• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Raising Children Network
  • Pregnancy
  • Newborns
  • Babies
  • Toddlers
  • Preschoolers
  • School age
  • Pre-teens
  • Teens
  • Grown-ups
  • Autism
  • Disability

Breastfeeding positions for comfort and attachment

Start with baby-led attachment.

When you’re learning to breastfeed, it’s best to start with baby-led attachment. While sitting, lean back and get comfy, with pillows for support. Lie baby between your breasts, skin to skin, supported by your arms. Baby will move towards one breast and start feeding.

Get comfortable for breastfeeding.

If you’ve had a caesarean, you can still do baby-led attachment. Encourage baby to lie more to one side, supported on pillows but angled away from your wound. Keep baby’s feet supported.

You can do baby-led attachment after a caesarean.

You can also do mother-led attachment. Sit in a chair with good back support. You might need pillows to prop up your arms while you support your baby. Make sure baby isn’t higher than the level of your nipples. Rest your feet on a footstool to keep your lap flat.

Breastfeeding positions to try

Three common feeding positions include the front hold, the underarm position and the lying down position.

Once you’re going well with breastfeeding, you can try different breastfeeding positions. This is the classic front hold or cradle position, often used with mother-led attachment.

Three common feeding positions include the front hold, the underarm position and the lying down position.

Here’s the underarm position or football hold. Tuck your baby close to your body. You can feed twins together in this position. It can also help if you have sore nipples.

Three common feeding positions include the front hold, the underarm position and the lying down position.

The lying down position is good for night feeds and afternoon rests. Be careful you don’t go to sleep with baby in this position. After feeding, put your baby into their own bed on their back to sleep.

More options and ideas for breastfeeding

Twins can be fed together using the twin hold.

In the first weeks, it can be easier to feed twins separately. But soon you can try feeding them together in the twin hold. Some mums feed separately, others together, and most do a mix.

It's your legal right to feed your baby in any place.

If you want to breastfeed when you’re out, you could practise first at mothers’ group, or with friends and family. It’s your legal right to feed your baby in any place at any time.

Wraps offer privacy when breastfeeding in public.

It’s OK if you feel self-conscious about breastfeeding in public. If your baby doesn’t mind being covered, try putting a light scarf or cloth over your baby while you feed.

Download printable version

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Follow us on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Join 60,000 subscribers who receive free parenting news. Sign up now
  • Privacy statement
  • Terms of use

© 2006-2021 Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited. All rights reserved.

Warning: This website and the information it contains is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified practitioner.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation (HON) and complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.