Breastfeeding Positions: 7 Holds With Step-by-Step Tips for Newborns

The best breastfeeding positions are the ones that keep your baby tummy to tummy with you, head in line with body, so they can latch deeply while you stay comfortable: most parents rotate between the cradle, cross-cradle, football, laid-back and side-lying holds.

Finding comfortable breastfeeding positions can feel awkward with a floppy newborn and a body that is still recovering. There is no single right way, and small changes in how you hold your baby can make a painful feed easier.

Below are seven holds with steps from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the NHS, La Leche League International and the Office on Women’s Health, which ones suit a C-section, twins, large breasts, a fast letdown or reflux, and how to feed lying down safely.

Breastfeeding Positions at a Glance

Every hold has the same goal: your baby’s body faces yours, their head lines up with their body, and you bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby (AAP).

This page is the deep dive on holds. For latch basics and the first days, start with our how to breastfeed guide.

If a hold hurts, try another. The Office on Women’s Health notes that what works for one feeding may not work for the next.

1. Cradle Hold

Cleveland Clinic calls the cradle hold the most common position, and La Leche League International (LLLI) says it is most commonly used after the first few weeks. Steps, based on the AAP:

• Hold your baby on the same side as the breast you are using, with their head resting in the crook of your elbow.
• Rotate your forearm so your baby lies on their side facing you: tummy against your tummy, chest against your chest.
• Check that their ear, shoulder and hip make a straight line (NHS, LLLI), and raise them to nipple height with a pillow if needed (LLLI).

Watch out for: the NHS says the cradle hold may be uncomfortable after a cesarean because your baby lies across your tummy near the scar.

2. Cross-Cradle Hold

The cross-cradle hold looks like the cradle, but your arms swap jobs. The AAP recommends it for babies who have trouble latching, the Office on Women’s Health suggests it for premature babies or babies with a weak suck, and LLLI says many mothers find it useful in the early weeks because it gives you more control.

• Lay your baby across your lap on a pillow, facing you, with pillows under both of your elbows (LLLI).
• Use the arm opposite the feeding breast (Cleveland Clinic).
• Spread your hand behind your baby’s neck and shoulders, with your palm between their shoulder blades and your thumb and fingers at the base of their head (LLLI, AAP).
• Use your free hand to support your breast from underneath in a U or C shape (LLLI).
• Line their nose up with your nipple and, when they open wide, bring them in chin first.

Tip: Cleveland Clinic says a chair with armrests and a pillow across your lap help.

3. Football Hold (Clutch or Rugby Hold)

In the football hold your baby is tucked along your side, legs pointing behind you. The AAP, OWH, LLLI and the NHS recommend it after a cesarean because it keeps your baby’s weight off the incision. The AAP says it also helps with large breasts or flat nipples, because you can see both your nipple and your baby’s mouth.

• Sit with a firm pillow or cushion along the side you will feed from (NHS).
• Place your baby beside you on that side, their body tucked under your arm and their hips close to yours.
• Support their upper back with your forearm and their shoulders, neck and head with your hand (AAP).
• Put a pillow under your elbow so their head stays level with your breast, nose to nipple, then guide them in.

4. Laid-Back Breastfeeding (Biological Nurturing)

In laid-back breastfeeding you recline and your baby lies tummy down on your body. The AAP says it takes advantage of biologic responses that happen during skin-to-skin contact.

• Recline on a bed or with good support, leaning back but not lying flat (NHS). Prop your back, shoulders and neck with cushions.
• Place your baby on your chest, tummy to tummy, or angled to one side if that is more comfortable.
• Let your baby’s cheek rest near your breast. LLLI suggests touching your nipple to their upper lip so they open wide.
• Stay upright enough to see your baby’s eyes (NHS).

Why it helps: the AAP recommends it for an overactive letdown or oversupply, and Cleveland Clinic says it slows milk flow and suits C-section recovery and babies with reflux or frequent spit-up. LLLI notes that leaning over your baby can cause backaches, neck and shoulder strain or sore nipples, which reclining avoids.

5. Side-Lying Position and How to Do It Safely

The NHS recommends side-lying after a cesarean or difficult delivery and for night feeds. LLLI suggests practicing it during the day first.

• Lie on your side with cushions supporting your back (NHS). A pillow between your knees is optional (AAP).
• Lay your baby on their side facing you, tummy to tummy, with their ear, shoulder and hip in a line (NHS).
• Tuck your bottom arm under your head or pillow, and keep that pillow well away from your baby’s face (NHS).

Safety first. Cleveland Clinic says not to use side-lying if you might fall asleep with your baby. The AAP advises against bed sharing: if you feed in your bed, put your baby back in their own sleep space before you go to sleep. If you might doze off, the AAP says to remove pillows, blankets and anything that could cover your baby’s face, head or neck, and move your baby back as soon as you wake.

Your baby’s own space means on their back on a firm, flat, bare surface. Our safe sleep environment guide covers setup, and what to do when your baby falls asleep while nursing covers the transfer.

6. Upright or Koala Hold

In an upright hold, sometimes called the koala hold, your baby sits facing you, straddling your thigh or sitting on your hip with their spine and head upright. Cleveland Clinic recommends it for older babies who can hold up their heads, for feeding while out and about, and for parents who use a wheelchair or have other mobility issues. It also suggests upright positions for gassy babies.

• Sit your baby on your thigh, facing you, legs on either side of your leg.
• Support their back and neck with one hand and your breast with the other.
• Keep their spine and head upright as they latch (Cleveland Clinic).

Watch out for: newborns lack the head control for this. Afterward, see how to burp a baby if your baby gets gassy.

7. Double Football Hold for Twins

You can feed twins one at a time or together. Cleveland Clinic describes the double football hold: a football hold on each side, both heads supported, with pillows, and notes you can also feed each baby separately. The AAP and NHS also name the football hold for twins.

The AAP advises against bed sharing under any circumstances, including with twins and other multiples. If either baby falls asleep at the breast, move them to their own safe sleep space.

Best Breastfeeding Positions for Common Situations

Large breasts. The AAP suggests placing a rolled towel or receiving blanket under your breast so your baby’s mouth lines up straight with the nipple. Cleveland Clinic suggests holding your breast, since its weight can make it harder to stay latched.

Oversupply or a fast letdown. Try laid-back (AAP, Cleveland Clinic) or football, which LLLI says helps your baby handle a forceful flow. See also stinging pain while breastfeeding.

Reflux. Of our sources, only Cleveland Clinic names a reflux position: laid-back. Talk to your pediatrician about reflux itself, and see baby reflux and sleep and baby spit-up.

How to Get a Good Latch in Any Position

• Start early: watch for cues like rooting or hands to the mouth. LLLI says crying is a very late hunger cue.
• Wait for a wide mouth: tickle their lips with your nipple (OWH) and bring them in chin first, aiming the nipple toward the roof of the mouth (LLLI).
• Close and deep: LLLI says your baby’s nose should be no farther from your breast than the edge of a credit card, with lips flanged and at least half an inch of breast tissue in their mouth.

Good latch (OWH, CDC): comfortable, chin touching the breast, head straight, lips flared out, swallowing you can see or hear.

Poor latch (CDC): sucking only on the nipple, lips curled in, pain, clicking, or nipples flat or misshapen afterward. The OWH says to break suction with a clean finger in the corner of your baby’s mouth and relatch.

The AAP says rotating positions can help prevent nipple soreness and clogged ducts. For a sore, warm, red area, see our mastitis guide.

Nursing Pillows, Chairs and Other Setup Tips

• Support pillows: some parents use a support pillow while awake; never let a baby sleep on one. The AAP says to use only products made for infant sleep and keep pillows out of the sleep area.
• Chairs: the AAP suggests sturdy back and arm support, plus a footstool if needed.
• Couches and armchairs when you are exhausted: the AAP says falling asleep with a baby on a couch, armchair or cushion carries a risk up to 67 times higher than a safe sleep space. If you feel drowsy, put your baby down in their own space.
• Slings and carriers: the NHS says not to feed your baby while they are in a sling or carrier; take them out first.

The CDC says newborns feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, as often as every 1 to 3 hours. See the newborn feeding schedule and cluster feeding.

Related Betteroo Guides

• How to breastfeed
• Mastitis symptoms
• Baby falls asleep while nursing
• How to increase milk supply
• Cluster feeding a newborn
• Power pumping

When to Get Help With Breastfeeding

Ongoing pain is a reason to get help, not to push through. Contact an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), your pediatrician or your doctor if:

• Feeding keeps hurting: pain that lasts through the feed, or nipples that are cracked, bleeding, or flat or misshapen after feeding (CDC, OWH).
• The latch will not hold: clicking sounds, your baby keeps slipping off, or a weak suck (CDC, OWH).
• You suspect tongue-tie: the OWH says a short lingual frenulum can make nursing hard and cause slow weight gain and nipple pain, so talk to a doctor.
• Diapers are low: the CDC’s minimums are about 5 wet diapers on day 3 and at least 6 wet diapers and 3 poops a day by days 4 to 7.
• Weight is not coming back: the CDC says some weight loss in the first week is normal, but weight loss that continues after day 5 can be a sign your baby is not getting enough, and babies should be back to birth weight by day 10 to 14.
• Fewer than 8 feeds a day: on most days, fussiness after feeds, or yellowish skin (CDC).
• You feel low or overwhelmed: Cleveland Clinic notes feeding difficulties can contribute to depression. Tell your doctor.

A lactation consultant can check for anatomical issues in you or your baby (Cleveland Clinic). This article is general education, not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading: if you plan to pump as well as nurse, here is how to get a free breast pump through insurance.