World Breastfeeding Week 2025 Blog 6: CHINS

To mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025, Debra Hennessy IBCLC at Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC), and Deborah McCoy Certified Breastfeeding Specialist Midwife at Health Care Jersey (HCJ), have collaborated on a series of Blogs to celebrate the week.

Blog 6 – CHINS (developed by Dr Lynette Shotton, Associate Professor, RGN SCPHN PFHEA Northumbria University, Newcastle)

Getting your baby to your breast starts with correct positioning and we use the acronym CHINS to help remember these key principles:

C – Hold your baby CLOSE. Your baby will be able to smell you and locate your nipple easily. If you are at home, try feeding in skin to skin contact which will help you both relax with the release of oxytocin, which is also great for your baby’s brain development.

H – Your baby’s HEAD should be free to tilt backwards to enable a chin leading position. Support your baby at the base of the neck and shoulders rather than supporting the head which may cause their chin to be pushed to their chest. Try drinking a glass of water with your chin on your chest and feel the discomfort when you try to swallow.

I – Your baby’s body should be IN-LINE with no twisting of the body or craning of the neck to reach the breast. Again, try drinking a glass of water whilst looking over your shoulder and feel the discomfort when swallowing.

N- Your starting position should be NOSE to nipple to encourage a wide gape to enable your baby to take in more breast tissue. Encouraging a deeper latch will be much more comfortable for you as well and promoting effective milk transfer during feeding.

S- Your position should be SUSTAINABLE to ensure your comfort throughout the feed.

If you are pregnant and would like to know more about breastfeeding, contact your community midwife on 01534 449139 / 449190

Breastfeeding Buddies is a specialist clinic run by an IBCLC Health Visitor and Breastfeeding Champion three times a week and places can be booked through the Duty helpline on 01534 497640.

Baby Steps is a perinatal education programme run by Family Nursing and Home Care that will help you prepare you to get breastfeeding off to a great start.