Breastfeeding Cross Cradle Hold

Video Transcript

"I'm going to be demonstrating now the cross cradle hold. This happens to be my favorite hold for a new born because you?re helping the baby's head by guiding him onto the breast. With the cross cradle hold, um, it's opposite of the cradle. You?re going to be using your thumb and index and middle finger to support the baby's head. So your going to bring it back here behind (your thumb) behinds the baby's ear and then your other two fingers behind the baby's ear on the other side and your hand and your palm of your hand supporting the top of your baby's back. So you have control over the baby?s head. Ok? And supporting their back and their weight here. So with this you're going to be using your other hand to support and compress your breast and holding the baby's head. As soon as the baby's mouth opens wide you?re going to guide the baby's head on with your hand on to the breast. Let me show you that again. So you?re going to support and compress your breast and with you guiding the baby, not with the baby latching on himself, as soon as he opens his mouth wide you're going to guide his head onto the breast. And that's the cross cradle hold which is really good for newborns. After they master opening their mouth wide you can then come across and hold them this way and move into that cradle position to give your hand a rest."