8 Breastfeeding Positions All New Moms Should Know

As you are preparing to bring your little bundle of joy into the world, don’t forget to prepare for your breastfeeding journey! Breastfeeding does not come naturally to most women and is a learned skill for both the mom and baby. As a new mom, it’s hard to know what the best breastfeeding positions for newborns are and which ones won’t get you the best latch. I highly recommend taking a prenatal breastfeeding class (the hospital where I had my baby offers them so check your hospital!) or doing research on breastfeeding before having your baby. 

After you have your baby you will have your golden hour of skin to skin (check out skin to skin benefits on this blog post) and initiate breastfeeding for the first time. As a first-time mom, it’ll be hard for you to know which position to try or what makes a good latch. Getting some education before labor can be so beneficial for you and less stressful for your breastfeeding experience. Your nurses will be able to help you, but from experience, not every nurse is comfortable with breastfeeding and able to help obtain a latch. So don’t rely just on the nurses to help you.

I’m a postpartum nurse and mom of 3 and have compiled a list of common breastfeeding positions. I will point out which breastfeeding positions I recommend to my new moms right after delivery and the benefits of other positions. 

DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Although I am a nurse I am not your nurse. Nothing in this blog should be taken as medical advice, this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. Consult with a doctor or IBCLC for medical advice. 

DISCLAIMER: there are affiliate links in this blog post meaning if you click a link and make a purchase I can receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I make a commission on qualifying purchases.

Common Breastfeeding Positions

Knowing different breastfeeding positions and how to execute them can be game-changing for your breastfeeding journey. It can make breastfeeding a more positive experience for you and your baby. And positions are not one size fits all, so what may work for me may be the most uncomfortable position for you. Trial and error is the best way to find the most comfortable position for you and your baby.

When getting into position to breastfeed it’s important to have good posture to save yourself back pain. Don’t hunch over and bring your breast to your baby, instead sit back against the chair, a pillow, the couch, etc. and bring the baby to your breast. You can use a breastfeeding pillow to help get you in the best position to feed in. 

As always consult with an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) for any breastfeeding-specific related questions for your baby. Most hospitals that have a labor and delivery/postpartum unit will have IBCLCs on staff. I highly recommend allowing them to come to assist you with breastfeeding while in the hospital.

The Cradle Hold

The cradle hold is the most commonly known breastfeeding position. This position is one you’ll see in movies, books, TV shows, etc. when breastfeeding is portrayed. I think this is exactly why most new moms attempt this position first at the beginning of their breastfeeding journey. 

The cradle hold is when you hold your baby across your body resting his/her head in the arm on the same side as the breast baby is nursing from. You can use a pillow to help elevate your baby to breast level. (See the end of the post for my favorite breastfeeding pillow recommendations).

It is important to know that the cradle hold does not assist you in getting a good deep latch in the beginning. This is because you have the baby’s head in your arm by your elbow and you can’t help guide his/her head onto the breast with your arm. This is a great breastfeeding position for older babies, but I don’t recommend it for the newborn phase. As your baby gets older it’s a great position because it can be done anywhere and you don’t necessarily always need a breastfeeding pillow for this position.

Cross Cradle Hold Breastfeeding Position

The cross-cradle hold is when you have your baby lying across your body and are supporting the baby and their head with the opposite hand/arm than the side breast you are nursing on. So if you’re nursing on the left side you’ll use your right arm to support your baby and their head. This is one of my favorite breastfeeding positions for newborns. You place your hand on the baby’s shoulders and hold the baby’s head behind their ears to help guide them onto your breast. You’ll then hold your breast with the hand on the same side you’re feeding on in a U shape. Your hand should be placed under your breast with your thumb on one side and your other 4 fingers on the other. This is a way you can sandwich your breast and support your breast while assisting the baby to latch. You can help get a deep latch this way. 

This is the position for breastfeeding I recommend to the new moms I take care of in the hospital. In the beginning, trying to get a deep latch is so important to help minimize nipple damage and this position is a great one to get a good latch with.

Breastfeeding Positions: Football Hold

This is another of my favorite breastfeeding positions for newborns. The football hold gets its name because you hold your baby tucked under your arm the way someone would tuck the football under your arm. I find this position to be the easiest with a nursing pillow like the Boppy. If you are going to feed on the left side, place the Boppy around you sideways, with the long part of the Boppy along your left side. You will then lay the baby on the Boppy with their feet towards your back and stomach turned in along your side. You’ll grab the baby’s head to guide them to the breast with your left hand and use your right hand to make a U shape under your left breast. This way you can help the baby obtain a deep latch. 

This is one of my top breastfeeding positions after a c-section. When you have a c-section you have an incision on your abdomen. When you lie baby across your abdomen you can get pressure on your incision. To prevent pain with breastfeeding doing the football hold is beneficial. This is my favorite position to recommend to every c-section mama I get the privilege of taking care of.

Side Lying

Side lying is a common and comfy breastfeeding position. To achieve a side-lying position you lay on your side and place the baby on their side facing you. You then latch the baby onto the bottom breast. You don’t have to hold the baby or support the baby. This is another good breastfeeding position for after a c-section. 

When doing side lying you want to be sure you are awake and alert. You don’t want to do this position if you are sleepy or under the influence of any recreational substances. Sleeping with babies is proven to be dangerous and could increase the risk of SIDS and/or suffocation. This is not a position I commonly use due to not wanting to accidentally fall asleep with my baby.

Laid Back Position

The laid back position is a fantastic position for a mom with an oversupply. This is one of the most common breastfeeding positions for women with fast letdowns. Essentially you lie back at a recline and position the baby on your body and latch them. The milk will have to fight gravity to go into your baby’s mouth so they’re less likely to choke. 

This is a great option for skin to skin contact since the baby’s whole body is on your chest. This can also be a good breastfeeding position with a haakaa. If you have an older baby and are trying to collect milk in your haakaa during feeds they may wiggle and kick it off. Doing the laid back position can prevent them from being able to kick off your haakaa.

You can also lay back at a recline while doing other nursing positions such as the cradle position as your baby gets older.

Breastfeeding In a Carrier

This is a great upright breastfeeding position to try with your older baby. When your baby is in the carrier you can nurse your baby discreetly. This is perfect to do if you’re in public and don’t want to openly breastfeed. A lot of carriers will provide you enough cover to have a little bit of privacy. You can still add another cover if it would make you feel comfortable! 

Nursing in a carrier will be different in whatever carrier you’re using. Most of the time you will have to loosen the carrier, in that case, your carrier will no longer be a hands free carrier. You’ll need to keep a hand on your baby to prevent your baby from falling out.

Koala Position

This position is another great one for older babies since they sit on your lap. To do the koala position your baby sits on your lap facing you and you latch them onto your breast. 

If you wanted to do this position with a younger baby you could, you would just have to do it laid back if they don’t have head control yet. 

The koala breastfeeding position is a great option if your baby has a cold or ear infection so they’re upright instead of lying on their side.

Dangle Feeding

This breastfeeding position is very different that’s for sure and probably not done as often! To do dangle feeding you would lie the baby on the floor and crouch over the baby. You would then dangle your breast into the baby’s mouth. 

This is not a commonly used one, but I wanted to include it because it can be helpful in certain situations! If you have a clogged milk duct or mastitis dangle feeding may help you. Also if you have a clogged milk duct aim the baby’s chin towards the section of the breast with the clogged duct. It will be easiest to maneuver where the baby’s chin is while in the dangle position.

Breastfeeding Positions for Twin Moms

As a twin mom there will be times when both of your babies are hungry and wanting to nurse. Instead of making one wait you can actually nurse both at the same time! Here are a few tandem breastfeeding positions you could try with your twins. 

Football Hold

Take one baby on each breast in the football position. So their heads would be close together and their feet would be aimed toward your back. 

Cradle Hold

You would have one baby in each arm and their feet would go across your body toward each other. 

One Football and One Cradle 

This position would have one baby in the football hold on one side and the other baby in the cradle hold on the other side. 

A good breastfeeding pillow can be very helpful in getting the optimal positioning and latches for the babies.

The Best Breastfeeding Positions for a Newborn

Cross cradle hold

Football hold 

I always recommend when breastfeeding your newborn to support your breast and baby’s head. A nursing pillow can help keep the baby close to your breast while you’re supporting the baby and your breast. 

Here’s how to get your latch with your newborn:

Take your baby and bring them to your breast. Run your nipple from the baby’s nose down toward their mouth. They should open wide, when they open wide you will guide them onto your breast leading with their chin. The baby’s chin should be against your breast, their nose should be free from the breast and the baby should have areola in their mouth as well. You don’t want just your nipple to be in the baby’s mouth, that will cause you nipple pain/damage. Your baby should be belly-to-belly with you. If they aren’t then they’ll have to turn their head to the side to latch which will not create a good latch and can cause difficulty feeding. 

If you begin to notice having nipple pain I recommend seeing an IBCLC as soon as you can to get the latch evaluated. Also, switch up breastfeeding positions. Don’t only use one, that way the baby is not nursing on the exact same part of your nipple every time. Use nipple cream after every feeding OR a Silverette nursing cup OR hydrogel pads. Never use them all together at once, make sure to alternate. 

Breastfeeding Pillows I Recommend

• I’m not a twin mom, but the my Brest friend is my favorite nursing pillow. My Brest friend twin nursing pillow is a great option to help aid in getting in comfy breastfeeding positions.
• My Brest friend is my favorite for newborns. It is firm for support, gives you lumbar support, and there’s no gap for the baby to fall into.
• The boppy. It is not my favorite for newborns but I love it for older babies. It is also versatile because you can use it to help with tummy time positioning and to help baby sit up (always supervised). It just leaves a little gap between your belly and the pillow for baby to sink in to when they are a newborn.

Breastfeeding Positions All New Moms Should Know

When you’re breastfeeding for the first time it can be very stressful. Having some education on different breastfeeding positions and how to do the positions can save you some stress. There is no one-size-fits-all all for breastfeeding, the position you love may not be the one someone would recommend and that’s okay! You need to do what positions are comfortable and work well for you and your baby. 

What was your favorite breastfeeding position for you and your baby? Which one was your least favorite? I’d love to know, let me know in the comments!