When I teach the prenatal breastfeeding class at my hospital, I use the
following definitions for "good positioning" and "good latch"

Proper positioning of baby: head and shoulders in alignment, facing mom.  Any
position will work (side-lying, cradle, clutch, etc.) as long as baby's head
and shoulders are in a line, facing mom.  I use slides and babydolls to
illustrate this.

Proper latch: baby's gums compress mom's milk sinuses, wherever they are in
relation to mom's nipple.  If sinuses are deeper, latch must be deeper.  If
sinuses are right behind the nipple, latch will be shallower.  I don't point
this out in class quite this way, but explain the anatomy of the breast, go
over hand expression, and explain that the baby needs to be latched onto the
"sweet spot" behind the nipple.  (sweet spot being the place you compress to
get a squirt of milk).

Does this make sense?  Any other ideas out there?

I think that the more that we LC's are in agreement over the basic stuff like
latch and positioning, the stronger our profession will be!

Margie Forrest, RN, BSN, IBCLC
The Lactation Corner at Palms West Hospital
Loxahatchee, FL

<<  We need to establish as LC's a =
 definition of "good positioning" and "good latch" with criteria that we =
 can teach...rather than criticizing hcp who don't know how to determine =
 correct latch. >>

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