Here are the 4 best positions for breastfeeding without pain

If breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, we quickly ask ourselves a billion questions… and sometimes it’s hard to manage. This is why you need to be supported by those around you and guided by simple and clear advice. Claude Didierjean-Jouveau is the author of numerous books on breastfeeding, host of the Leche League and member of the scientific committee of CoFAM (French Breastfeeding Coordination), explains everything you need to know about the latest recommendations in terms of breastfeeding positions.

A story of positions, cracks… and torture

To fully understand how we arrived at the current recommendations, it is interesting to go back a little into the history of breastfeeding. “Until the 1980s, there was no talk of breastfeeding positions at all, says Claude Didierjan-Jouveau. At the time, to prevent the appearance of cracks and pain in the nipples, it was said that you had to prepare the breasts using techniques that today pass for torture: putting lemon on the nipples, scrubbing with a toothbrush…”And if the mother had problems while breastfeeding, in concrete terms, she was told it was because she hadn’t prepared her breasts well. In short, it was her fault (hello mom who is ashamed).

Then, during the 1980s, we realized that many mothers who had followed these dubious recommendations to the letter were still suffering from cracking problems.

“By observing how women attached their babies to the breast, we realized that some positions favored the appearance of cracks. So we asked the women to change positions and, miraculously, they no longer had pain,” reports the specialist.

Giving the breast like a bottle is a bad idea

We may be tempted to breastfeed as we would bottle feed: “In the end we have rather few representations showing women breastfeeding, while we are inundated with images of babies breastfeeding from bottles. [good job les lobbies du lait infantile, NDLR]. Result: Many mothers attach their babies this way: the baby’s body towards the ceiling, the arms in front of the mother’s body. Now you can imagine that in this position the baby has to turn his head to latch on. The problem is that he will then tend to put his head back in line with his body and, in order not to slip, to tighten his jaws around the nipple to hold it.” This is what cracks and pain can look like.

The best positions for breastfeeding without pain

After several decades of wandering, specialists have finally come to an agreement: the most important thing regarding the breastfeeding position is that the baby can bite the areola well (the nipple + the pigmented circle surrounding it).

Several positions allow this:

• Madonna: the mother can place a pillow behind her back and shoulders, under the arm holding the baby and in her lap to support the baby’s weight. The mother holds the baby well, with his head resting on her forearm or in the crook of her elbow, whichever is more comfortable for her. The baby’s back is supported by the mother’s forearm while her hand encircles his buttocks or her thigh. The mother should place the baby on her side and bring her knees closer to him. The child’s ear, shoulder and hip should form a straight line.

• Rugby ball : to be comfortable, the mother can place a pillow behind her shoulders and others next to it so that the baby is at the height of her breasts. The child is facing his mother, curled up against her, under her arm. Her lower body rests on the pillow, near her mother’s elbow, and her buttocks touch the back of the chair, sofa, or wall if her mother is in bed. The baby’s upper back rests on the mother’s forearm, and the mother’s hand supports the baby’s neck. This is a very useful position for mothers who have had a cesarean section.

• The upside down Madonna: the mother is sitting, the baby’s body and head are supported by the arm opposite the breast that feeds him (for example, if you breastfeed from the left breast, support the baby with your right arm). The palm of the hand is placed on the upper back and not on the head. The inverted “Madonna” position is often recommended in the early days for babies who need help latching on properly.

• Organic Nurturing (BN) or deckchair position: the mother is encouraged to make herself as comfortable as possible, whatever position she chooses. She must be totally relaxed, able to maintain this position for a long time without effort or fatigue, and her whole body must be well supported. The baby’s body is pressed against the mother’s. This position implies that all mothers are different, and therefore that one position does not fit all, and also that mothers know how to find a comfortable position when we avoid giving them advice on how they should settle down.

The important thing is that both mother and baby are well. In other words, if you’re not breastfeeding in one of these “good” positions, but you’re feeling no pain and your baby is gaining weight normally, don’t change a thing! “You can’t fix something that isn’t broken.”, the specialist rightly concludes.

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