Breastfeeding while sitting up is basically the same as when lying down. Baby should be held facing your breast with head up close, yet tilted back slightly. Baby should be looking up at you. Cup your breast in your hand and press down on the areola with your thumb. This should point your nipple out and upward. Again, baby should get your nipple and part of the areola well into his mouth. He will be able to grasp the nipple well if you hold him close to you. If baby chews only on the end of the nipple, he may develop a style of nursing described by one mother as the “cliff-hanger.” Baby won’t get as much milk, and mother is likely to get sore nipples. As your baby grows older and holds his head well, you won’t have to take such careful notice of angle and position; he’ll get where he wants to go, all on his own.
