Baby-led attachment/breast crawl

[greenlady]

Hi all, just barging in from (v late) third tri.

A friend of mine in Australia has asked me if I planned on doing baby-led attachment, and of course, I hadn't actually heard of it but I gather it is the same as breast crawl, allowing the baby to latch itself right from the off. I've found some interesting info here: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/bla.html and there's some videos on youtube as well.

I just wanted to know if anyone has done this, and how realistic it would be to do this in a UK hospital/birth centre setting right after birth? I am planning to birth in a midwife-led birthing centre and I believe they are quite open to this kind of thing, and I have put skin to skin etc in my birth plan. However I have a feeling that in the moment things will just kind of happen, and as it can take up to an hour for the baby to find the breast themself, maybe it would get rushed along. Do you think there is much benefit in doing it that way?

Also, even if it doesn't work out for the first feed, does it work well at subsequent feeds? All of this is presuming the birth goes OK and I am not too medicated/traumatised etc (fingers crossed).

Thanks x

 

[Seraphim]

We tried this out of curiousity when H was about a week old.
That was the first time I had heard about it.

Thinking back... she found the nipple and latched herself in the hospital, but she didn't crawl... I was cuddling her. We had a very good midwife though, a community midwife who was sensitive to us having transfered from a homebirth and power-cut!

 

[MsEmski]

I tried this just after he was born- he wasn't hungry but did root around looking for the breast.

If he lies on my chest when he's hungry, he still bobs around for it.

 

[Kitten]

Theakston has always attached himself? I hold him in cradle position though, but he's on it as soon as it's out. He gets silly sometime though and latches onto my skin. He was going for a good minute earlier before he realised. The funniest is when he's tired or desperate. Like this morning I took him off to try and wind him cos he was squirmy and as I went to pull him upright he launched himself forward so he was stomach down sideways across my chest and latched on again. I swear if I walked around naked he'd never be off me. I don't really get what this theory is about?

 

[Oushka]

Belle 'lolloped' herself towards breast after a quick breather and stayed there for 30 mins after birth. The MW's were very good & just left us to it, they took her for weighing etc once she'd fallen asleep.

She still aims for breast now (but does a better job of it) if I lie her on my chest - whether shes hungry or not!

As long as everything is well Im sure they wont rush you along, we were induced and baby got distressed but even after all of that they still allowed us to have skin to skin and do things in our time once she was born.

 

[Sunflowers]

I've seen it happen with a lady I delivered once, it was amazing!!

As for whether we'd do it ourselves - I don't think so, I'd be quite happy to just latch the baby on like we did with jocelyn and have some skin to skin for a while too, I think you're more likely to get what you've described in a homebirth setting rather than a hospital!

 

[Sunflowers]

I tried this just after he was born- he wasn't hungry but did root around looking for the breast.

If he lies on my chest when he's hungry, he still bobs around for it.

I loved the whole headbobbing around thing looking for a boob when they're little, tis very cute!!

 

[greenlady]

Theakston has always attached himself? I hold him in cradle position though, but he's on it as soon as it's out. He gets silly sometime though and latches onto my skin. He was going for a good minute earlier before he realised. The funniest is when he's tired or desperate. Like this morning I took him off to try and wind him cos he was squirmy and as I went to pull him upright he launched himself forward so he was stomach down sideways across my chest and latched on again. I swear if I walked around naked he'd never be off me. I don't really get what this theory is about?

That's so cute! I'm not too sure either but from what I've read there is some idea that it helps establish successful breastfeeding because they sort of work it out themselves with smell and sight, rather than just shoving them onto the breast. But I dunno how much difference it makes really..

 

[greenlady]

Belle 'lolloped' herself towards breast after a quick breather and stayed there for 30 mins after birth. The MW's were very good & just left us to it, they took her for weighing etc once she'd fallen asleep.

She still aims for breast now (but does a better job of it) if I lie her on my chest - whether shes hungry or not!

As long as everything is well Im sure they wont rush you along, we were induced and baby got distressed but even after all of that they still allowed us to have skin to skin and do things in our time once she was born.

Thanks that's good to know. I think in the end as long as I get my skin to skin time I will just go with the flow and see what happens.

 

[greenlady]

I've seen it happen with a lady I delivered once, it was amazing!!

As for whether we'd do it ourselves - I don't think so, I'd be quite happy to just latch the baby on like we did with jocelyn and have some skin to skin for a while too, I think you're more likely to get what you've described in a homebirth setting rather than a hospital!

Yes that's what i thought, thankfully the birthing centre is set up like a homebirth, just not at home and with all the equipment etc. You only have 1 midwife. As the above said if you get skin to skin time and they leave you alone then I guess that's the main thing.

 

[Kitten]

I guess you could just discuss it with them when you arrive? I had a homebirth and don't really remember the feeding part as I was completely out of it. I was just lying on my side semi-conscious on the floor and I think they just lay him next to me and tilted his head towards me but I honestly don't remember any of it.

Now I come to think of it I kind of know what you mean about latching them on. When I fed him for the first time it was just me and OH and I had no idea what to do so OH positioned him in the cradle (he'd had the demo off the midwives while I was in bed) and I just let T get on with it. However, when we were having issues with the tongue tie I know a lot of midwives and health visitors had this habit of grabbing the back of his head and 'pushing' him into the boob? It looked rather mean tbh. Is this the normal thing to do? Maybe I've been blindly doing this bla thing, lol.

 

[Seraphim]

He gets silly sometime though and latches onto my skin.

H gave me a lovebite on my boob last week getting frantic for foods

 

[Kitten]

He gets silly sometime though and latches onto my skin.

H gave me a lovebite on my boob last week getting frantic for foods

They're hilarious aren't they

 

[Leesie]

We tried this literally minutes after Sebastian was born (in a Swiss hospital). It didn't work though - he just lay on me, didn't root for or find the breast. I remember feeling very disappointed as I'd heard about this in our birth preparation course and was really hoping it would work. I was told by one of the midwives though that babies born by instrumental delivery (ie. forceps or suction) may have their natural instinct to find boob and suck inhibited and that pain relief like pethindine can also have a neg effect.

 

[madasa]

Hi all, just barging in from (v late) third tri.

A friend of mine in Australia has asked me if I planned on doing baby-led attachment, and of course, I hadn't actually heard of it but I gather it is the same as breast crawl, allowing the baby to latch itself right from the off. I've found some interesting info here: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/bla.html and there's some videos on youtube as well.

I just wanted to know if anyone has done this, and how realistic it would be to do this in a UK hospital/birth centre setting right after birth? I am planning to birth in a midwife-led birthing centre and I believe they are quite open to this kind of thing, and I have put skin to skin etc in my birth plan. However I have a feeling that in the moment things will just kind of happen, and as it can take up to an hour for the baby to find the breast themself, maybe it would get rushed along. Do you think there is much benefit in doing it that way?

Also, even if it doesn't work out for the first feed, does it work well at subsequent feeds? All of this is presuming the birth goes OK and I am not too medicated/traumatised etc (fingers crossed).

Thanks x

I think it is perfectly feasible. One: they are your boobs. It's not like a MW can attach LO to them without your knowledge or consent!!! Two: include it in your birth plan and go over it with your dh/birth partner.... that is one reason they are there, surely, to make sure that your wishes are respected, when you are feeling too tired or preoccupied to see to it yourself?

 

[happyladybugg]

I had a couple lactation specialists come and visit me while still in the hospital after having LO because I was having a little bit of a problem with correct latching...They had my hubby undress baby and had me undo the gown and hubby place baby on my chest and baby found my breast on his own and latched...The two ladies were so funny rooting him on as he bobbed his head around and squarmed his way to the nipple, they were getting so excited it was rather entertaining!! Anyways my LO will still do this and he seems to squarm his way down to where my breasts are and he frantically bobs his head looking for the nipple even with a shirt and bra on...cracks me up. So anyways to answer your question they still do it well after birth.

 

[greenlady]

Hi all, just barging in from (v late) third tri.

A friend of mine in Australia has asked me if I planned on doing baby-led attachment, and of course, I hadn't actually heard of it but I gather it is the same as breast crawl, allowing the baby to latch itself right from the off. I've found some interesting info here: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/bla.html and there's some videos on youtube as well.

I just wanted to know if anyone has done this, and how realistic it would be to do this in a UK hospital/birth centre setting right after birth? I am planning to birth in a midwife-led birthing centre and I believe they are quite open to this kind of thing, and I have put skin to skin etc in my birth plan. However I have a feeling that in the moment things will just kind of happen, and as it can take up to an hour for the baby to find the breast themself, maybe it would get rushed along. Do you think there is much benefit in doing it that way?

Also, even if it doesn't work out for the first feed, does it work well at subsequent feeds? All of this is presuming the birth goes OK and I am not too medicated/traumatised etc (fingers crossed).

Thanks x

I think it is perfectly feasible. One: they are your boobs. It's not like a MW can attach LO to them without your knowledge or consent!!! Two: include it in your birth plan and go over it with your dh/birth partner.... that is one reason they are there, surely, to make sure that your wishes are respected, when you are feeling too tired or preoccupied to see to it yourself?

For sure! TBH I wasn't sure if I definitely wanted to do it, just wondered what people's experiences and opinions were. I am hoping I will get some quiet time with baby and hubby quite soon after the birth, put the baby on my chest and see what happens (will update my birth plan..) If it doesn't work I will try it at home for sure.

Thanks for everyone's replies and should see you here in this forum in a week or two!

 

[greenlady]

I had a couple lactation specialists come and visit me while still in the hospital after having LO because I was having a little bit of a problem with correct latching...They had my hubby undress baby and had me undo the gown and hubby place baby on my chest and baby found my breast on his own and latched...The two ladies were so funny rooting him on as he bobbed his head around and squarmed his way to the nipple, they were getting so excited it was rather entertaining!! Anyways my LO will still do this and he seems to squarm his way down to where my breasts are and he frantically bobs his head looking for the nipple even with a shirt and bra on...cracks me up. So anyways to answer your question they still do it well after birth.

That's too funny imagining the cheer squad! And very sweet, I look forward to trying it at home as well