ALL NEW:
The Latching Made Simple Webinar
Does feeding your baby feel hard because you aren't exactly sure what you are supposed to be doing or why you should be doing it? Our Latching Made Simple Webinar helps you understand 'the why' so feeding your baby makes more sense. Get a sneak peek into the first 10 minutes and learn how the Latching Made Simple Webinar can help you make feeding feel better.
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What's your baby's LATCH IQ?
Have you been told that your latch "looks fine" but something still seems off? Take our virtual latching quiz below for a quick second (or third or fourth) opinion, and then read below to understand what your baby's latch is telling you.
Taking the Quiz.
You want to understand how easy or hard latching is for your baby during their best latch. That means the time time to take the quiz is during a feeding that you consider 'good'. When your baby is upset or frantic, feeding will naturally be harder just because of natural stress. You can take it as many times as you would like, and get an average Latch IQ, and then use the chart below to see what their score means about feeding.
Interpreting Your Score.
The more points your baby scored during the latch assessment, the more likely it is that feeding is easy for your baby. That means they were able to get into a feeding position comfortably and use their mouth and tongue muscles with ease. A lower score suggests your baby is more likely your baby has a hard time using the muscles of mouth with feeding as easily as they are designed, even if they are gaining weight and latching doesn't hurt. Check out the FAQ's below to understand why.
Very Difficult
Latching and feeding is likely often very difficult for your baby for most of their feeds.
Moderately Hard
This score indicates that latching and feeding is often harder for your baby than it is designed to be.
Moderately Easy
While feeding is moderately easy for your infant, there are some indications that latching isn't always easy for them.
Very Easy
Your baby often uses their feeding muscles optimally, and swallowing is safe and comfortable most of the time.
Understand what it means for your baby.
Your latching score is just designed to give you a general idea about whether or not feeding feels easy. The lower your baby's score the harder time they likely have during feeding. Look at the boxes below to understand what it means for feeding to feel easy, and then scroll down below for how to get help.
What makes feeding hard for a baby?
If feeding is easy for my baby, why does latching hurt?
If feeding is hard for my baby, what should I do about it?
What does it mean when sometimes my score changes a lot?
What if a lactation consultant said my latch looked good?
How can my score be low if my baby is gaining weight well and latching doesn't hurt?
It doesn't have to stay this hard.
There can be a wide range of reasons why latching and feeding is hard. For some babies, it could just be as simple as needing a different latch position. Other babies, tmay need some support to help the muscles in the tongue work a bit better. No matter why, feeding doesn't have to stay as hard as it is right now. If the virtual resources here aren't enough, reach out to a skilled IBCLC as soon as you can. The earlier you get help, the sooner feeding can get easier.
