Shallow latch signs from the outside:
- baby's chin and nose are not resting on the breast (though if they
are, you can't take it for granted that the latch is deep enough, mom
may have just pulled baby against the soft breast)
- lips are pulled inward (sign that baby was closing mouth as he came to
breast)
- lips are flanged so much they are doubled over - and often the lips
are doing the sucking instead of the tongue.  Excessive lip movement is
a signal the latch is shallow.
- dimpling of the cheeks during jaw opening means there is too much
airspace in the mouth, in other words, it is not full of breast as it
should be.  (potential confounder-this may occur in premies due to
reduced fat pads as well.)
- nipple comes out beveled and with a compression stripe (looking like
an unused lipstick).
- maternal pain.
--
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  New York City  mailto:[log in to unmask]

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