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Slide show: Breast-feeding positions
By Mayo Clinic staff
Breast-feeding: Cross-cradle hold
Breast-feeding can be awkward at first. Experiment with various positions until you feel comfortable.
The cross-cradle hold is ideal for early breast-feeding. Sit up straight in a comfortable chair with armrests. Hold your baby crosswise in the crook of the arm opposite the breast you're feeding from — left arm for right breast, right arm for left. Support the baby's trunk and head with your forearm and palm. Place your other hand beneath your breast in a U-shaped hold and guide the baby's mouth to your breast. Don't bend over or lean forward. Instead, cradle your baby close to your breast.
Next slide- Learning to breastfeed. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/learning. Accessed Nov. 20, 2009.
- Breastfeeding. In: Kleinman RE, ed. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook. 6th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2009:42.
- Breast-feeding your baby. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp029.cfm. Accessed Nov. 20, 2009.
- Schanler RJ, et al. Patient information: Breastfeeding basics. http://www.uptodate.com/patients/index.html. Accessed Nov. 20, 2009.

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