Holding On

Basic Breastfeeding Positions

By Sheila Seifert

The side-lying hold, also called the reclining hold, is when you lie down on your side and hold the baby in the crook of your same arm (right arm for right breast and left arm for left breast) to support the back of the baby's head and body. The baby should be on his side with his stomach facing toward you stomach to stomach. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head. The other hand (right hand for left breast and left hand for right 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.

The side-lying hold can be extremely comfortable, especially when pillows are used to relieve stress on the back. "It takes a little practice to get the baby to latch on properly," Snyder says. "But at night, I breastfeed either lying down on my side or back." Pillows can be placed under the arm or head and between the knees to find the perfect position.

Although Doggett first used the football hold to help her child breathe, she says, "The mot comfortable position throughout has been lying on my side with Gus nursing. It gives me a chance to relax. It also helps him to relax and not get distracted by other, more interesting things."

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