Breastfeeding checklist

When you are breastfeeding, check the following signs that you and your baby are feeding correctly:

• Can you hear your baby swallowing milk, in both short and long gulps? Is his chest against yours?
• Can you see lots of jaw movement?
• Are his ears wiggling as his jaw moves up and down?
• Is his mouth wide open? Is his bottom lip turned out?
• Is there more breast in your baby’s mouth below the nipple than above?
• Are you feeling a tingling sensation from the let-down reflex?
• Does the let-down reflex make your breasts leak?

If you notice any of the following during feeding, you need to get your positioning checked:

• Your baby’s lips look as though he is sucking on a straw  
• His cheeks are sucked in  
• There are clicking noises from his mouth  
• Pain lasts throughout the feed