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Holding On
Basic Breastfeeding Positions By Sheila Seifert
Smaller babies and those who struggle to latch on are excellent candidates for the football hold. This is because mothers can better control their baby's position and their breast using this hold. "The football hold also works extremely well with premature babies," Hewson says.
side with his stomach facing toward you. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head, although his legs may dangle to your stomach or thighs. 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. Loree Stickles Noonan of Baton Rouge, La., and Karla Duff of Volga City, Iowa, both agree that the cradle hold is their favorite. "The cradle hold allows my daughter Murphee to relax and nurse," Noonan says. "Now at 16 months, it keeps her feet and butt out of my face so we are both more comfortable. It also lets her know 'Mama isn't an all-day buffet.' When I put her in the cradle hold, she has to choose to 'eat or go and play.'"
The cradlehold also works well in public. "On our last anniversary, we all went to New Orleans for some shopping in the quarter," Noonan says. "When Murphee decided it was time to eat, I put her in the sling and she nursed. A lady came up to me and pulled the sling aside and said, 'Aren't sleeping babies just the most precious?' I said, 'Yes, but she is having her lunch right now.'" According to Hewson, the cradle hold is the most popular way for mothers to nurse their babies, whether at home or in public.
