How To Get A Deep Latch With A Nipple Shield
Whether you're using a nipple shield because of pain, you were given one in the hospital and are still using it, or your baby needs one to feed effectively, the most important part of using this tool is working with your baby to get a deep, comfortable, effective latch.
In this blog, I'll help you understand why getting a deep latch with a shield can be a little tricky—and exactly what you can do to make it easier.
Why a Deep Latch Matters
The first question I always get about deep latches is: Why does it matter?
And honestly? It’s the right question.
Your baby can’t tell you how feeding is going with words—but their latch shows you.
When they have a deep latch, it’s a sign that things are working the way they should. Their mouth muscles are coordinating well. They’re in a solid position. Feeding feels safe. Milk is transferring as easily and efficiently as possible.
And when all of that is happening? Breastfeeding usually feels easier and more enjoyable for both of you.
But here’s the thing: A deep latch doesn’t start this process. It’s what happens when everything underneath is working well.
The deeper the latch, the more things are working as they should. The more shallow the latch, the more likely it is that something isn’t working quite as well as it could be.
And this holds true whether you’re using a nipple shield or not.
Nipple shields just make everything a bit trickier. While they can make latching easier, they can also add a few challenges that make it harder for your baby to get a deeper latch.
Let’s jump right into what those are—and then what you can do to help your baby get their deepest latch, no matter what.
What Makes It Tricky
Nipple Shields Are Big
A nipple shield is usually bigger and longer than your nipple. Because it sticks out farther, that extra length can touch your baby’s lips before your nipple would—and that can cue your baby to start sucking too soon.
As soon as they start to suck, they close their mouth down—usually pulling the nipple shield (and your nipple) into their mouth before they’ve had a chance to open wide.
How wide your baby opens their mouth—and how much of your tissue they take in before they start sucking—is what sets the stage for how deep their latch can be.
Nipple Shields Are Fussy
A nipple shield can be tricky to keep in place. It’s easy for it to get knocked off if your baby’s arms are flailing, which can make you feel rushed to just get them latched on any way you can.
And I get it.
But how your baby is positioned really affects how deep their latch can be—whether you’re using a nipple shield or not.
It’s just as important—maybe even more important—to make sure your baby’s chin is touching your body first. That chin contact helps them get the cue to open wide before they get the cue to start sucking, even with a nipple shield in the way.
Relief Masks Other Issues
This might sound a little surprising, but the lack of pain can actually be one reason a latch stays shallower.
If the shield has made feeding more comfortable, it’s completely normal to feel relieved and think, Whew, we’re finally good!
And you’re not wrong—having a latch that doesn’t hurt is absolutely worth celebrating.
But here’s the thing: A pain-free latch doesn’t automatically mean it’s a deep latch. Babies can have a very shallow, pain-free latch—both with and without a nipple shield.
And because it feels better, we sometimes assume everything underneath is working exactly as it should. That’s not always the case.
Pre-existing Issues
Getting a deep latch isn’t really something you do. It’s something that happens when everything underneath is working well.
And if you’re using a nipple shield because your baby was struggling to latch or feeding was painful, that’s usually a clue there’s something else going on that made things harder to begin with.
The nipple shield doesn’t fix those challenges. It just makes it easier for your baby to latch even when those challenges are there.
The good news? You can work around all of this. Let’s talk about how.
How to Get A Deep Latch
Step 1
Position your baby so their chin touches your breast or chest before your nipple touches their lips. This often means sliding them back just a bit farther across your body than you’re used to.
Step 2
Wait for them to open their mouth as wide as they can. Give them the chance to open fully, even if it takes a few seconds longer than you are used to waiting.
Step 3
When they’re wide open, help them come forward. Use your hand on their back to bring them in so they move to you, rather than falling onto the nipple shield and sucking it in on their own.
Practice When You're Calm
If you’ve been letting your baby fall onto your nipple, learning a different way to latch them might take a little practice—and that’s totally normal.
Knowing how to latch a baby isn’t something you’re born knowing how to do. It’s a skill you and your baby learn together over time.
The best time to practice is when you’re both calm.
If your baby is frustrated and frantic, and they just suck that nipple shield right in? You feed your baby. Way to go! That’s a win.
And then, when things are calm and you’re both in a good place, that’s when you can experiment.
Try different positions. See which hand feels easiest for you to use. Notice the timing—what works best for your baby? All of this is part of the process. You’re learning what works for you and your baby, and that learning curve is exactly how it’s supposed to go.
How to Help Your Baby
Now that you understand what to look for, you can go practice. Just make sure you:
- Wait for a time when everyone is calm.
- Experiment with your position.
- Be curious about what happens.
And if sometimes your baby gets a deep latch and sometimes they get a shallow one? Then you can get curious about what you did that helped you get that deep latch more often.
If this happens to you, it’s not because you are doing anything wrong. It’s normal. Here is a picture of the same beautiful baby with a deep latch in one feeding session and a shallow latch in a different one.
Your Next Steps Forward
Whether your baby gets a deep latch or a shallow latch, with or without a nipple shield—it still counts.
Success in feeding your baby isn’t defined by how you feed them, what you feed them, or what tools you use along the way. Success is defined by having the support you need to have agency over your body, your baby, and your choices.
Is something working for you right now? That’s enough.
If you’re using a nipple shield and haven’t figured out why you needed it in the first place—that can be a really valuable thing to explore, if you have the resources to go down that road right now.
And if you don’t? That’s OK, too. There are very few roads with your baby you can’t come back to later when it feels right.
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