Positioning
The Cradle Hold

The cradle hold, also called the Madonna hold, is when you use your same hand (right hand for right breast and left hand for left breast) and forearm to support the back of the baby's head and body, so that the baby is on his side with his stomach facing toward you. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head, although his legs may dangle to your stomach or thighs. The other hand (left hand for right breast and right hand for left breast) is used to cup the breast, placing your fingers beneath your breast and your thumb on top of your breast. Your nipple should be placed within the baby's mouth and then the baby pulled against your body. The cradle hold is the most popular way for mothers to nurse their babies, whether at home or in public.
The cross cradle hold is also known as the transitional hold, the crossover hold or the transverse hold. This hold is achieved when you use your opposite hand (left hand for right breast and right hand for left breast) to support the back of the baby's head, neck and shoulders, so that the baby is on his side with his stomach facing toward you. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head. The other hand (right hand for right breast and left hand for left breast) is used to cup the breast – placing your fingers beneath your breast and your thumb on top of your breast. Your nipple should be placed within the baby's mouth and then the baby pulled against your body.
The football hold, also known as the clutch hold, is when you use your same hand (left hand for left breast and right hand for right breast) to support the back of the baby's head. The baby's body and feet are tucked underneath the arm on same side the baby is nursing, so that his legs dangle behind you. Pillows can be used to bring the infant to the right level. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head. The other hand (left hand for right breast and right hand for left breast) is used to cup the breast - placing your fingers beneath your breast and your thumb on top of your breast. Your nipple should be placed within the baby's mouth and then the baby pulled against your body.

The football hold assists babies in fitting with their mother's body type. "I am quite large-breasted," says Sarah Doggett of Bellevue, Wash. "When Gus was first born, it was rather humorous, because my breasts were larger than his head. In order to give him some breathing space, I sometimes used the football hold."

Smaller babies and those who struggle to latch on are excellent candidates for the football hold. This is because mothers can better control their baby's position and their breast using this hold. "The football hold also works extremely well with premature babies," says Hewson.


The side-lying hold, also called the reclining hold, is when you lie down on your side and hold the baby in the crook of your same arm (right arm for right breast and left arm for left breast) to support the back of the baby's head and body. The baby should be on his side with his stomach facing toward you – stomach to stomach. The baby's body should be in a straight line with his head. The other hand (right hand for left breast and left hand for right breast) is used to cup the breast, placing your fingers beneath your breast and your thumb on top of your breast. Your nipple should be placed within the baby's mouth and then the baby pulled against your body.

The side-lying hold can be extremely comfortable, especially when pillows are used to relieve stress on the back. "It takes a little practice to get the baby to latch on properly," says Snyder. "But at night, I breastfeed either lying down on my side or back." Pillows can be placed under the arm or head and between the knees to find the perfect position.

These positions are not exclusive. When a mother uses her dominant hand to hold her child, it can result in using a combination of positions. "For example, the left-handed mother might use the football hold on the left side and might use the cross cradle on the right," says Jan Barger, R.N., IBCLC, and the director of Lactation Education Consultants in Wheaton, Ill. "Of course, once the latch is well established, the mother might slide her right arm around the baby, and then it will look like the traditional cradle hold."

Regardless of the position you end up using, there are a few rules that apply to all of them. First, the baby should always be brought to you. Second, your posture should include sitting upright (except when using the side-lying hold). And third, pillows can make the experience even more comfortable. "When Emily was born, I used a pillow," says Duff. "This helped in positioning her little body. It also helped with the pain after my C-section."

So what's best for you? "Mothers should experiment with various breastfeeding positions," says Hewson. "After all, different ducts are emptied in the breast, depending on the child's position."

Barger sums it up nicely when she says, "If the mother is not comfortable, and she thinks she 'has' to hold her baby in a particular position, then it is possible that she might get discouraged. The best position is the one that is most comfortable and easiest to get the baby latched on well

The Cross Cradle Hold
The Football Hold
A Combination of Holds
The Side-lying Hold