Getting a good latch comes down to positioning your baby so they take a deep mouthful of breast, not just the nipple. When the latch is deep, your baby can extract milk efficiently and your nipples stay comfortable. It takes practice, and most parents need several days (or longer) to feel confident with it. Here’s how to do it, step by step.
How to Get a Deep Latch
Start by bringing your baby close to you so their ear, shoulder, and hip form a straight line. Their body should face yours, belly to belly, with no twisting. Hold your breast just behind the darker area around your nipple using a C-shape, almost like you’re holding a sandwich for your baby to eat. This gives you control over the angle.
Point your nipple toward your baby’s nose, not directly at their mouth. This is the key to an asymmetric latch, where more of the breast tissue below the nipple ends up in your baby’s mouth than above it. Gently tickle your baby’s upper and lower lip with your nipple. Wait for a wide-open mouth that looks like a yawn. Patience here matters: a half-open mouth leads to a shallow latch every time.
When your baby opens wide, bring them onto the breast chin first. Their lower lip should land well below the nipple, and the nipple should aim for the roof of their mouth. Their tongue should extend forward, cupping the underside of your breast. Once they latch on, keep holding your breast in place for about 20 seconds so your baby has time to settle into a steady suck before you let go.
What a Good Latch Looks and Feels Like
Your baby’s lips should flange outward, like a fish, rather than curling inward. Their chin should press into the lower part of your breast while their nose stays free or just barely touches the top. You’ll see their jaw moving in a deep, rhythmic pattern, and after the first minute or so, you should hear soft swallowing sounds between sucks.
Some tenderness in the first few seconds of latching is common during the early days. But nipple pain that lasts through an entire feeding, or that gets worse rather than better over the first week, usually signals a shallow latch or another issue worth addressing. New breastfeeding parents are generally advised that tenderness should subside after the first week.
Positions That Help
The position you use can make latching easier or harder depending on your body, your baby’s size, and how much head control your newborn has. There’s no single best position. Try a few and see what clicks.
- Cross-cradle hold: Your opposite arm supports the baby, giving you control over their head. This is often the best starting position for newborns who are struggling to latch because it lets you guide them precisely onto the breast.
- Cradle hold: The classic position, good for babies of any age. Works well in a chair with armrests or while carrying your baby in a sling.
- Football (clutch) hold: Your baby tucks along your side like a football. A strong choice after a cesarean birth because it keeps baby’s weight off your abdomen. Also works well for larger breasts, flat nipples, or twins.
- Laid-back position: You recline and let your baby rest on your chest, finding the breast instinctively. Great for skin-to-skin contact and for parents whose milk releases quickly or forcefully.
- Side-lying: Both you and baby lie on your sides facing each other. Helpful when you’re resting or recovering, though it can be harder to see the latch. Best once you and your baby have some practice.
Fixing a Shallow Latch
If latching hurts sharply, your nipple comes out creased or misshapen after feeding, or your baby keeps slipping off the breast, the latch is probably too shallow. Don’t try to push through it. Slide your pinky finger into the corner of your baby’s mouth to break the suction, take them off, and start over. Relatching is always better than tolerating a painful latch, even if you have to do it several times in one feeding.
Common fixes include pulling your baby in closer (a gap between your bodies is a frequent culprit), waiting longer for a truly wide mouth before latching, and making sure your baby leads with their chin rather than coming at the breast straight-on. If you’re using the cross-cradle hold, check that you’re supporting the base of your baby’s head and neck rather than pushing on the back of their head, which can cause them to fight the breast.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
Most newborns need 8 to 12 feedings per day, roughly every 2 to 3 hours. In the first few days, feedings may cluster even closer together as your milk supply establishes. By day five, you should see at least six wet diapers and three or more bowel movements per day. That diaper count is one of the most reliable signs that your baby is transferring milk well.
A baby who latches on but won’t stay latched, who feeds constantly but never seems satisfied, or who isn’t producing enough wet and dirty diapers may not be removing milk effectively. Weight checks at your baby’s early pediatric visits will confirm whether feeding is on track.
When Anatomy Gets in the Way
Sometimes latch difficulty isn’t about technique. Tongue-tie, where a tight fold of tissue under the tongue restricts its movement, is one of the most commonly identified physical barriers. It can cause poor latch, inefficient milk removal, and nipple pain. That said, the severity varies widely. Not every short or tight fold of tissue under the tongue actually interferes with feeding, and there isn’t yet a reliable way to predict which ones will based on appearance alone.
Other structural factors, like a high palate, a recessed chin, or a cleft (even a subtle one hidden under the tissue of the roof of the mouth), can also make latching difficult. If you’ve tried adjusting your technique and positioning and things still aren’t improving, a lactation consultant can assess whether something physical is contributing. Signs that warrant a professional evaluation include a baby who is persistently sleepy and hard to wake for feeds, jaundice, poor weight gain despite frequent feeding, noisy breathing during feeds, or ongoing nipple pain that doesn’t resolve after the first week.
Latching is a skill for both you and your baby, and it’s normal for it to feel clumsy at first. Most parents find that it becomes faster and more intuitive within the first two to three weeks as both of you get practice.