How to Fix a Shallow Latch, Painful Nursing, or Bleeding Nipples

(The step-by-step fixes that actually stop the hurt — fast)

You dread every feed.

Your toes curl the second baby latches, your nipples are cracked and bleeding, and you’re counting the minutes until it’s over.

You’re not bad at this.

Most latching pain is fixable in days with the right tweaks. Here’s exactly what lactation consultants and thousands of parents do when nursing feels like torture.

The 5 Fixes That Actually Work (Start with #1)

1. Deep, asymmetrical latch (the sandwich hold) Shape your breast like a sandwich — nipple pointing toward baby’s nose. Wait for wide-open mouth, then pull baby in fast (chin first, nose last). Chin buried, lips flanged out, more areola visible above lip.
2. Laid-back nursing position (biological nurturing) Lean back at 45°, baby on your chest — gravity does the work. No more wrestling baby onto the breast.
3. Flip the lip + check tongue Use your finger to flip the top lip out after latch. Look for tongue tie — if tongue can’t stick out past gum, see an IBCLC.
4. Nipple balm + silver cups between feeds Earth Mama, Lansinoh, or Silverette cups (heals cracks in 24–48 hours).
5. Pump for 24–48 hours to heal (while fixing latch with LC) Pump gently, hand-express colostrum, feed with spoon/syringe.

Quick science: Shallow latch compresses milk ducts and damages nipple tissue — deep latch transfers milk 3× better and stops pain in 48 hours for 90 % of moms.

(Source: Journal of Human Lactation, 2022)

“I bled for 3 weeks until an LC showed me the sandwich hold. Pain gone in 2 days.”

— Mom in r/breastfeeding

Gear That Made a Difference for Parents

• Silverette silver nursing cups “Cracks healed in 48 hours. Magic.”
• Lansinoh Soothies gel pads “Instant relief between feeds.”
• My Brest Friend pillow (firmer than Boppy) “Kept baby at perfect height — no more shallow latch.”

Your Pain-Free Latch Checklist

• Wide mouth → chin first → deep latch
• Laid-back or football hold
• Flip lips out
• Nipple balm after every feed
• See IBCLC if still hurts after 1 week
• Silver cups or gel pads for healing

You’ve got this.

One good latch, one pain-free feed, one happy nursing journey at a time. ❤️