__ In the cradle or cross-cradle positions, the baby should be resting on his side, his tummy facing your tummy, shoulder and hips aligned, mouth level with the nipple

__ The baby’s mouth should be covering at least a half inch of the areola, the dark area of skin around the nipple

__ His nose is touching or nearly touching the breast

__ Both the top lip and bottom lip are flared out

__ Once your milk lets down (starts to flow freely), you can see the baby’s jaw moving all the way back by his ear

__ The baby’s temple may wiggle, too

__ You can hear the baby swallowing (you might notice a pattern, such as “suck, suck, pause for swallow.” The pattern will slow as the baby fills up and takes in less milk). Dr. Jack Newman describes an “open mouth wide – pause – close mouth” pattern that indicates whether the baby is swallowing big mouthfuls of milk.

__ Absence of pain (if breastfeeding doesn’t hurt, that’s a great sign that the latch is good. Some women may experience initial soreness, tenderness, and even pain in spite of a good latch, but it’s a good idea to work with a La Leche League leader and/or lactation consultant to rule out problems with latch, thrush, or other things that could cause pain).

__ The baby’s tongue is extended over his bottom gums and is cupping the breast (if you peeked, you could see a little triangle of tongue in the corner of his mouth, but there’s no reason to peek if everything feels right).

__ When the baby pops off (or the latch is gently broken), the nipple does not look unusually squished or angled like the tip of a new lipstick (a distinct line across the nipple might be a sign of tongue-tie).

One final way to gauge latch (and the baby’s consequent intake of milk) is to watch the baby’s output! Is the baby having enough wet and poopy diapers?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3