Reasons for poor attachment and ineffective suckling

There are several reasons that an infant may be poorly attached or not able to suckle effectively. He may have had bottle feeds, especially in the first few days after delivery. His mother may be inexperienced. She may have had some difficulty and nobody to help or advise her. For example, perhaps the infant was small and weak, the mother's nipples were flat or there was a delay starting to breastfeed.

The infant may be poorly positioned at the breast. As you read above, correct positioning is important because poor positioning often results in poor attachment, especially in younger infants. If the infant is positioned well, the attachment is likely to be good.