The first weeks of breastfeeding are often imagined as a quiet, instinctive moment between mother and baby. And sometimes, they are. But for many families, those first feeds come with questions, uncertainty and unexpected challenges.
At Osteo Jura, we pride ourselves on accompanying you through this steep learning curve. Over the years, our osteopaths, Iona and Vivian, have developed a passion for supporting families experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. It has become one of our missions to guide families through this journey and help make those first weeks more peaceful for you and your baby.
The signs that might make you question
Some of the things you might have noticed include your baby struggling to latch, becoming frustrated at the breast or seeming to feed endlessly without ever appearing satisfied.
As a mother, you might have experienced breast pain, worried about your milk supply or wondered why something that should feel so natural is proving so difficult.
Behind these early struggles, there is often a fascinating interplay between your baby's anatomy, movement and your own lactation physiology. This is what we'll explore in this blog.
The remarkable role of the tongue
Breastfeeding is much more complex than simply sucking.
For a baby to feed effectively, the tongue, jaw and muscles of the mouth must work together in a beautifully coordinated sequence.
The tongue plays a particularly important role. It must extend, elevate and shape itself around the breast, helping the baby maintain a seal and generate the negative pressure needed to draw milk into the mouth.
Research using ultrasound has shown that milk extraction relies significantly on this intraoral vacuum, rather than simply on compression of the nipple.
When tongue movement is restricted or poorly coordinated, a baby may struggle to maintain a deep latch. Clicking sounds, frequent detachment, prolonged feeds and maternal nipple pain can all be signs that feeding is not as efficient or comfortable as it could be.
One possible contributing factor is tongue-tie, also known as ankyloglossia. A restrictive lingual frenulum can limit the tongue's ability to elevate or extend sufficiently during feeding. However, not every tongue-tie causes difficulties, and its significance must always be assessed in relation to the baby's actual feeding function.
At Osteo Jura, we carefully assess your baby's tongue function to help identify any limitations that may be affecting feeding. If we suspect a restrictive tongue-tie, we will refer you to an appropriate healthcare professional for further assessment.
However, difficulties latching doesn’t always mean that you need to go straight into tongue-tie treatment. For most cases, gentle hands-on techniques to support the mobility of the surrounding tissues, together with appropriate oral-motor exercises is the way to go. In clinic, we’ve helped a lot of babies gain better tongue coordination through osteopathic treatment.
When breastfeeding becomes difficult
Breastfeeding difficulties are rarely caused by a single factor as you might have guessed.
Sometimes, the baby struggles to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing. In other cases, positioning, oral-motor difficulties or maternal factors may affect the feeding process.
Milk production also plays an important role. Following birth, hormonal changes stimulate the transition towards a greater volume of milk production. Prolactin supports milk synthesis, while oxytocin triggers milk ejection.
When a baby cannot remove milk effectively, breast stimulation may decrease, potentially affecting milk supply. This can create a difficult cycle for both mother and baby.
Recognising these difficulties early and getting the right support can make a meaningful difference. We often recommend discussing milk supply and positional issues with lactation consultants to investigate those issues further.
Our wonderful colleague and breastfeeding consultant, Milly Godwin from MilkyStarts, has this to say about breastfeeding issues:
« Sometimes, even with optimal positioning and attachment, feeding still feels difficult - it might feel painful or inefficient. A baby who has restricted movement around the neck may find it harder to turn towards the breast and tip their head back to take a deep, comfortable mouthful of breast. You might notice that they feed more easily on one side, or struggle to stay attached. This can cause sore nipples and feeds can become frustrating!
Position in the womb, for example breech babies, and limited room to move (large babies), may contribute to neck tightness or asymmetry - otherwise called torticollis. A difficult or assisted birth is also worth discussing, although the birth story alone cannot tell us whether a baby has a movement difficulty.
This is where watching a feed and looking at how your baby moves can help piece things together. Alongside lactation support, osteopathy may be considered with the aim of supporting more comfortable movement and feeding positions. »
How osteopathy can support breastfeeding
Within a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to breastfeeding support, osteopathy can play a valuable complementary role. During an osteopathic consultation, we take time to observe your baby as a whole. We assess several aspects of their function, notably head and neck mobility, jaw movement, oral function and comfort in different feeding positions.
Don't be surprised if, at some point during the session, we put on our blue gloves to perform an intraoral assessment. This allows us to gather valuable information about your baby's oral function and tongue mobility.
When assessing the head and neck, we sometimes notice a preference for turning the head to one side or difficulty moving comfortably in certain positions. These observations can be relevant when considering how comfortably your baby can approach and attach to the breast.
Through gentle, adapted techniques, osteopathy helps to support comfortable movement and positioning. The aim is never to force the body into a particular position, but rather to support your baby's ability to feed and flatch comfortably.
Supporting the mother and baby together
Breastfeeding is a relationship, and difficulties rarely belong to the baby or the mother alone.
Working alongside osteopaths, lactation consultants and paediatricians allows us to consider every aspect of feeding and provide more complete support.
Those first days can feel overwhelming, especially when things do not go as expected. Our aim is to help parents feel heard, supported and reassured, while ensuring that their baby receives the care they need.
Because sometimes, a little support at the beginning can make all the difference in helping breastfeeding become a more comfortable and rewarding experience.
At Osteo Jura, we would be delighted to accompany you and your baby through those first precious
weeks.
