Comfortable breastfeeding positions

There’s no single “right” way to hold your baby to feed — the best position is whichever lets your baby latch deeply and keeps you comfortable enough to relax through a feed that might last twenty minutes or more. It’s worth trying a few to find your favourites.

A handful of principles make any position work better: bring your baby to your breast rather than hunching down to them; line them up chest-to-chest so they don’t have to turn their head; support their neck and shoulders (not the back of their head) so they can tilt back and open wide; and use cushions or a feeding pillow to bring them up to height, so your arms and back aren’t taking the strain.

The cradle hold — baby across your front, head near the crook of your arm — is the classic, and lovely once feeding is established. The cross-cradle (supporting baby with the opposite arm) gives you more control of the latch and is great in the early weeks.

The football or underarm hold tucks your baby along your side, which many find helpful after a caesarean (keeping weight off your tummy), with larger breasts, or when feeding twins. And the laid-back position — you reclined and well supported, baby tummy-down on your chest — lets their feeding instincts do a lot of the work and is wonderfully relaxed.

Side-lying, where you both lie facing each other, is a sanity-saver for night feeds and while recovering from a difficult birth — just follow safe-sleep guidance and move your baby back to their own safe sleep space afterwards.

A few small tricks help whichever hold you use. If your baby drifts off mid-feed, gently compressing your breast (a soft squeeze) can give them an extra flow and keep them going. Offer both breasts at a feed in the early weeks, and start the next feed on the side you finished on. If your letdown is fast and floods your baby, the laid-back position lets them manage the flow more easily. And once you’re confident, feeding in a sling or carrier can be a lifesaver out and about — there’s no need to hide away to do it, though a light muslin is there if you’d prefer the privacy.

Whatever you choose, settle yourself first: water within reach, back supported, shoulders down. If a position leaves you aching or your baby fussing, it’s not the one — switch it up. Your midwife or a lactation consultant can help you fine-tune if it isn’t clicking.