08/05/2026
🤱 World Breastfeeding Week: Feeding Starts with Positioning! 💛
A comfortable, effective latch often begins before your baby ever opens their mouth.
✨ Start with yourself. Get comfortable and lean back just slightly. When you’re relaxed, it’s easier for your baby to find and maintain a deep latch. This is YOUR moment! Don’t be afraid to take your nursing pillow out with you; even in public; it felt like I took mine everywhere!
🛋️ Use your pillow to support YOU. Pillows should support your arms, back, and body. They can also take some of the weight of the baby off of you, so you can have your hands free to position yourself, baby, and your breasts correctly. Using a specific pillow designated just for feedings with your baby can help establish a comfortable routine for you AND baby. Remember to try to set yourself up in a comfy chair or lounge on the couch for every feeding. Also consider choosing a padded headboard for those late-night feedings.
👶 Bring your baby to you—not you to your baby. Avoid hunching your shoulders or leaning forward. Instead, keep your baby close, tummy-to-tummy, so you can maintain good posture and help them latch more deeply. The pillow will hold the weight of the baby so you can keep them tummy-to tummy with you for longer periods.
🍼 Do you pump your breastmilk into bottles? Positioning matters there, too! If you’re practicing paced bottle feeding, many moms don’t know that they can use a pillow to position the baby in a way that mimics how a latched nursing baby would lay. The pillow is also there to reduce strain on your body-supporting your arms and having them free makes it easier to pace the feeding, watch for your baby’s hunger and fullness cues, and create a feeding experience that more closely mimics breastfeeding.
Remember, feeding shouldn’t be a strain on you or your baby’s body. A few small positioning adjustments can make a big difference in comfort, milk transfer, and creating a positive feeding experience—whether at the breast or with a bottle.
This World Breastfeeding Week, let’s remember: A great feeding starts with great positioning. 💕
