Online resources for getting a good latch

Getting a good latch and position is essential for comfortable, effective breastfeeding. For most mother-baby pairs, pain and discomfort melt within hours or days of finding a good position and latch.

But how to find that great latch? Your local La Leche League Leader is someone who will help you find the position and latch that work for you and your baby. Also, here are some great online resources for finding a good latch. Thank you to LLL Leaders Norma, Joni, and Joy for contributing these links.

POSITION AND LATCH BASICS

• How do I position my baby to breastfeed?
  
• When Latching by Jack Newman
• The Mother-Baby Dance

ANIMATED LATCH

• Animated Latch 1
• Animated Latch 2
• Animated Latch 3 (with article)

VIDEOS

• Dr. Jack Newman’s videos of nursing babies
• Latch on (article + video)
  By Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, Ameda Products
  

LET YOUR BABY GUIDE YOU TO A GOOD LATCH

• Infant Self-Attachment Teresa Pitman LEAVEN, Vol. 38 No. 6, December 2002 – January 2003, pp. 123-125.
• Baby-led Latching: An “Intuitive” Approach to Learning how to Breastfeed [PDF]
  By Mari Douma, DO
  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, College of Osteopathic Medicine,
  Michigan State University
  
• Baby-led Attachment
  
• Breast Crawl Video
• Suzanne Colson’s web site at: http://www.biologicalnurturing.com/ (You can email her and ask her for a copy of her article Optimal positions for the release of primitive neonatal reflexes stimulating breastfeeding)
  

SPECIAL SITUATIONS:

• When the baby refuses to latch on
  Handout #26. When the baby refuses to latch on. January 2005
  Written by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC. (c) 2005
• Nursing Lying Down (with pictures)
• Too swollen to latch on?
  Reverse pressure softening