The Latch
The Latch is available first on Substack, subscribe for first access to nip tips and my biweekly newsletter!
Hey breastie! It’s Thursday, and I wanted to have a Sunday Sip with you, but I was in NYC having a reset. We’ve been talking for a few weeks about how our milk is made and how the golden hour will help get our best foot forward on our breastfeeding journey. Now it’s time to get baby to breast!
But first - did you catch our new series The Breastfeeding Diaries? I sat down with my good friend Kayla to chat about her experience with breastfeeding. Kayla is a first-time mom, self-proclaimed “napper”, and a teacher who had to return to work after baby. She’s now pumping and breastfeeding her sweet 11-month old. We talked about why she thought breastfeeding wasn’t for her, her pumping breaks at work, and she gives us some advice on breastfeeding and motherhood.
Catch our conversation here:
Grab your emotional support sip, and let’s get into the latch.
The Latch
While breastfeeding is a normal, natural, innate ability for the mother and baby. It is also a skill. This skill improves with time and practice. That is why it can be so frustrating in the initial stages, especially for first-time parents. Your baby is willing and eager, but handling them takes time to get used to and improves as they gain strength and head control and as your confidence grows.
The nip is free today. If you know someone who is pregnant or nursing, share this article with them!
Why is the latch so important?
Because making sure the latch is optimal ensures a pain-free nursing experience which empties the breast efficiently and leads to a full, happy, growing baby.
What is a good latch anyway?
We should describe the latch as deep meaning the baby has as much breast tissue in their mouth as possible, after all it’s breastfeeding not nipple-feeding. As well as effective in removing milk from the breast. Is baby satisfied after a feeding? Are the mother’s breasts soft? A good latch does not hurt.
How to get baby to latch?
Especially for the first feeds and even into the first weeks, I would recommend baby in only a diaper in order to get the maximal benefits of skin-to-skin in the early days.
The mother should be in a comfortable position with pillows and supports as needed.
Baby and mom should be tummy-to-tummy. As much of baby’s belly touching the mother and baby’s ears, shoulders, and hips are all in one line (baby’s head is not turned to one side).
The mother should bring baby to her breast. Always bring baby to you, not bring your breast to the baby. This can cause poor posture, ineffective latch, and pain.
Bring baby’s nose to the nipple. You can use your hand to guide the breast into the baby’s mouth with a C-hold. Make a C with your hand opposite handing the baby and line your thumb up parallel with baby’s nose.
When baby opens their mouth, bring baby onto the breast. Their tongue should be down in order to allow the tongue to cup the under side of the nipple and breast. On ultrasound we see the baby creating a seal around the breast, creating a vacuum-like suction, and the tongue moves like a wave underneath to stimulate milk flow. The movement of the jaw plays a much larger role in breastfeeding than previously believed, which highlights the importance of getting as much breast tissue in the mouth as possible.
When baby is on the breast we want them in a sniffing position, like they are smelling roses. Their chin should be deep in the breast tissue, both cheeks touching the breast, and the nose just slightly away from the areola. This asymmetric latch allows baby to get more breast tissue into the mouth.
Baby’s lips should be flanged like a fish. If the bottom lip is sucked in, you can use your finger to gently flip it out.
There may be discomfort initially, but if it persists for more than 30 seconds - gently use your finger to break the seal in the corner of their mouth before pulling them off.
Repeat these steps to attempt latch again.
Should it hurt?
Breastfeeding should not hurt. If it is painful, the latch likely needs to be addressed. Discomfort may occur during latching, but if it persists break the seal and try to latch again.
Many things can affect the latch such as babies age, mother’s breast anatomy, baby’s oral anatomy, residual tension from birth, and others. If you’re experiencing pain that does not improve, please seek guidance from a lactation professional. You deserve help and an enjoyable breastfeeding experience!
How long should a nursing session last?
Abundant research suggests that baby should be able to nurse as often and for as long as they desire in order to regulate the milk supply. Some guidance is still given to time feeds and switch breasts after a designated time. This has been replaced with recommendations to offer one breast and allow baby to feed until they fall asleep or self detach and then offer the other breast (Wambach & Spencer, 2026). Think of it like main course and dessert. Always offer dessert, but the baby may not be in the mood. That’s fine, just start with that breast on the next feeding. Some babies nurse for as little as 5 minutes and some more than 30 minutes.
Pay attention to baby’s cues they are full such as they stop suckling, they fall asleep, or they release the nipple on their own. Some infants will continue to suckle passively after they are asleep and you can remove them, as this may lead to sore nipples.
Happy Breastfeeding!
Thank you so much for reading + I’ll see you soon,
Sasha Jarman, RN, APRN, FNP-C
(1) Wambach, K., & Spencer, B. (Eds.). (2026). Breastfeeding and human lactation (seventh edition). Jones and Bartlett Learning.
