Most babies will latch on the best when they are supported to self-attach on their own, with the mother in the “laid-back” breastfeeding position, or self-attachment in the “koala” hold. Here is a video to show what this process looks like. It’s an amazing thing to see (and experience yourself!)…
But what about the babies who cannot latch on well by themselves? What about the babies with tongue ties or other physical issues going on that inhibit their ability to keep enough of the areola in their mouth while breastfeeding? This is where the “flipple” technique can really help. In the following video I discuss how this little breastfeeding trick can work even better if the mother does this while her baby is in the “koala” position which looks like this:
Step 1. Try to get your knees lower than your hips as this can make it easier for some mothers.
Step 2. Put your baby’s mouth right at your nipple.
Step 3. Use the “flipple” technique to get as much of your breast tissue into your baby’s mouth as possible. Point your nipple very high towards their nose, try to get as much of the bottom part of your areola into your baby’s mouth and use your finger to flip their top lip up after they have latched on.
*You may need to use this “flipple” technique before AND after you get a laser or scissor tongue/lip tie revision done. Some mothers find that they need to use this for quite some time as their baby get’s the hang of using their new tongue!
Step 4: Watch this video to see it in action!
And here is another video demonstrating the flipple in an upright position but baby is supported from behind by both a pillow and their mother’s arm…
Have you used the flipple and/or the koala hold? Share your experiences below! If you need some help getting your baby to latch on or have questions about tongue ties please CLICK HERE.
