Cradle Hold Text

 
God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good. Genesis 1:31 Cradle Hold Position - Overview -When baby is nursing on the left breast -Place baby’s head on mother’s left elbow area -Baby’s stomach should be touching mother’s stomach -Mother’s right hand supports her left breast in the c-hold hand position; thumb above breast, four fingers under breast, all fingers away from baby’s mouth -Mother’s left hand is holding baby’s back or bottom -Mother’s nipple touches baby’s lips -When baby’s mouth opens wide, mother’s left arm pulls baby in close to breast -Baby latches on -Mother can remove the hand that is supporting the breast, if comfortable -Make sure that baby’s hands are out of the way. Baby’s lower arm, the right arm when baby is nursing on the left breast, can be held by mother’s left arm/elbow. Baby’s upper arm, the left arm when nursing on the left breast, should be above Moms’ left breast. Baby should look like he / she is giving Mom a hug. -Mother sits back against the back of the chair so gravity can help baby stay on the breast -Switch sides when baby loses interest in that breast, if still awake -Mother should drink pure water whenever nursing, and also between nursing sessions -When baby is nursing on the right breast -Place baby’s head on mother’s right elbow area -Mother’s left hand supports her right breast in the c-hold hand position -Mother’s right hand is holding baby’s back or bottom -If something does not feel correct, check the following; -is baby’s stomach touching mother’s stomach? if not, pull baby in closer -is mother or anyone else pushing baby’s head onto the breast? if so, DON’T, baby’s head should be resting on mother’s arm which is the perfect support and guide for latching on -is baby’s mouth in front of nipple while latching, like an arrow to a bulls eye target? if not, adjust baby on mother’s arm until this is so -if still not comfortable, re-read the previous instructions, watch the Cradle Hold (Latch On) Movie and read below for more help. Home Website Index Cradle Hold Movie Nursing After a C-Section Breastfeeding Positions How to Build an Effective Milk Supply   CRADLE HOLD POSITION - IN DEPTH INFORMATION   Note; HSH hold stands for ‘hand supporting the head or neck hold’, so HSH refers to the cross cradle, log, and football holds. 
+++PRACTICE LATCHING ON WITH A DOLL AND NOT TOUCHING THE BACK OF BABY’S HEAD
1. Practice the cradle hold first with a baby size doll or Teddy Bear so you can;     a. feel what it is like to wrap the doll around your stomach     b. learn how to place the doll’s head on top of your elbow area     c. learn how to line up baby's mouth with your nipple and     d. learn how to NOT touch the back of the doll’s head at latch on. 
+++KEEP BABY TUMMY TO TUMMY, HEAD RESTS ON TOP OF ELBOW AREA
2. Now with baby, to nurse on the left breast, make sure the head is on top of your left elbow area and you are ‘tummy to tummy’. No space should be visible between the baby’s stomach and the mother’s stomach. This helps avoid the nose-dive approach some babies do when the mother is supporting his head but his body is not snuggled in close to her stomach. To swaddle or not to swaddle, we are often asked this question. When a mother tries to latch on a baby who is swaddled with his arms in front of his body, the angle of baby’s body is tilted away from mother’s body by his arms. This can interfere with latching on, with baby’s nose often being blocked by the breast and his arms keeping him from getting tummy-to-tummy with mom. Swaddling is fine at times between feedings, of course. But baby’s arms should be loose while breastfeeding so that he can ‘give mom a hug’ with his arms and thus achieve a closer latch. 
+++CLEAR BABY’S NOSE BY PULLING HIS HIPS CLOSER INTO YOUR HIP
3. If baby’s nose is too close to the breast (is being blocked by the breast), pull his hips in closer to mother’s hip. This will tilt baby’s face back slightly, freeing baby’s nostrils, without unlatching.
  4. Before trying to nurse the baby in the cradle hold, it often helps to have mother hold the baby in the cradle position with her shirt covering her breasts, so both mother and baby get comfortable being in this position. Some babies need this exercise as this position is new for them.                                            +++BULL’S EYE TECHNIQUE IS USEFUL FOR LATCHING 5. Remember that the baby needs to take in all of the nipple and some of the areola for correct latching. The bulls eye target technique of centering the baby’s mouth in front of the nipple as if it were the target, is very effective with the cradle hold. +++BABY'S HEAD RESTS ON MOTHER'S ELBOW AREA
6. Baby’s head rests on the mother’s elbow area in the cradle hold. For example, when baby is nursing on the left breast, the baby’s head rests on top of the mother’s left elbow area. Mother’s left hand is on baby’s bottom or back area. Her right hand can be used to support the breast. 
+++C-HOLD HAND POSITION IS COMFORTABLE FOR SUPPORTING BREAST
7. If necessary, mother can support her left breast with her right hand, placing 4 fingers under the breast and her thumb above the breast with fingers well away from the nipple and baby’s mouth, in the C-hold. The C-hold hand position is comfortable for the wrist, arm, and hand. Hand positions that require the wrist to be bent at a 90 degree angle such as the U-hold hand position will quickly tire out the mother's wrist. Mothers complain of carpel tunnel symptoms in their wrists in this position. We do NOT recommend the U-hold.   +++BABY’S MOUTH OPENS WHEN NIPPLE TOUCHES IT 8. Mother gently touches the baby’s lips with her nipple and as he reaches with his mouth to latch mother pulls him in close with her supporting arm (left arm when baby is nursing on left breast, right arm when baby is nursing on right breast). +++BABY NEEDS TO TAKE IN ALL OF THE NIPPLE AND SOME OR ALL OF THE AREOLA 9. If the baby latches onto the nipple only, it will hurt. Mother can gently put her finger in the baby’s mouth to release the suction and try again. 
+++VERY IMPORTANT; AVOID TOUCHING, PUSHING, OR HOLDING BABY’S HEAD OR NECK WITH YOUR HAND OR FINGERS WHEN NURSING
10. Try not to touch, hold or push the baby’s head with a hand or fingers as this may trigger the rooting reflex to turn towards what is touching his head and cause him to come off the breast. If you need to touch his head for a moment that’s ok, but holding his head or pushing his head to try to get baby to stay on the breast will often cause him to push back towards the hand, turn his face from side to side, bob on and off the breast, or to latch but not suck well. People often try to hold baby's head or neck to the breast but that is counterproductive to latching on. Any position that requires the mother to hold baby's head or neck with her hand will not work for any length of time, if at all. See Problems from the Cross Cradle, Football, and Log Holds 
+++LIPS FLANGE OUT PROPERLY IN THE CRADLE HOLD
11. In the correctly taught cradle hold, the baby’s lips naturally flange out as he reaches for the breast from his mothers’ arm and latches on when he is ready. In the HSH holds the mother is lifting the baby’s head to her breast, and trying to determine when the baby’s mouth is open wide enough for a good latch. With the mother’s hand on the back of baby’s head, baby often reacts to the hand by pushing back towards the hand and closing his mouth too soon for a deep latch. This can cause the mother to mash the baby onto the breast, pushing in the lips rather than allowing them to flange out properly. Some will say that it is easier to see if the lips are flanged out properly in the cross cradle hold. Both the cradle and the cross cradle hold have the baby’s body lying in similar positions with only the mother’s hand positions differing. The mother’s view of the baby’s lips is the same. The mother can best tell when the lips are not flanged out properly by the way it feels, it hurts! +++TO HELP FLANGE OUT BABY'S LIPS: 12. When the baby is latched on properly, mother should be able to see some of the pink skin of the lip. If she doesn’t and she feels pain, she can help the lips to flange out correctly, while baby is latched on, by using her finger to gently push the skin between the upper lip and the nose, up towards the nose. This will pop out the upper lip. To help flange out the lower lip, gently pull down on the chin skin. This will help the lips to flange out and mothers usually feel instant relief. Babies will quickly learn to flange out their lips correctly when using the cradle hold. Mothers are being encouraged to put their fingers into the baby's mouth to help flange out the lips. This IS NOT recommended because baby will try to suck on the fingers. HSH positions often cause these problems because the mother is the one trying to determine when baby's mouth is open wide enough for latch on. See Problems from the Cross Cradle, Football, and Log Holds for more information about baby not flanging out his lips properly. +++BABIES NEED TO BE ACTIVE PARTNERS IN THE LATCH ON PROCESS 13. In the correct cradle hold, lap nursing, and lying down positions, the baby's head is supported comfortably and baby has the flexibility to move his head to make any minor adjustments necessary. This shows how babies can be and need to be active partners in the latch on process. This shows the error in the statement; '...the cross cradle hold is better for latch on.'  It IS NOT. The cross cradle hold and all HSH holds restrict the baby from being an active partner in latch on because the mother is lifting and holding baby's head. This prevents the baby from making those last minor adjustments that he needs to make for effective and comfortable latching. +++AVOID BOTTLES AND PACIFIERS UNTIL BABY IS OLDER THAN 6 WEEKS 14. Babies need time to learn how to nurse. This learning is interfered with when bottles or pacifiers are given to babies who are less than 6 weeks old. Waiting 6 weeks allows babies to imprint with correct nursing techniques. After 6 weeks babies will not have the problems of chewing on Mom as if she was a bottle nipple or of preferring the bottle nipple because it is easier to get milk from. 
 One mother shared that she noticed a regression in her daughter’s ability to flange out her lips after she used bottles. Baby went from opening wide to nibbling her way onto the breast, while doing some feeds with bottles. (Baby was less than 5 weeks). +++TUCK BABY'S LOWER ARM UNDER MOTHER'S ELBOW  15. Keep the baby’s arms away from his mouth by tucking the lower arm under the mother’s elbow and gently placing the upper arm away from his mouth on top of the breast. We caution mothers against putting the baby's arms between baby’s body and mother’s body. This only pushes the baby’s body away from the mother, interfering with correct latch on angle. +++NURSING STATIONS ARE HELPFUL 16. Very helpful are nursing stations; places in the home set up for easy nursing with a comfortable chair that mother can lean back in. Leaning back allows gravity to help keep the baby closer to mom’s body. A stool or low table to rest the mother’s feet on also helps. Having a pitcher of pure water and glass, a cotton diaper for burps, a little blanket, snack, toys, music to sing together or books to read to an older child while nursing the baby, a Bible, and whatever else the mom wants for comfort, can all be set up ahead of time to help nursing be relaxed. Mothers will find it extremely helpful to have that ‘free’ arm to help her older children while nursing in the cradle hold or lap nursing hold.                                                                         +++USE ANY HOUSEHOLD PILLOWS THAT WORK FOR MOTHER'S AND BABY'S CURRENT SIZES 17. Special breastfeeding pillows are not necessary. Baby’s and mother’s body sizes are going to change and any pillow from around the house will work. The idea is not to position yourself to accommodate the size of the pillow, which often causes mothers to bend forward over the pillow or to sit up straight so ‘as not to pull the mother’s breast tissue away from the baby’. The idea is to lean back comfortably, keeping baby tummy to tummy, and use any pillows needed to support the baby or the mother’s arms. Leaning back is preferred because this allows gravity to help baby's head stay on the breast. Mothers find that in the cradle hold they soon outgrow the need for pillows and find great freedom in being able to nurse whenever and wherever the baby wants to, without needing to drag along a certain pillow with them. +++NIPPLES WILL HEAL! 18. If mothers have been through nipple trauma they will need time to heal. The good news is that their body will heal, sometimes in only 48 hours of nursing correctly in the cradle hold. Look for progress; is nipple soreness decreased or gone? is baby nursing more contentedly and for longer periods of time? is his weight improving? are you feeling that baby is nursing better? Sometimes the HSH positions have created problems that one needs to correct before you see the original problem, which still has to be dealt with. +++MORE HELP FOR HEALING NIPPLES
19. In addition to using the correct cradle or lap nursing, and lying down holds, other important actions needed to help heal sore nipples include;
 -avoid using nipple shields
 -avoid using gel packs and cling wrap
 -allow air to get to nipple skin; go without a bra as much as possible
 -change nursing pads as soon as they get damp, or better yet, go without
 -avoid nipple creams with steroids (corticosteroids)
 -leave some breast milk on the nipples and allow to air dry after nursing

 +++HEAD CONTROL AT LATCH ON
20. Having the baby’s head lifted to the breast by mother’s hand in the HSH holds is a different action for the baby than when he helps himself to latch on from mother’s arm in the cradle hold. In the cradle hold baby is an active partner, helping to determine when he is ready to latch. Mother’s arm supports his head comfortably and baby still is able to move his mouth to the nipple, he has support and flexibility to help himself to get to the nipple, and to make any minor adjustments necessary. 
 In the HSH holds the mother is holding baby’s head or neck, so baby doesn’t  have the flexibility to help move his mouth to the breast, mother has 'total control'. The mother tries to guess when to latch the baby, when is his mouth open wide enough and for long enough, often with poor results. So while some say that the HSH positions have better head control, we have seen that the baby latches on better when he is allowed to be an active partner in the cradle hold. In addition, the mother is more comfortable holding baby in the cradle hold because her elbow area is stronger and can hold him for long periods of time. In the HSH positions, mothers often complain of sore hands, wrists, arms, and backs because they are supporting their baby on their weaker wrist and forearm. +++WHEN IS BABY GETTING ENOUGH MILK ??????? 21. How do you know when baby is getting enough milk? What goes in, comes out! After a mother’s milk comes in, which is usually around the third day after birth, baby should have  5-6  wet disposable diapers per day, or 6-8 wet cloth diapers per day, or more, with 2 or more bowel movements on those diapers. If you’re not sure if a disposable diaper is wet, hold it in one hand and hold a brand new disposable diaper in your other hand to compare. Cloth diapers are easier to determine wetness and are very easy to use. +++HOW DO I KNOW IF BABY IS GAINING PROPERLY?
22. Remember that babies all have unique growth patterns and that growth often comes in spurts, not at a steady rate. Look at the baby’s weight gain since birth, starting at his lowest weight if there was any weight loss. Add the number of ounces he has gained and divide by the number of weeks he is old. Breastfed babies should gain 4-7 ounces a week, or more. They should be growing in length, in head circumference, and in developmental stages. They should grow out of their clothes. All these are clues that baby is getting enough milk. 
 If baby is not gaining 4-7 ounces a week, a red flag should go up for you. Nursing should be evaluated; is baby nursing frequently enough? at least 8–12 times per day? and for long enough? with most feedings being at least 10 minutes on a side, using both sides at most feedings? Position needs to be correct. Many babies are losing a pound or more of weight while using the HSH holds, which is very dangerous. If a baby has lost weight, he may be too weak to bring in the milk supply by himself. In this situation the baby will need additional pumped milk or other food source, fed preferably with an eye dropper, to build up his strength. Please keep him/her nursing as frequently as possible, this will stimulate the milk supply. Just because he/she was weak from insufficient milk intake while nursing in an HSH hold, doesn’t mean that there will always be a milk supply problem. We have seen many, many, many babies who went from using the cross cradle or football holds and who lost over a pound of weight, to thriving and gaining weight well once they switched to the correct cradle hold. See How to Build an Effective Milk Supply for more information. +++HEALING IS A PROCESS 23. Healing is a process. Many mothers report an immediate improvement in comfort when they switch to using the cradle hold correctly. But complete healing can take days, weeks, or longer depending on the severity of the problems. Look for progress, have faith that your precious baby will thrive and your body will heal, we have seen hundreds get through it! And, know that once you have learned correct positioning techniques with this baby, it will be easy with your future babies! +++PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION You are welcome to copy all information on this website but not to alter it in any way. Please share this information with any pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, doctors, nurses, or breastfeeding counselors that you know. You may be the only one to share this information. You may be saving many breastfeeding relationships. Please, especially, share this information with mothers for whom breastfeeding ‘did not work out’. They may be able to effectively nurse future children with this information. Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their own clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t He more surely care for you?              Luke 12: 27-28 Home Cradle Hold Movie Nursing After a C-Section Breastfeeding Positions Lap Nursing Hold Text Lap Nursing Hold Movie How to Build an Effective Milk Supply Website Index                                                Home.htmlWebsite_Index.htmlCradle_Hold_Movie.htmlNursing_After_a_C-Section.htmlBreastfeeding_Positions.htmlYour_Milk_Supply.htmlProblems_from_the_Cross_Cradle,_Football,_and_Log_Holds.htmlProblems_from_the_Cross_Cradle,_Football,_and_Log_Holds.htmlYour_Milk_Supply.htmlHome.htmlCradle_Hold_Movie.htmlNursing_After_a_C-Section.htmlBreastfeeding_Positions.htmlLap_Nursing_Hold_Text.htmlLap_Nursing_Hold_Movie.htmlYour_Milk_Supply.htmlWebsite_Index.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9shapeimage_1_link_10shapeimage_1_link_11shapeimage_1_link_12shapeimage_1_link_13shapeimage_1_link_14shapeimage_1_link_15shapeimage_1_link_16