Hellobee Boards Topic: How do I work on his latch?

Hellobee Boards Topic: How do I work on his latch? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Jul 2026 22:24:28 +0000 pregnantbee on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-998870 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 09:43:36 +0000 pregnantbee 998870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: Yay! So glad to hear that it's getting better. Keep up the great work. It will get even better when baby gets a little bigger and starts getting better head control. Ra on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-998660 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 08:55:08 +0000 Ra 998660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @pregnantbee: He is doing well! We are slowly working on it. The photos in @mrsjazz's link helped a lot. My biggest challenge has been getting him to open his mouth wide enough. I kind of have to wait til he cries and then shove him into the boob! This morning, he nursed and fell asleep without any supplementation. :) @septemberlove: I <3 you. @Kemma: thank you soo much! @Katrocap: So awesome meeting you! @Adira: He is 7 weeks old, but was 3 weeks early. I'm hoping it will improve as he grows and the boob to mouth ratio gets a little more even! You ladies are so amazingly helpful and supportive. Thank you ALL so much! Adira on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-996374 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:41:01 +0000 Adira 996374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Also, I'm not sure if you'll find this helpful or not, but I feel like a lot of the advice says that your baby should have more of the aerola UNDER the nipple and less above it, which didn't actually work for me because my nipple ended up not going far enough into his mouth, so it was getting that squished look that was painful! Once I adjusted his positioning so he was more centered and taking the whole thing in evenly, it helped a lot. Also, when we were first learning to latch correctly, I constantly had to pull his bottom lip down once he was latched on, to fix to the latch. Eventually, I stopped having to do this. How old is your baby? It may also just naturally get easier and better when your baby is bigger and has a bigger mouth and can take your nipple in farther! pregnantbee on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-996358 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:34:24 +0000 pregnantbee 996358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: How's it going today? Mrs. Yoyo on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994535 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:43:26 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 994535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I remember having to literally drag my nipple down from LO'a nose and across his mouth to get him to open wide, and smoothing boob into his face, basically, with my hand like a "c" ... It takes a little practice, and sometimes I had to relatch him a few times before it would stick. Katrocap on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994506 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:34:24 +0000 Katrocap 994506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: No tips here, sorry. Just want to say good luck and today was fun! lomom on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994471 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:23:52 +0000 lomom 994471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: since my LO was getting bottles from day 1, he was pretty lazy about opening wide. He didn't really have to with a bottle, it just got slid in. So I started making him open really wide for a bottle, which gave him a better latch on the bottle too. It helped a little. It was kind of frustrating though, because all I wanted was to get the bottle in his mouth as quickly as possible so he'd be happy. We also did the same kind of thing with a paci, just tried to coax him to open wider. Good luck :) I promise it'll get better soon! He's growing and you're becoming a breastfeeding expert, it's just going to click soon! (Please don't punch me for saying that, I know I wanted to punch everyone who said it would just click but it truly will, especially as his mouth gets bigger and he gets better head control.) I'm rooting for you and rahlybaby!! Ra on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994393 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:57:55 +0000 Ra 994393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ How would I ever survive without you ladies?! :heart: Kemma on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994279 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:17:13 +0000 Kemma 994279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrsjazz: that is a GREAT article! My LO had both her tongue and lip tie clipped at 7-8 weeks respectively and it was actually having the lip tie cut that helped us the most. I was particularly interested in the paragraph that mentioned lip tue babies leaving teeth indentations in the breast which is exactly what my girl does at almost ten months old. Foodnerd81 on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994154 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:15:52 +0000 Foodnerd81 994154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I've been wondering the same so these links and advice are so helpful! mrsjazz on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994131 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:06:54 +0000 mrsjazz 994131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ This is the link I mentioned. It talks about a lip tie, but it's good for any shallow latch. @Kemma: your links are great, too. I think my LC sent me latching checklist one, too. <a href="http://thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/2011/03/introducing-maxillary-labial-frenulum.html" rel="nofollow">http://thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/2011/03/introducing-maxillary-labial-frenulum.html</a> travellingbee on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994104 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:56:19 +0000 travellingbee 994104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes ditto kemma. Tip his head back so his chin is pushing into boob but there is space between nose and boob. This will deepen his latch. Ra on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994095 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:55:13 +0000 Ra 994095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Thank you ladies! Kemma on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994089 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:54:00 +0000 Kemma 994089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Here's a couple of links that have good pictures! <a href="http://www.pumpstation.com/pumpstation/dept.asp?dept_id=3228" rel="nofollow">http://www.pumpstation.com/pumpstation/dept.asp?dept_id=3228</a> <a href="http://www.breastbabyproducts.com/checklist.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.breastbabyproducts.com/checklist.html</a> Kemma on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994082 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:52:10 +0000 Kemma 994082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Make sure your LO is going to the breast with his chin first and not tucked in (kinda like his head is tipped back). My girl used to tuck her chin down which forced her tongue up rather than out to cup the breast. Also, make sure you're comfortable and well supported with a footrest if necessary, position baby so that he's tummy to tummy with you, nose level with your nipple and bring him up to your breast rather than leaning down to him. If you can get back to basics then I'm sure you guys will get the hang of it! mrsjazz on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994051 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:35:01 +0000 mrsjazz 994051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: My LO had a shallow latch. My LC showed me how to how to hold my breast to help her open wider. Make a C with one hand and hold your breast with the thumb at the top of your areola and your pointer on the bottom. Bring him towards your breast with the other hand, tickle his mouth or nose with your nipple, wait for him to open wide and push him onto your boob. You can help him open wider by using your thumb to open his top lip more. You may need another hand to help you initially. I have a link that has pictures I can find for you later, I'm on my phone now. pregnantbee on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994031 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:26:27 +0000 pregnantbee 994031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Some of it may be how big his mouth is in relation to your breast. When I had LCs showing me, they told me to be patient and wait for him to make as big a mouth as possible. THEN, literally take the back of his head while his mouth is open and shove him to your breast as fast as possible. And if that's not comfortable, gently unlatch him by sticking a finger in his mouth to break suction and try again. I hope this helps? It's tough -- hang in there. ETA: Depending on how much breast tissue you have, grab your breast with one hand and kind of hold it like a sandwich. Position it so that it's parallel to the angle of your LO's mouth. Not sure if that makes sense, but you want it to look like he's taking a bite out of the breast "sandwich." Then gently let go when you feel like he is latched. Ra on "How do I work on his latch?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-i-work-on-his-latch#post-994020 Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:22:36 +0000 Ra 994020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Now that I have decided to give BFing another try, I need help in correcting B's latch. We have been EPing for weeks, so I feel like we are starting all over in the whole BFing process. How do I get him to open his mouth wide enough to get a good, deep latch? When he goes to latch on, even if I read early hunger cues, he flails his head around frantically and just tries to clamp down on whatever he can. I've tried to calm him, tickle his cheek, tickle his lip with my nipple, pull him into me, etc., but nothing seems to work. From the outside, his latch appears to be good. His nose and chin are both pressed against my boob, no dimples, no clicking, his ears move, and I can hear him swallowing. It doesn't hurt at first, but after a few minutes my nipples become sore. They are also creased when I pull them out. Is there something I can do to help him form a more effective latch? Or is it something I just need to ride out and eventually he will just "get it" after we've both had more practice? I'm assuming if he isn't latched correctly then he isn't receiving much milk.