Laid Back Breastfeeding
The Biological Nursing position was a game-changer for me and I hope it will be for you too! If you are expecting or have a newborn at home, give this position a try. Not only will it save your back, but there is a ton of evidence that says it’s actually a really great position to maximize feeding! It will also minimize the discomfort you may feel!
(PS- you don’t even have to get out of bed to try this one!)
Want more info on Laid-Back Breastfeeding? Check out this La Leche League article! And if you caught that little snippet at the end, one of the KEYS to breastfeeding in the early days is Skin-To-Skin contact – Read more about The Benefits of Skin-To-Skin!
Tell me in the comments below: Have you tried this position? Will you?
Video Transcript:
Hey there, and welcome to another episode of Your Empowered Birth. My name is Lara Proud. I’m a Registered Nurse, and I am here to talk to you about a trick that is going to help you with breastfeeding postpartum.
Breastfeeding can be one of the trickiest things about postpartum.
It’s one of the things that you hear about all of the time, either from friends and family members who’ve experienced difficulties (or who have gone through it themselves) and want to come out on the other side feeling a little more confident. One of the tricks that I’m going to show you this week is backed by evidence. It’s called laid-back nursing.
Laid-back nursing, biological nurturing, biological breastfeeding position, these are all names for the exact same thing. But this position is honestly one of the biggest lifesavers.
I will explain why, but first, I’m going to show you what I mean by it.
*Lara sitting on the bed with pillows behind for support*
One of the ways to do the biological breastfeeding position is to actually prop yourself up in bed. This is easily done in a hospital bed, right after delivery, or if you deliver at home. Grab a couple of extra pillows and lay back. Once you’re comfortable, bring your baby to your chest. Allow them to drop just a little bit. This is the laid-back position. So when your body is reclined, you’re in quite a comfortable position – meaning that it’s going to be easier for both you and baby to be in this position for an extended period of time. Baby is happily and easily able to suck and swallow, they have lots of free movement of their jaw, and are able to really get a good latch.
*Lara Sitting Up On A Couch*
Another really common way to do the biological breastfeeding position is to sit on a couch or chair. Find yourself a really comfy spot, get yourself a glass of water, and have everything around you that you need. That way, when you get into position, you’re nice, comfortable, and ready to go.
When your baby is teeny tiny, it might be a little tedious to try and get them latched on if you’re already laying back. So if they are actually latched on while you’re still in a bit of an upright position, and then you just recline yourself back into a nice seated position, it can be a smooth transition. Baby is either slightly sideways laying on you, or they can be a little more up and down. It depends on how you want to do it. You can use pillows to prop baby up, you can use pillows to prop yourself up, and it’s actually very comfortable.
So now that you have an idea of a couple of different ways of doing that breastfeeding technique
Let’s talk about the benefits of laid-back breastfeeding.
One of the big benefits, right off the bat, is being able to have your baby get a proper latch. When your baby is laying down on top of you, the baby is able to open their mouth wide and find the angle that they need to get the most breast tissue in their mouth. We call it breastfeeding for a reason because you need to have a lot of breast tissue in the baby’s mouth to be able to have a good, effective latch and get that milk flowing.
Another really neat thing about this biological breastfeeding position is not only baby able to get a really deep latch, but the milk transfer is also much easier for them to manage. When baby is laying on top of your chest the milk has to be able to be drawn out against gravity. It teaches babies to suck really well, it teaches them a proper latch, and it also helps them to control the flow of the milk.
Upwards of 30% of the population, if not more, have something called a perceived oversupply.
Now, an oversupply is a topic we will cover another day, but it could be caused by any number of reasons (check out this post about Oversupply for more info). With this perceived oversupply, sometimes babies can sputter, cough, or choke a little bit. It can be difficult to get a good feed in because they’re trying to keep up with the flow. Holding your baby in that biological breastfeeding position helps them control how much is being taken out at a time. That’s using gravity to their advantage.
Mind you, if you have a really strong letdown, they may still have a bit of an issue. But again, gravity is going to help because anything extra will just come out of their mouth.
Also good to know, biological breastfeeding position, or laid-back nursing, is not just for people with oversupplies. It has been found in recent research that if you are using this position when you first start nursing, that babies have higher rates of being able to breastfeed. They also have lower rates of weight loss and are able to stay breastfeeding for longer. That’s because there’s less pain and fewer latch issues associated with this position.
So the more time that you are able to spend skin-to-skin with your baby helps to encourage your milk supply. Also, your baby to be able to smell and know where to go when they’re hungry.
There are so many different benefits and so many bonuses to being able to this position!
I would love to know if it is something that you have ever heard of! If you have ever tried, and if you plan on trying it now, let me know!