How to Football Hold a Baby | Breastfeeding

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Learn how to breastfeed your baby using the football hold from lactation consultant Melissa K. Nagin in this Howcast video.

Another great position for a smaller baby is the football hold. A lot of times if you have smaller baby that you can sort of tuck right underneath you. I know it’s only in the United States that we hold footballs like this. A lot of other people from other countries might call it a clutch position because they don’t see football the same way we do. At any rate, in this case you really want to have the baby in the similar position that you would with a cross-cradle position. Again, their tush is tucked right into the crook of your arm. Your forearm goes right up the length of their back. You’re supporting their head behind their ears with your thumb and forefinger. But they’re tucked in next to you and they’re looking up at you this time. And in a case like this, you would want to hold the breast in a C position, not a U, but a C to make a sandwich just like you would eat a sandwich. And make it as compact as possible. You want to be able to have that sandwich for the baby to make the latch a lot easier.