Breastfeeding latch: what a good latch looks like, and what to do when it hurts

Latch is the way your baby attaches to your breast to feed. In a good latch your baby's mouth covers the nipple and a big mouthful of the darker areola around it. HealthHub says you may feel a tug when your baby starts to suck, but no nipple pain. KKH says that when breastfeeding hurts, a poor latch is the most common cause.

Signs of a good latch

HealthHub lists what to look for once your baby is on:

• Upper and lower lips flared out, sealing onto the breast.
• Chin touching the breast, nose slightly away from it.
• The areola drawn into your baby's mouth.
• Cheeks that look full and round.
• A suck, swallow, breathe rhythm, with pauses.

The NHS adds one more check: you should see much more of the darker skin above your baby's top lip than below the bottom lip.

How to help your baby latch

Get comfortable first. HealthHub suggests a pillow or cushion behind your back and under the arm holding your baby, with your baby facing you chest to chest. Then follow the NHS steps:

1. Hold your baby close with their nose level with your nipple.
2. Let their head tip back a little so the top lip brushes your nipple. This makes them open wide.
3. When the mouth is wide open, bring your baby to the breast chin first.
4. Do not lean forward or push your breast into the mouth. The NHS says that can lead to poor attachment.
5. Avoid holding the back of the head, so your baby can tilt back and take a deep mouthful.

To take your baby off, HealthHub says to slide a small finger into the corner of the mouth, between the gums, to break the suction first.

Signs the latch needs work

Pain is the clearest one. KKH says you may feel some tenderness in the first few days as your body adjusts, but breastfeeding should never be painful, and you should get help quickly if it is. The NHS names position and attachment as one of the most common causes of nipple and breast pain.

Other signs: your baby falls asleep before the slow, deep swallows start, which the NHS says can mean they are not properly attached. A baby who seems to want the breast all day may not be getting milk out well; Cleveland Clinic calls this a transfer problem, and it can look like constant cluster feeding. A very full breast is harder to latch onto, so engorgement and a shallow latch often turn up together. SingHealth lists sore or cracked nipples as a risk factor for mastitis, which is one more reason to fix the latch early.

Getting your latch checked in Singapore

Start on the ward. KKH says its staff teach you to massage your breast and latch your baby correctly before you go home, and HealthHub encourages rooming in so you can learn your baby's early feeding cues. Ask the nurse to stay and watch a whole feed.

After discharge, KKH's Lactation Clinic sees mothers in person or by tele-consultation (6225 5554, ask for Lactation Services), and SGH's lactation clinic assesses latch on weekdays. A lactation consultant can watch from beside you and adjust your hold. Our breastfeeding support guide has the full step-by-step latch, the positions that suit a caesarean, and who to call.

Frequently asked questions

What does latch mean in breastfeeding?

It means how your baby attaches to the breast. A good latch takes in the areola as well as the nipple, so the nipple sits deep in the mouth and milk flows well.

Should a good latch hurt?

No. KKH says you may feel some tenderness in the first few days, but breastfeeding should not be painful. If it does hurt, KKH says to get help as soon as possible.

How do I take my baby off the breast without pain?

Slide a clean little finger into the corner of your baby's mouth, between the gums, to release the suction before you move the nipple out. HealthHub gives this method.

Why does my baby fall asleep at the breast so quickly?

Newborns are sleepy, but the NHS says a baby who dozes off before the deep swallowing stage may not be properly attached. Ask a nurse or lactation consultant to check a feed.

Related terms

• Lactation Consultant (IBCLC): A breastfeeding specialist; IBCLC is the international credential. Helps with latch, pain, supply and pumping.
• Cluster Feeding: When your baby feeds again and again over a few hours, usually in the evening. Normal, and it builds supply.
• Engorgement: Breasts that are overfull, hard and painful, most often in the first days after birth as your milk comes in.
• Mastitis: A painful, inflamed patch of breast, often infected, with fever and chills. Common in the first months of breastfeeding.
• Let-down Reflex: The reflex that makes your stored milk flow when your baby sucks. Some mums feel a tingle, others feel nothing.
• Colostrum: The thick yellow first milk your body makes in the first few days after birth.

See every term in the glossary