Breastfeeding Latch 101: How to Get a Deep, Pain-Free Latch

Breastfeeding is often depicted as a natural or instinctual process for moms and babies. While this is true to a certain extent, many new moms find breastfeeding to be really difficult. As a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, I’ve worked with hundreds of moms on this exact issue.

Achieving a good latch is the foundation of a successful breastfeeding journey. When done correctly, a good latch ensures that baby can effectively remove milk to support their nutrition and growth and also prevents nipple damage, which can lead to pain and infection. The latch is the usually the first thing we evaluate when breastfeeding problems crop up, so it’s important to prioritize a good latch with every feeding. So let’s take a closer look at how to achieve a good latch. (Psst…keep reading until the end for access to my Ideal Latch Handout for free!)

How to Position Your Baby for a Deep Latch

Tummy to Tummy

Hold your baby so they face you, with their tummy in contact with yours and their hips stacked over their shoulders, keeping their spine in a straight line. 

Support from the Neck

Hold your baby by supporting their neck, not their head, to give them the mobility they need to tilt their head back and open wide for a deep latch.

Hips Flexed and Feet Supported 

Tuck baby in closely and tightly, with their hips flexed, and avoid letting their feet dangle in the air. This gives baby a sense of stability and support while they attempt to latch. 

Nose to Nipple

Baby’s nose should be opposite your nipple allowing them to come up and over the nipple for a deeper latch.

Latching Technique: Bring Baby to the Breast

Wait for a Wide Open Mouth

Wait for baby to open their mouth wide. Avoid trying to put the breast into baby’s mouth, and instead bring the baby up onto the breast. Baby’s chin should make contact with the breast first, then their upper lip reaches up and over the nipple. 

Aim for an Asymmetrical Latch

Aim for a large mouthful of breast tissue, including the nipple and much of the areola. There should be more breast tissue in baby’s mouth on the lower side of nipple than the upper–this is called an asymmetric latch. 

The Latch Should Be Comfortable

The latch should not be painful. Some discomfort for a few seconds at the beginning of a feeding, especially in the beginning stages of breastfeeding, can be normal. But a consistently painful latch is not normal, and if not addressed it can lead to nipple damage as well as decreased feeding efficacy and efficiency. If the latch is painful, break the latch by gently inserting your finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth to break the suction, and then try again.

Readjust as Needed

Watch for signs of effective feeding such as rhythmic sucking and swallowing sounds. If your baby seems fussy or is not actively feeding, they may need to be repositioned or encouraged to latch again.

Signs of a Deep Latch (vs. a Shallow Latch)

Here’s the truth: a lot of moms are told their baby’s latch “looks fine” but they’re still in pain, still dealing with cracked nipples, and still wondering why breastfeeding feels so hard. Nine times out of ten, it comes down to latch depth. Knowing what to look and feel for changes everything.

Signs of a Deep Latch ✓

• Baby’s mouth is wide open, covering more of the areola below the nipple than above
• Lips are flanged outward (think “fish lips,” not tucked in)
• Chin is pressed into your breast, nose is clear or just barely touching
• Cheeks look full and round – no dimpling
• You can hear rhythmic swallowing, especially after your milk lets down
• You feel a strong, drawing sensation – but not pain
• Your nipple comes out round, not pinched or lipstick-shaped after a feed

Signs of a Shallow Latch ✗

• Baby is only latched onto the nipple, not the areola
• Lips are tucked inward instead of flanged out
• Cheeks are dimpling or you hear clicking sounds while baby feeds
• Breastfeeding is painful beyond the first few seconds
• Your nipple looks flattened, creased, or lipstick-shaped when baby comes off
• Baby seems frustrated at the breast, feeds constantly, or isn’t gaining weight well

The One Thing to Remember

Your nipple should be nowhere near the front of baby’s mouth. It needs to reach the soft palate at the back as that’s what triggers the suck reflex and makes the latch actually work. If baby is chomping down on the nipple itself, that’s your sign to break the latch with a clean finger, reposition, and try again.

Do You Need a Breastfeeding Pillow?

Nursing pillows can be a major asset while breastfeeding to help support baby and get some of the pressure off of our arms and back, and many moms find them so helpful for positioning. But they can also be a hindrance to a successful latch, especially in the early days postpartum. Often the large, rounded shape of many nursing pillows makes keeping baby close and supported even more difficult, or they aren’t long enough to support baby’s whole body, leaving their legs dangling. Every nursing pillow has its own pros and cons, but there are a few that I recommend that I think are the most helpful in achieving a good latch.

So now that we’ve laid out the keys to achieving a good latch, you’re probably wondering how to tell if your baby has a “good” latch. To help you with exactly that, I put together a downloadable Ideal Latch Handout to give you a visual of what to look for when evaluating your baby’s latch, and you can get it for free here.

If you’re reading this in the middle of the night, nipples cracked, baby fussy, and you’re wondering if breastfeeding is even going to work, I want you to know: you’re not failing. Latching is a skill, and it can be taught. Inside my Mastering Bottle & Breastfeeding Course, I walk you through the full latching process with video demonstrations, troubleshooting for every common problem (shallow latch, painful latch, baby falling asleep, tongue tie red flags), plus step-by-step modules on positioning, milk supply, and bottle feeding. It’s the exact framework I use with my 1:1 clients, available 24/7 for a fraction of the cost.

Happy latching, friend.