07/02/2026
Your lactation consultant did their job beautifully. The positioning is right. The latch looks textbook. But your baby still clicks. Still arches. Still pulls off crying.
That’s not a failure of technique. That’s a sign there’s a layer underneath the latch that hasn’t been addressed yet.
When we assess newborns with feeding struggles, we’re looking at three specific areas: the upper cervical spine (which controls head rotation — that’s why many babies only latch well on one side), the jaw and TMJ (which needs to open wide and symmetrically for effective sucking), and the cranial base (where the nerves that coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing pass through).
Birth puts enormous pressure on all three areas. Even uncomplicated births. Even beautiful, empowering births.
The best outcomes we see are when families work with their LC AND get their baby’s body assessed for tension. Positioning plus comfort is the full picture.
The pressure we use? Lighter than you’d use to test a ripe avocado. Most babies relax right into it.
📍Link in bio for a newborn assessment.
