Find what works!

The most important thing to do in the early weeks of breastfeeding is figure out what works for you & your baby. This baby pictured here is 2 days old. He was having lots of trouble latching onto the breast right from birth. We tried different holds, different positions until this hold worked best! Baby had a few ties and difficulties maintaining a good sealed latch. The Koala position allowed baby to position the mouth on the breast so that the nipple landed in the mouth to help seal the latch. Mom was educated on hand expression and spoon feeding to ensure baby received the milk needed to gain weight and have enough diapers. It's important to not introduce a bottle so early on so that baby can have plenty of practice with the breast, especially if there is already a latch issue. Some key factors to remember is, focus on positioning the baby close to your body so that they are belly to belly with you. Make sure to sandwich and support the breast with one hand so that when baby opens wide they can be pushed on gently to get a nice deep latch. If it hurts, you hear clicking or air then it is not a proper seal and you should take them off and try again. Practice makes perfect and you and your baby are learning together. It’s so crucial to have a supportive team of professionals that can recognize issues before they become complications. If  you are following all of the proper steps for latch and position and are still having difficulties then reaching out as early as possible to get the help you  needed will help you learn the tools and techniques to succeed!