Breastfeeding is often described as one of motherhood’s most natural and fulfilling journeys. However, for many new parents, it doesn’t feel this way. One of the most common challenges new moms face is when their newborn baby not latching onto their breast. While this situation can be distressing, you’re not alone.
Many strategies and resources are available to help. This article will dig deep into why newborn baby not latching or struggle to latch, what you can do to help them, and when it’s time to seek professional guidance. Let’s explore solutions to help ensure you and your baby thrive during this precious phase of life.
Why is a Newborn Baby Not Latching?
There are many reasons why a newborn baby not latching or has trouble latching. Some are temporary and easily addressed, while others require professional intervention. Understanding these reasons helps you take the right steps to support your baby.
- Birth-Related Factors: Birth is a big event for your baby, making them tired or disoriented. If your baby had a difficult birth—such as prolonged labor, a vacuum or forceps delivery, or a cesarean section—they might be more sluggish or less responsive in the first few days. Babies born with jaundice or low blood sugar may also struggle with energy levels, making it harder for them to latch effectively.
- Oral Anatomy Issues: Conditions like tongue-tie or lip-tie make it physically difficult for your baby to latch. Tongue-tie occurs when the frenulum (the tissue under the tongue) is too tight or short, restricting movement. Similarly, a tight frenulum under the upper lip hinders your baby’s ability to form a proper seal around the breast. These conditions are common and can be addressed with a minor procedure.
- Oversupply or Engorgement: If your breasts are engorged or your milk supply is abundant, your baby will have difficulty latching onto a firm or overfull breast. An oversupply leads to a strong letdown (the milk ejection reflex), which overwhelms your baby and causes them to pull away.
- Flat or Inverted Nipples: Flat or inverted nipples, which don’t protrude as much as typical nipples, make it harder for your baby to latch. While this sounds like a serious obstacle, many techniques and tools help, including nipple shields or manual stimulation.
- Sensory Preferences: Some babies are sensitive to smells, sounds, or textures. If your baby is fussy, they need a calmer or quieter environment to focus on latching.
- Learning Curve for Mom and Baby: Breastfeeding is a skill—you and your baby learn together. It’s normal to need some practice before you get the hang of it.
Techniques to Encourage a Good Latch
The good news is that issues with newborn baby not latching are often temporary, and there are many ways to help them learn to breastfeed successfully. Below are some strategies to try to alleviate the problem.
1. Create a Calm, Relaxing Environment
Stress can affect you and your baby during breastfeeding. Find a quiet, comfortable spot where you can focus on feeding. Soft lighting, soothing music, or gentle rocking create a calming atmosphere for both of you.
2. Try Different Breastfeeding Positions
Positioning is key when it comes to helping your baby latch. Experiment with different breastfeeding holds to find what works best for you and your baby:
- Cross-Cradle Hold: A traditional method where your baby lies across your body, supported by your arm. Provides excellent support for your baby’s head and allows you to guide their latch.
- Football Hold: Ideal for moms recovering from a C-section as it keeps pressure off the abdomen.
- Side-Lying Position: Perfect for night feedings or when you need to rest.
- Laid-Back Position: Helps your baby use their instincts to find the nipple. This encourages a natural latch by letting your baby lead.
Learn more about breastfeeding positions in this article: 8 Breastfeeding Positions: Finding Comfort and Deep Bond With Your Baby
3. Skin-to-Skin Time
Holding your baby skin to skin stimulates their natural feeding reflexes. This is helpful in the first few days postpartum. Skin-to-skin contact also promotes bonding, regulates your baby’s temperature, and stabilizes their heart rate.
4. Stimulate the Rooting Reflex
Before your baby attempts to latch, lightly tickle their upper lip with your nipple. This encourages them to open their mouth wide, making it easier to achieve a proper latch.
5. Hand-Express or Pump Before Feeding
If engorgement or a strong letdown makes it harder for your baby to latch, try expressing a small amount of milk before breastfeeding. This softens your breast and reduces the flow, making it easier for your baby to latch and feed comfortably.
6. Use Breastfeeding Aids
If flat or inverted nipples are an issue, tools like nipple shields make it easier for your baby to latch. Speak to a lactation consultant about how to use these aids correctly.
7. Offer a “Nipple Sandwich”
Use your hand to shape your breast. Gently compress it slightly to flatten it, creating a shape easier for your baby to latch onto, creating a nipple sandwich. Position your thumb and fingers around the areola to create a shape that fits comfortably in your baby’s mouth. This technique helps newborns or babies with small mouths.
Why a Proper Latch Matters
A proper latch is the cornerstone of successful breastfeeding. It is much more than simply attaching your baby to the breast—it’s about ensuring an effective and comfortable feeding experience for you and your baby. Here’s why a proper latch is so important:
- Ensures Adequate Nutrition for Your Baby: When your baby latches correctly, they efficiently draw milk from the breast. A poor latch, on the other hand, limits milk transfer, leaving your baby hungry and potentially affecting their growth and development. Newborn baby not latching well show frustration during feeds or do not gain weight as expected.
- Protects Your Milk Supply: Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand system. A good latch allows your baby to effectively empty the breast, signaling your body to produce more milk. If the latch isn’t deep or effective, your breasts may not be emptied sufficiently, decreasing milk production over time.
- Prevents Discomfort for Mom: Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt. Pain, sore nipples, or cracked skin often traced to newborn baby not latching properly. In a good latch, the nipple sits comfortably in the baby’s mouth, reducing friction and pressure that cause pain.
- Helps Avoid Breastfeeding Complications: A newborn baby not latching or a poor latch leads to complications like blocked milk ducts or mastitis, a painful breast infection. By ensuring a good latch, you reduce the likelihood of milk pooling in your breasts, which is a common trigger for these issues.
- Encourages Longer and More Satisfying Feeds: Babies who latch well are more likely to feed effectively and stay at the breast longer. This allows them to get the calorie-rich hindmilk later in the feeding session, helping them feel fuller and more satisfied.
- Strengthens the Bond Between Mom and Baby: Breastfeeding is not just about nutrition—it’s also about connection. A proper latch allows you and your baby to relax during feeding sessions, fostering closeness and comfort that enhances your bond.
Addressing latching issues early supports your baby’s health and makes breastfeeding a more positive and enjoyable experience. Whether through small adjustments or professional guidance, achieving a proper latch is worth the effort.
Supporting Your Baby Through Latching Difficulties
Helping your baby latch involves more than just physical adjustments. A supportive environment and patience are equally important.
- Stay Calm and Patient: Breastfeeding challenges can be frustrating, but stress makes it harder for you and your baby to succeed. Take deep breaths, relax, and remind yourself that this is a learning process for both of you.
- Create a Comfortable Environment: Babies are sensitive to their surroundings. Choose a quiet, comfortable space for feeding where you won’t be interrupted. Dim lights and soft music create a soothing atmosphere that helps your baby focus.
- Respond to Hunger Cues Early: Crying is often a late hunger cue. Look for earlier signs like rooting, sucking on fingers, or smacking lips. Offering the breast before your baby becomes upset makes latching easier.
- Feed Frequently: Frequent breastfeeding helps your baby practice and prevents them from becoming overly hungry, which may make them too upset to latch.
Feeding Alternatives for Newborn Baby Not Latching
If the problem of your newborn baby not latching persists, you still have plenty of options to nourish them.
- Pumping Breast Milk: A breast pump allows you to provide breast milk even if a newborn baby not latching. Pumping also maintains your milk supply while you work on breastfeeding.
- Supplement With Formula If Needed: If your baby isn’t getting enough milk, your pediatrician may recommend supplementing with formula. The goal is to ensure your baby is healthy and well-fed; supplementing doesn’t mean you’ve failed at breastfeeding.
- Combination Feeding: Combining breastfeeding, pumping, and formula feeding is a flexible solution that ensures your baby gets the nutrition they need.
- Using a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS): An SNS involves a small tube that delivers milk (breast milk or formula) while your baby is latched onto your breast. This encourages your baby to practice sucking and helps them associate the breast with nourishment.
The Emotional Toll of Latching Challenges
Breastfeeding is often portrayed as a natural and effortless experience. However, for many new moms, the reality can be quite different. Struggling with latching issues brings a wave of emotions sometimes unexpected and overwhelming. Understanding and addressing these feelings is as important as finding practical solutions to the challenges.
- Frustration and Helplessness: It’s common to feel frustrated when your newborn baby not latching, especially when you’re trying your best to make breastfeeding work. You wonder why something so “natural” feels so hard. A hungry, crying baby amplifies these feelings, leaving you feeling helpless and unsure of what to do next.
- Guilt or Self-Doubt: Many mothers blame themselves when breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned. You question whether you’re doing something wrong or worry about failing your baby. These thoughts are natural, latching issues are common and not a reflection of your abilities as a parent.
- Pressure to Succeed: Social and cultural expectations around breastfeeding create a sense of pressure. Advice from well-meaning friends or family, or comparisons to other moms, leave you like you’re not measuring up.
- Sadness or Loss: For some mothers, latching difficulties feel like a loss of the breastfeeding experience they envisioned. You might grieve the ease or intimacy you hoped to share with your baby.
When to Seek Professional Help
While the problem of your newborn baby not latching can be resolved with at-home strategies, some situations call for professional guidance.
- Consult a Lactation Specialist: Lactation consultants are trained to help mothers with breastfeeding challenges. They observe the feeding session, identify the root cause of the problem, and provide personalized advice.
- Visit Your Pediatrician: If your newborn baby not latching or feeding well, consult your pediatrician to rule out medical issues like tongue-tie, jaundice, or an infection. Your doctor also monitors your baby’s weight gain to ensure they’re getting enough nourishment. Omega Pediatrics has lactation services to help new moms manage the issue.
- Get Support From Breastfeeding Groups: Joining a breastfeeding support group provides encouragement and practical tips. Sharing experiences with other moms who’ve faced similar challenges can be incredibly reassuring.
Embrace Breastfeeding: Help Your Baby Have a Good Latch
If your newborn baby not latching, don’t lose hope, you are not alone. There are resources to help you. Whether through trying new positions, seeking professional advice, or exploring alternative feeding methods, you have options to nourish and bond with your baby.
Your journey is unique, and what matters most is your baby’s health and well-being—and your own. Don’t hesitate to reach out for support. With time, patience, and perseverance, you find a feeding solution that works for you and your baby.
For more expert advice, visit Omega Pediatrics, where we’re dedicated to helping families thrive. These articles can provide further insights:
Breastfeeding: 5 Signs That My Baby is Getting Enough Milk and 12 Common Mistakes New Moms Make When Breastfeeding
