How can you explain Biological Nurturing to future parents?

Biological Nurturing is widely known in the mainstream literature as "laid-back breastfeeding".  Importantly, mothers neither sit upright nor lie on their sides or flat on their back.  Instead, they are always in semi-reclined positions where every part of their body is supported especially their back, shoulders and neck.  The degree of recline varies from mother to mother depending on how much space between the sternum and the pubis.  Smaller mums may need to recline a little more to accommodate the baby while taller mothers may have enough abdominal space for the baby to lie tummy on tummy.

Mothers lie their sleeping babies on top of their bodies so that baby's head is near or on the breast. In other words mothers keep their Sleeping babies at "the right address".   Baby was IN the womb, now s.he is ON the womb, tummy to tummy.

What are the main advantages for the mother and the baby?

The research suggests that BN reduces sore nipples by 50% ! Yes, that's right 😊 Gravity maintains close contact, baby is ON TOP of the breast and all his movements bring him closer to the breast.

Mothers ensure their own comfort, adjusting their position and their baby's position; they don't need to hold baby or apply any pressure along baby's back or neck. All tension vacates the maternal body making way for enjoyment and relaxation... a laid-back approach to breastfeeding 😊. We have always said that mothers need to be relaxed to breastfeed.  Physiologically, this is not the right way round, in fact, to get started you don’t have to be relaxed.  Women have breastfed through war and famine.  However, relaxation is often the result of breastfeeding.  It feels so good to give your milk to your baby.

Experimenting with positions means there isn't one position that is universal... mothers don't have to learn fixed instructions or remember how to align nose to nipple or chin to nipple or any other body parts.  The breastfeeding learning in BN is a kind of body learning.  In BN positions, the baby's tongue is usually forward, pulled downwards by the forces of gravity.

Should I let my baby self-attach In BN ?

There are no hard, fast rules. Many babies self attach and mothers also usually help. In BN, gravity helps keep the baby ON the breast and many mothers have at least one hand, sometimes both hands free.  This is one of the great advantages. 

In BN positions, mothers do not need to hold the baby applying pressure along the baby’s back, head or neck. When mothers are laid-back, they stroke and move their babies instinctually, without instruction.  Their instinctual touch releases baby breastfeeding movements and reflexes... the learning is reciprocal.

Why do we need a new approach to breastfeeding today?

Although many mothers want to breastfeed, few continue to breastfeed exclusively for the first weeks after birth. Many mothers experience sore nipples or feel they don't have enough milk for their babies. We are far from achieving the WHO recommendations. In England, only 1% of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.  Still today, in 2025, of the 73% of mothers that start breastfeeding, just over 1/3 of mothers stop exclusive breastfeeding within the first 6-8 weeks. One of the most frequent problems is 'latch refusal' or 'fighting the breast'.

The baby in the womb sucks and swallows amniotic fluid every day from 12 weeks gestation, day and night, and whilst sleeping.  This means the little 'wombling' is preparing for breastfeeding. At birth, the new baby is still like a 'wombling'. He can continue to feed all day, in sleep states, if mothers are proactive and keep him/her at the breast when s.he sleeps. Keeping your baby asleep on top of your breast in the first few days after the birth provides all the opportunities for baby to latch on and ingest small quantities of colostrum while you are both discovering how to breastfeed.