My baby won't latch! I try to breastfeed when she starts crying, but she won’t settle down enough to latch. Help!
Crying is a late stage of hunger and usually means your baby is over hungry. When over hungry, she has used up all of her energy and does not have energy to latch.
If this happens, first calm your baby by:
- Placing them skin to skin with you
- Talking softly
- Holding baby's hands against their chest
- Swaying gently
- Dimming the lights and decreasing noise in the room
Once baby is calm, try latching again.
To prevent crying, watch for your baby's early feeding cues. When asleep, her eyelids will start to flutter or she may move her arms, followed by licking her lips or turning her head. These are good times to offer your breast, since your baby is in the early stages of hunger. This makes latching more peaceful for mom and baby. Click here to learn more about infant states and the best times to breastfeed.
SOURCE: https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/babys-hunger-cues