Breastfeeding: Suck Training

Your baby’s tongue plays an important role in breastfeeding/bodyfeeding (also called chestfeeding). The tongue needs to lie on the bottom of the mouth with the tip over the lower gum. As your baby latches, the tongue helps draw your nipple in and curves gently around to help hold the nipple and areola in place while feeding.

These are exercises you can do to help your baby if you have been told the tongue is not in the correct position. DO these exercises before each feeding. Suck training is no longer needed when your baby can suck continuously and correctly for 10 minutes without the tongue changing position.

“Tug of War” with the tongue

1. Wash your hands. Be sure your fingernails are clean, smooth, and short.
2. Stroke the middle of your baby’s lower lip with your finger to encourage a widely open mouth.
3. When your baby opens wide, place your finger, nail side down, into the front of your baby’s mouth.
4. Your baby will suck your finger into the mouth.
5. If your baby’s tongue doesn’t curl around your finger, stroke the roof of your baby’s mouth (palate) then gently press down on the back of your baby’s tongue while stroking the tongue forward. This will pull your finger out of your baby’s mouth a little bit.
6. Allow the baby to suck your finger back in.
7. Repeat this exercise 3 times or until you feel the tongue come forward over the gum.

“Walking Back” on the tongue

1. Touch the baby’s cheek with a clean finger, moving toward the lips. Then brush the lips a few times to encourage your baby to open wide. Be sure your fingernails are clean, smooth, and short.
2. Massage the outside of the baby’s gums with the finger, beginning each stroke at the middle of the baby’s upper or lower gum and moving toward either side.
3. When the baby opens the mouth, use the tip of the finger to press firmly on the tip of the baby’s tongue and count slowly to three before releasing the pressure.
4. Release the pressure, keeping the finger in the baby’s mouth, and move back a little farther on the tongue, pressing again to a count of three.
5. Move back on the tongue one or two more times.
6. Try to avoid gagging the baby. If the baby gags, notice how far back your finger was in the baby’s mouth. Avoid that far back the next time.
7. Repeat the entire “tongue walk” three or four times before latching.

Pushing the tongue down and out:

1. Be sure your fingernails are clean, smooth, and short. Put a clean finger into the baby’s mouth with fingernail side pressing gently on the baby’s tongue.
2. Leave the finger in that position for about thirty seconds while the baby sucks on it.
3. Turn the finger over slowly so that the finger pad is on the baby’s tongue and push down on the tongue while gradually pulling the finger out of the mouth.
4. Repeat this exercise several times before latching the baby.

Works Cited

Wambach, Karen and Spencer, Becky “Breastfeeding and Human Lactation”, Sixth edition, Jones & Bartlett, 2021.

Watson Genna, Catherine “Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants,” Fourth Edition, Jones& Bartlett, 2023.