Breastfeeding is natural, but it is not automatically easy — a distinction that trips up many new parents who feel that difficulties mean something is wrong with them or their baby. In reality, breastfeeding is a learned skill for both mother and infant, and most early challenges, including pain, poor latch, and concerns about milk supply, are solvable with the right support and information.
The single most important element of successful breastfeeding is achieving a deep, comfortable latch. Everything else — milk supply, feeding duration, nipple health, and a baby's ability to transfer milk effectively — flows from this. This article covers what a good latch looks like, how to achieve it in different positions, and what to do when feeding is painful or difficult.
If you are tracking feeding frequency, duration, and your baby's output (wet and dirty nappies are the most reliable signs that feeding is going well), the Healthbooq app has a dedicated feeding log that makes it easy to see patterns and share information with your midwife or health visitor at postnatal check-ups.
What a Good Latch Looks Like
A good latch means your baby has taken a large portion of the areola — the darker area around the nipple — into their mouth, not just the nipple tip. The nipple tip alone in a baby's mouth creates compression rather than the rhythmic wave motion that draws milk, which is why shallow latching leads to pain, slow milk transfer, and a baby who feeds frequently without ever seeming satisfied.
When the latch is correct, your baby's mouth will be wide open with lips flanged outward. More of the areola will be visible above the nipple than below it, because the bottom of the mouth does the more significant work in milk extraction. The chin will be touching the breast and the nose will be clear or nearly clear of the breast surface. You may feel a tugging or pulling sensation in the first few seconds as the baby establishes suction, but this should not be a pinching or burning pain. Ongoing pain throughout a feed is almost always a signal that the latch needs adjustment.
Audible swallowing is a reassuring sign that milk is being transferred. In the early days of colostrum, swallowing may be subtle — colostrum is produced in small quantities by design, as a newborn's stomach is genuinely very small. As milk comes in, usually between day two and five, swallowing becomes more audible and feeds take on a more rhythmic suck-swallow-breathe pattern.
Achieving a Deep Latch
Position your baby so their body is fully facing yours — tummy to tummy — with their head, neck, and body aligned rather than turned to the side. Bringing the baby to the breast (rather than leaning forward to the baby) keeps your back comfortable and helps the baby extend the neck slightly, which is the position that allows the widest mouth opening.
Wait for a wide-open gape before bringing the baby to the breast. Tickling the baby's upper lip with the nipple stimulates the rooting reflex and prompts the wide-open mouth you need. When the gape is wide, bring the baby in quickly and aim the nipple toward the roof of their mouth — this targets the latch toward the upper areola, which is where you want more visible when the baby has latched.
If the latch feels wrong — if there is persistent pain, if the baby is clicking while feeding (a sign of inadequate seal), or if the nipple comes out shaped differently than it went in (compressed, pinched, or misshapen) — break the seal gently by inserting your little finger into the corner of the baby's mouth and try again. Never pull the baby off without breaking the suction first.
Common Positions
The cradle hold — the classic image of breastfeeding — supports the baby's head in the crook of your arm with the baby lying across your body. It works well once breastfeeding is established, but it can be harder to control the latch with in the early days because the elbow rather than the hand is nearest the baby's head. For newborns, many lactation consultants prefer the cross-cradle hold, where the hand on the same side as the breast being used holds the baby, leaving the other hand free to guide the head at the moment of latching.
The football hold — baby tucked under your arm with their legs pointing behind you, supported on your forearm — is particularly useful after a caesarean section (it avoids pressure on the incision) and for feeding twins. It also gives excellent visibility of the latch. The side-lying position, where both mother and baby lie facing each other, is especially useful for night feeds once breastfeeding is well established, as it allows feeding without fully sitting up.
When Feeding Is Painful
Some nipple sensitivity in the first days is normal as the tissue adapts to feeding. Persistent pain that continues throughout feeds, or that worsens after the initial days, is not something to push through — it is a signal worth investigating. The most common causes are a shallow latch (addressed by adjusting technique or seeking hands-on support), engorgement making it difficult for the baby to latch deeply (express a small amount before feeding to soften the areola), and tongue tie, which is an anatomical variation that limits tongue movement and can make an effective latch very difficult. Tongue tie is identified by a midwife or lactation consultant and can be released with a simple procedure.
Key Takeaways
A good latch is the foundation of comfortable, effective breastfeeding. Signs of a good latch include a wide-open mouth with more areola visible above than below the nipple, no pinching or pain after the first few seconds, rhythmic swallowing sounds, and a relaxed baby. Pain that persists beyond the first week nearly always indicates a latch problem that can be corrected with support. There is no single correct position — the right position is whichever one allows a deep latch and keeps you both comfortable. Getting hands-on help from a midwife or lactation consultant in the first days makes a significant difference to long-term breastfeeding success.
