laid back/upright nursing

LaidBackUpright Love this nursing position. Laying on my side with my legs curled up behind baby and my torso rotated slightly back, baby sitting up and nursing. Great for refluxy babies and fast letdown. Added bonus: baby tends to burp herself when nursing like this. It’s the snuggliest most comfy position I’ve found. And it works from newborn up.

When baby is smaller you can support baby’s bum with a pillow or your arm. As baby gets bigger then baby will be self supporting.

I like this nursing position because the baby can unlatch/pop off if the milk flow is too fast whereas it is a bit harder for baby to do this in normal “top laying” positions.

LaidBackUpright2

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Categories: Breastfeeding Basics, Pictures

14 responses to “laid back/upright nursing”

Kara

May 15, 2012 at 6:19 pm

Hi Sarah, thanks for posting this! I have been struggling to find comfy positions to nurse my baby so that I can be fully supported and possibly even sleep (imagine that!). Is there any way you could email me a photo from further back so I can see exactly how you’re positioned? Thanks again!
Kara

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1. sarah
  
  May 15, 2012 at 6:27 pm
  
  Kara, I’ll email one later when I have someone available to take one for me. 🙂 It’s very comfy, but I wouldn’t recommend sleeping like this, as baby can slip down easily and needs to be watched. I’d suggest only sleep nursing like this if your partner can watch baby to make sure baby doesn’t slip.
  
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Zoé

May 15, 2012 at 8:48 pm

Love this. I would also love a pic from further back, if possible.

Your little one is beautiful. I’m so happy I recently came across your blog. I love that you can write so eloquently what bashes around inside my head.

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1. sarah
  
  May 15, 2012 at 9:06 pm
  
  thank you! Will get a better picture later. It’s a very comfy position. I have degenerative disc disease and my lower back tends to be twingey. I love this position as an alternative to being flat on my back with a baby weight on top (terrible for the lumbar area)
  
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Danielle

June 2, 2012 at 6:39 pm

Hi! I love your blog. This is my first baby and my son is about te some age as your daughter. I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts. My son has reflux and I have a forceful let down so any positions that can help with those two would be wonderful to hear about. Can you please send me the additional picture when you have the opportunity. My son was 6 weeks premature and though we are exclusively breastfeeding it hs been very hard and reflux has really complicated things. I’d love any recommendations for nything I can do to make it easier for him. Thank you do much!

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1. Kelly
  
  June 4, 2012 at 5:17 pm
  
  Danielle,
  My little guy struggled with a forceful let down. I often stood over the sink and massaged some milk out of me and into the sink so that the initial let-down was over before I nursed. This really helped in the middle of the night when he couldn’t latch because of the speed and volume of milk coming at him. It didn’t solve things every time, but helped. There were still those nights where we were both covered in milk and crying.
  
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Francesca

June 3, 2012 at 6:04 pm

I had my first baby – a daughter – two weeks before yours and so many of the things you write about her bring tears to my eyes. Could you email me more information on this nursing position? I can’t quite visualize it! Thanks!

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christieann mathison

July 5, 2012 at 2:50 am

yes!!!! more pictures please…. i do laid back nursing as much as i can…still a little hard with a 3 week old…..any help…apprecited. and thank you for your beautiful words

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christieann mathison

July 12, 2012 at 4:43 am

ohhh, aha…. i get it now…i have been doing other versions of this, cant wait to try this!!! baby does always burp during nursing and after in this position and it really does help with my forceful, multiple let downs….thanks

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Janet G.

July 27, 2012 at 5:35 pm

Hi, I stumbled upon your blog when looking up laid-back breastfeeding. Your version looks so relaxing. How did you position the baby to latch on in that position? I tried yesterday but it seemed like my little ones nose ended up smooched and I had to keep moving her little head to give her breathing space. I sort of had her laying across my body and had her self-latch. I would appreciate your tips on how to get it right. Thanks!

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1. sarah
  
  July 27, 2012 at 7:30 pm
  
  How I get her latched depends. When she’s sleepy I have to sit up and hold her in a cradle hold and then once she’s latched I can roll over into the position pictured. Other times I can just prop her up against my legs and then maneuver her into place.
  
  She’s sleeping right now but when she wakes up I’ll write a detailed step by step on how I do it. 🙂
  
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2. sarah
  
  July 28, 2012 at 4:07 pm
  
  Ok, so.. I am nursing my daughter like this now. Her bottom arm is above her head, she is laying on her side “under” my breast, and her body is curved up until her nose is clear of my boob. If baby’s body is curled towards your legs it pushes nose into your breast. If baby’s body curls up toward your armpit it leverages baby’s nose away from your breast. Pulling up baby’s bottom arm seems to help her maintain the side laying position. Make sure your baby is as comfy as you are. 🙂 I’m on my phone right now but can post a picture in a while of my perspective of baby’s position.
  
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Janet G.

September 26, 2012 at 2:36 pm

I’ve been meaning to thank you for your great instructions on laid-back nursing. We’ve been moving and renovating so I haven’t had a chance to do so. Thanks!

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1. sarah
  
  September 26, 2012 at 4:46 pm
  
  Hope that it was helpful for you! And hope that the move and renovation hasn’t been too stressful for you.
  
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