We’ve heard of baby led weaning and baby led solids but when our baby is very small, we often forget that a small newborn is just as able to lead the feeding as an older child, as long as we give them the right tools. “What would be a tool for a newborn to feed”, you might think. And most likely the answer would be “breast” or “bottle” but what we have abstracted from over years is the most important tool of all – position.
Yes, that’s right, the position in which a baby feeds is just as important. I talked to the inventor of the Developing Doulas course, and the person who runs the laid back feeding class – Maddie. An expert on breastfeeding. As you know, my niche is c-sections but this method is useful for any mum, and the reason I’m talking about it is because it is possible and even advisable for mums after c-section, as well as useful for mums who bottle feed.
Laid back feeding – what is it?
Laid back feeding is the most natural thing, as we will find out. Like all mammals, we have instincts in how to feed our babies but over time we have moved away from the natural poses, as Maddie points out – for the most odd reason – our clothing.
Back in the 19th century, when women were wearing corsets, the most easy pose to feed a baby in was by sitting up straight and shoving the breast down the baby’s mouth. We know what it can do for the latch and milk flow but I will elaborate anyway.
Having a hard milk flow can make it hard for babies to properly feed so it makes more sense if you feed your baby putting them on the breast (it’s even a phrase!) rather than put the boob on the baby (a phrase we hear far less 🙂 ). As Maddie puts it:
In laid back breastfeeding, the baby tips their head back to open their throat in the same way we tip our heads back to drain a glass of water. The laid back position facilitates this more naturally.
Laid back feeding is all about the mother’s comfort. We’re not used to thinking about ourselves once a baby comes but this time, what’s most comfortable for the mum, is also the most comfortable (and comforting) option for the baby. You can check out how it looks here or watch the video below.
So laid back feeding brings us back to the natural feeding poses, is easier for the baby to regulate milk flow and let’s the baby move it’s head choosing how much to feed, as well as avoid tension in the back of the neck, because while it might look like the baby’s head is tilted slightly back, it actually allows for movement and strengthens the core.
Yet, comfort for the baby and the mother is not the only reason to choose this method. It also increases the connection between mum and her baby, it helps with the latch, the oxytocin, the milk delivery hormone. Prolactin creates milk production and oxytocin signals the milk cells to contract and push out the milk in the same way as in labour creating contractions of the uterus. Both these are important and can be increased with bonding and close contact.
And whilst natural and as ancient as humanity, it’s becoming the new practice aftesh, so much so that it’s been carefully studied by Suzanne Colson, who worked as a midwife. You can read her study on “Biological Nurturing” here.
Laid back feeding after a c-section?
You may have noticed in the images above that the poses make it so that the baby’s feet touch the mother’s stomach area. How could that be possible with a fresh scar?
As Maddie reminds me – babies are so small when they are just born. They tend to be little clumps of love, all bunched up. So most of the time, their tiny feet don’t even reach the scar. But that doesn’t mean it’s not scary. So many times we opt for putting something under our baby and feeding like this:
In the image above, the baby is at least touching the mum’s skin but we can see that the baby is more a recipient of the breast than in control of it. This position is not the most optimal for several reasons. Firstly, we need to keep the baby’s head, which can become difficult over time. Secondly, as Maddie points out – when we have our scar, and on top of that we put our post-partum belly, a pillow and a baby, it keeps the scar area warm and potentially moist giving room for infections.
In a laid back feeding scenario, the baby would be touching the mum but still be on her tummy. Maybe, slightly sideways but not on the pillow on its side. To feel assured that the scar won’t be damaged by a simple trick – take a postpartum pad you would use and put it in your pants over the scar. Then fold a light blanket and put it on top of it so you have some bumper room in case the baby’s foot reaches that far.
Even if the baby does reach, their feet are so tiny that they can’t do any damage to a scar that is much stronger than we believe at the moment. A simple protection from the little legs and you can enjoy laid back feeding with your little one.
In this position, the baby gets extra benefits, especially important for c-section births. Firstly, there’s a lot of contact. As Maddie so wonderfully put:
“Their home was here (showing on her belly) and now you show them that their new home is here”.
Here on our stomachs, on our chest, close to us in a little love cocoon. It is also important, and here, I will ruffle some feathers – to let the baby feed more than once every 2-3 hours. It is also important to allow the baby to fall asleep on the breast. Especially, if the baby has had a difficult time at birth, having the comfortable nook of their mum is so comforting, they might be extra sleepy after the big job done.
Of course, it is important to make sure your baby feeds, not only sleeps on the breast, but letting them have a little nap in between is nothing to worry about. And we don’t need to feel all tensed up sitting in an uncomfortable position – we can lay back (see?) and enjoy the bonding process.
Why am I stressing this with c-section babies? Well, often the signal our bodies need to alert us that the baby is born is lacking in the c-section birth. We might have started the process and then something went wrong or we might have had an elective c-section. In those cases, sometimes the signal is not as strong. So it is important for the mother and the baby to be close, feed as much as possible to give a signal to the mum that it’s time to produce milk.
And don’t listen to people saying the sad phrase “your milk is not coming in”. It might take a bit longer but you’re feeding your baby the nutritious colostrum (which for elective c-sections might be good to have expressed before). Yes, there are cases when breastfeeding is problematic but a bigger problem is not listening to the woman’s body and instincts, including the pose in which to feed them. I often say – women know, all I want to do as a doula, is give them that queen feeling, where they believe in themselves – just a reminder that they already know what to do.
What if laid back feeding doesn’t work for me?
There could be a few factors that make laid back feeding harder. And I say feeding not breast or chestfeeding, because this method is just as wonderful with a bottle, letting the baby be in close contact with mum and still be in control of the feeding. More about paced bottle feeding can be found here.
But returning to issues that you might come across. Especially in cases of a c-section it could be fear about the scar. As I mentioned before, there are ways to protect your scar and the baby is barely able to reach it. There’s still the option to put the baby slightly diagonal and put a pillow under your arm, so you are comfortable in this position. The diagonal feeding is also very handy for twins or tandem feeding a baby and a toddler.
Another issue might be the position! Yes, in an instinctive position based feeding, the position really matters. It is important to sit on your back, more than your bum. Have you ever tried to sit directly on your tailbone? The position becomes uncomfortable and our bum gets very numb.
It is important to sit back, get in a comfortable position and let the baby lead the way. It’s in the name – lay back! 🙂
If you want to know more about laid back feeding positions – check out Maddie’s course here. She runs it regularly and shows wonderfully how you can get comfortable to feed your baby and offer the most benefit to the baby too.
It’s all in our instincts, trust them 🙂
