Obtaining a good latch begins with watching and becoming aware of your baby's feeding cues. Timing can not only help you with obtaining that perfect latch but it can also prevent both you and the baby from getting stressed out, irritated, and confused.

Once you know your baby is hungry bring the baby to the breast immediatedly. Ideally you want to make yourself comfortable, hold your baby so its head can move back freely. This will enable the baby to obtain its widest open mouth. You want to support the upper back and occipital area of the head. Double check the baby's body is at the same height as the nipple and that the baby's nose is opposite the nipple.

Bring the baby towards the nipple. Touch baby's nose to nipple. When the baby opens wide bring the baby onto the nipple so that the tongue and lower lip seal first to the breast. This position allows the entire nipple to be brought into your baby's mouth.

At this point the nipple has been stimulated, when the baby nuzzled your nipple. Your anterior pituitary releases prolactin (a hormone) which is in charge of milk production. Once the milk is made it has to be transported from the breast out to the baby. At this point the baby has latched on and is stretching the nipple in its mouth. Nipple stretching stimulates the hypothalamus to release oxytocin (another hormone). Oxytocin in turn is in charge of getting the milk out of the breast. What you may feel, commonly know as the let-down, is the oxytocin at work moving the milk along.

 Your baby is now sealed at the breast and will probably begin with a rapid suckling which will most likely slow down after a couple of minutes. At no point should you have felt any pain.

Why Breastfeed?

Mother's milk is the most complete form of nutrition for your infant, including those born premature and sick. Yes, antibodies do get passed through the mother to the baby via breast milk. There is extensive scientific evidence that links breastfeeding to reducing respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Other benefits derived from breastfeeding include fewer dental problems in breastfed infants, appropriate jaw, teeth, and speech development, reduced ear infections, reduced risk of asthma, reduced risk of obesity in later life, reduced risk of developing Type II diabetes, reduced risk of developing childhood leukemia, and a reduction in the risk of SIDS.

Not only is breastfeeding beneficial to your baby it is also very beneficial to the mother. Breastfeeding mothers are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight, are less likely to develop type II diabetes, less likely to develop breast cancer, and less likely to develp ovarian cancer.