Holding On

Basic Breastfeeding Positions

By Sheila Seifert

Newborns who are struggling to latch on are good candidates for this hold. "My son, Clayton, didn't want to breastfeed," says Chris Brack, mother of four in Denver, Colo. "He had a hard time breathing. When he relaxed, his larynx would cave in on itself. I called the La Leche League for help. Using the cross cradle hold and a few of their other suggestions, Clayton would curl up next to me and nurse."

The football hold, also known as the clutch hold, is when you use your same hand (left hand for left breast and right hand for right breast) to support the back of the baby's head. The baby's body and feet are tucked underneath the arm on same side the baby is nursing, so that his legs dangle behind you. Pillows can be used to bring the infant to the right level. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head. The other hand (left hand for right breast and right hand for left breast) is used to cup the breast placing your fingers beneath your breast and your thumb on top of your breast. Your nipple should be placed within the baby's mouth and then the baby pulled against your body.

"With my daughter, I used the football hold," Snyder says. "My father-in-law was dying of cancer, and often he would sit right next to me and look at my daughter. Once, he picked up the blanket a little too soon and was sprayed right in the eye! We all had a good laugh over that."

The football hold assists babies in fitting with their mother's body type. "I am quite lage-breasted," says Sarah Doggett of Bellevue, Wash. "When Gus was first born, it was rather humorous, because my breasts were larger than his head. In order to give him some breathing space, I sometimes used the football hold."

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