The overwhelm of caring for a newborn can be very distressing. There are almost never very simple pieces of advice I can give without having examined a breastfeeding dyad, but there are a few nearly-universal rules. Number one? Start with skin-to-skin.
Start by dressing your baby down to a diaper (or dressing them down completely if you’re feeling adventurous) and removing your clothing from the waist up. Get into your comfiest place to sit in a well-supported reclined position. If the room is not too warm, grab a light blanket. Put the baby on your chest and drape the blanket over both of you.
I recommend spending lots of time skin to skin when there are any complications with the baby latching or feeding well. Time spent skin to skin helps to reduce any stress that the dyad might feel when they are attempting a good feeding. When baby is resting at the breast, they may spontaneously move toward the nipple, offering a low stress opportunity to work on baby’s latch.
Want to learn more? Here are some of my favorite resources.
Skin-to-Skin Contact – UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative
Early skin‐to‐skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants