of the areola should be visible above the top lip than below the bottom one.

5. Check the first minute

• Lips are flanged, not tucked in
• Chin is touching the breast, nose is clear
• Cheeks stay rounded, not dimpled
• You hear swallowing after the first few rapid sucks
• Any initial tugging fades within 10 to 20 seconds

If it still hurts

Pain past the first few seconds is information, not something to push through. Break the seal with a clean finger and start again. If two or three attempts still hurt, something structural may be in the way: positioning, oral restriction, engorgement, or nipple shape.

That is exactly what an in-home visit is for. Our IBCLCs watch a full feed, adjust in real time, and leave you with a plan you can repeat at 3 a.m. Learn more about latch difficulties or book a visit.