The Optimal Breastfeeding Position?

New research shows that breastfeeding mothers who sit upright and position their babies at the breast with pressure against their backs are doing a disservice to the entire experience. In the past, rooting, sucking and swallowing has been studied, but not a lot of airtime has been given to "primitive neonatal reflexes" or PNRs. The study sets out to prove that babies should feed in an abdominal position, with the mother semi-reclined to allow the PNR to kick in. Of the 40 mother/baby pairs, signficantly more did better in semi-reclined postures than when mothers were upright or side-lying.

The findings suggest that breastfeeding initiation is innate for both mother and baby, not learned. With that said, and from a practical standpoint, mothers initiating breastfeeding still need plenty of hands-on assistance and it is important that support personnel (lactation consultants, midwives, nurses) respect their comfort levels and work with them in the most comfortable position possible.

A big thanks to Robin Elise Weiss for alerting me to this information.