Breastfeeding is a gift to baby, mother, family, and the planet.
The Cradle Hold Position is effective and comfortable.
When mothers have the correct breastfeeding information, problems can be avoided, and babies can thrive. If someone tells you that to breastfeed you need to buy a product or pay for a lactation service, a red warning flag should go up in your mind.
Mothers have breastfed their babies since the beginning of humankind. They didn't use or need any products. They learned the skills they needed from other mothers; they learned mother to mother.
Unfortunately, many mothers are not being taught natural breastfeeding techniques.
So, we present this website to help mothers and babies get back to natural breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding techniques that often interfere with effective latching and nursing include:
1. Using the Cross Cradle Hold, Football Hold, Log Hold (HSH holds) or
Laid Back Nursing Hold for any or all nursing sessions.
(HSH Holds = hand supporting the head or neck holds)
2. Pointing nipple up to the roof of baby's mouth at latch on.
3. Doing breast compression while nursing.
4. Using the Cigarette (aka Scissors) Hand Hold.
5. Sitting up straight while nursing.
6. Swaddling baby's arms while nursing.
7. Colostrum Harvesting.
Here is more information on why these techniques interfere with effective breastfeeding.
1. Using the Cross Cradle Hold, Football Hold, Log Hold (HSH), or
Laid Back Nursing Hold for some or all feedings often causes problems.
Using any HSH hold interferes with the way a baby learns to nurse.
Mothers report that they only heal when they stop doing the HSH holds.
(HSH holds are the Cross Cradle, Football and Log Hold Positions.)
Having the baby's head lifted to the breast by the mother's hand in the HSH holds is a different action for the baby than when he helps himself to latch on from mother's arm in the Cradle Hold.
In the Cradle Hold, baby is an active partner, helping to determine when he is ready to latch. Mother's arm supports his head comfortably and baby is able to move his head / mouth to get to the nipple. Baby can make any minor latching adjustments necessary.
In the HSH holds, the mother is holding baby's head or neck so baby doesn't have the ability to help move his head / mouth to the breast, mother has total control.
The mother tries to determine when to latch the baby, when is his mouth open wide enough and for long enough, often with poor results.
So, while some may say that the Cross Cradle Hold is better for head control, we see that baby latches more effectively, more comfortably, when he is allowed to be an active partner in latching in the Cradle Hold.
In addition, mothers are more comfortable holding baby in the Cradle Hold because baby's head rests on her elbow area, which is stronger and can hold him for longer periods of time.
In the HSH positions, mothers often complain of sore wrists, hands, shoulders, and backs because they are supporting baby on their weaker wrists and forearms.
See the Positions that Hinder page Positions that Hinder for more information.
Q: Why are mothers taught so many breastfeeding positions?
A: Mothers are told to 'learn all the breastfeeding positions and use what works for them'.
While this may sound logical, this answer falls short in helping mothers to effectively breastfeed.
Mothers are shown the HSH positions but are not given all the facts to make an informed decision.
They are not told of all the problems that the (HSH) Cross Cradle, Football and Log Holds cause.
They are told to NOT use the Cradle Hold in the early days.
They are not told that the HSH holds are causing their problems.
They are not told that the Cradle Hold would fix their problems.
But they are being sold products and lactation services.
2. Please know that it is NOT necessary to point your nipple up to the roof of baby's mouth.
With the Cradle Hold and the Bulls' Eye Latch On Technique, the nipple is easily centered in baby's mouth.
His tongue forms a cup under the nipple, draws it into his mouth, and presses it to the roof of his mouth, all by himself.
Please read more about latching at the Cradle Hold Position page.
Q: Why are lactation personnel teaching moms to point their nipple to the roof of baby's mouth?
A: This is another technique that misdirects moms from effective latch on.
It appears to be one of the techniques used to try to make the Cross Cradle Hold work.
Baby instinctively latches when he is in the Cradle Hold. He will be at the correct level to latch and can make final head adjustments himself.
3. We do NOT recommend breast compression.
The technique of squeezing the breast during nursing, to aid milk transfer, often causes latch on problems.
When the breast is squeezed during nursing, it can move the nipple around in the baby's mouth and often causes the baby to come off and need to relatch.
Q: Why are moms having trouble with 'milk transfer' and are then told to compress their breast during nursing?
A: It is because babies often are not gaining weight sufficiently when the mom uses the Cross Cradle, Football or Log Hold Positions.
Squeezing the breast is not the answer, using the Cradle or Lap Nursing Holds is the answer.
4. We do NOT recommend the cigarette / scissors hand hold to support the breast.
The scissors or cigarette hand hold often creates latch on problems.
The cigarette hold can interfere with latch on because the mother's fingers are close to baby's mouth and can get in the way of latch on.
In addition, it can be uncomfortable to hold your fingers in this position for as long as the baby needs to nurse.
Not recommended: cigarette or scissors hand hold.
Q: What is the recommended hand hold to use to support the breast?
A: We recommend using the C-Hand Position, with 4 fingers under the breast, thumb above the breast, in a 'C' shape, with all fingers away from nipple, so baby can latch without interference from mom's fingers.
Effective: C-Hold Hand Hold.
5. We caution against sitting up straight while nursing.
Many lactation books and personnel are teaching moms to sit up straight to nurse.
They say to use pillows (many pillows) to make yourself comfortable while sitting up straight.
Sitting up straight is another technique that was introduced after
the Cross Cradle Hold started being promoted.
It is very uncomfortable to nurse while sitting up straight because the weight of the baby is resting totally on mom's arm. Mom's arm and back can tire easily in this position.
It is much more comfortable to lean back against the couch or chair while nursing.
When nursing in a chair or couch, we recommend leaning your back and shoulders against the chair and moving your bottom forward 4 inches or so.
The idea is to have a slight angle back so that gravity can help baby stay on the breast.
If you need a pillow behind your back, please make sure that it is not making you sit up straight. Make sure that you can lean your upper back and shoulders against the couch.
Elevate your feet on the coffee table, an ottoman , or an exercise ball for comfort.
In this position, the mother's stomach and chest are supporting baby as is her arm. Baby is 'wrapped around mother's stomach'.
Baby gets a good mouthful of breast and GRAVITY helps baby to stay latched on deeply.
Not only is this a very comfortable nursing position for mom, but it also gives baby a strong sense of security.
6. To swaddle or not to swaddle, we are often asked this question.
When a mother tries to latch on a baby who is swaddled with his arms in front of his body, baby's body will be tilted away from mother's breast by his arms.
This can interfere with latch on, with baby's nose often being blocked by the breast and his arms keeping him from getting tummy-to-tummy with mom.
Of course, swaddling is helpful at times between feedings.
But baby's arms should be loose while breastfeeding so that he
can 'give mom a hug' with his arms and thus achieve a closer latch.
Q: How do I keep baby's arms from interfering with latching on?
A: See the Cradle Hold Position page Cradle Hold Position to learn how.
7. Colostrum Harvesting - Caution - Not Recommended
'Colostrum harvesting' involves pumping the breast when colostrum is present, before and after birth, and giving it to baby with a syringe or small bottle.
Moms are being told to pump and save their colostrum during pregnancy and at birth, in case baby has a problem latching on and breastfeeding and doesn't bring in the milk supply.
Here is another technique that I would caution against: the pumping and measuring of colostrum before and after the baby is born.
Nature provides optimal nourishment for babies, colostrum for the first few days after birth, and then the mature milk comes in.
Colostrum harvesting developed after the Cross Cradle Hold started being taught and moms were subsequently having problems latching on and bringing in a full milk supply.
The benefits of colostrum and breast milk are well known, moms want those benefits for their babies. But if baby won't latch on and nurse effectively, he won't get the colostrum or mom's milk.
For babies held in the Cross Cradle Hold, this is often the case.
Please remember, one way to start labor is to stimulate a mother's nipples.
This has been known for a long time, since at least 1956.
If lactation consultants want moms to pump for colostrum before birth, might this cause moms to go into labor before their body is ready?
I understand the desire to problem solve, but I also think it is important to examine all the subsequent effects of the actions we take in the name of problem-solving.
With natural breastfeeding techniques, the baby learns how to latch on at birth and gets colostrum, without any interventions. Nature has an effective delivery system. Let us not interfere with it.
My questions include:
Q: Why is colostrum harvesting during pregnancy being promoted when baby needs that colostrum and is generally able to get it immediately at birth with correct positioning?
Q: Are there so many mothers not able to latch on and nurse effectively that they have come up with a way to at least give baby colostrum, even if not directly from the breast?
Q: Are there so many lactation consultants seeing breastfeeding fail, that they teach colostrum harvesting, knowing the importance of the health benefits of colostrum?
A: It appears so, because one can find articles about it on the internet.
'Antenatal Expression of Colostrum' from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby page.
'Harvesting Colostrum During Pregnancy', from the Breastfeeding Without Nursing website.
Q: And if they understand the importance of colostrum, that is freely given by Nature, why don't they respect the importance of the delivery system, natural breastfeeding, that is also from Nature?