anyone used nipple shields long term? or at all

[rhii]

Been bottle feeding expressed milk to Charlie who turns one month old tomorrow...we had problems latching etc etc. I tried a shield again today and my dreams come of being able to breastfeed don't seem so far off anymore! The shields work! If he never weans from them, is it a bIG deal? How much of a pain are they in public? And since I was exclusively pumping should I stop that cold turkey?

 

[too_scared]

No advice on the pumping but i used a shield for 4 months. My sister is still using one 8.5 months on. She nurses in public without a nursing cover and you would never know she uses the shield. I think after a while it gets to be second nature to put it on.

I had trouble with latching too and i thought for sure we would be using the shield forever. DS decided one day he wanted to do it without the shield! He was bottle fed expressed milk in the hospital for jaundice and had what i can only figure out was reverse nipple confusion.

I think using the shield for so long helped to shape my nipple into a shape that was better for him and his mouth got bigger as he grew so things just worked out for us.

Basically what I'm saying is that hopefully you'll be able to use the shield for a while and then wean your LO of it There is hope. But if your LO doesn't nurse without it, it is possible long term

 

[CrystalMarie]

My LO used the sheild for three months before she was able to latch on cold turkey.

I also think it helped shape my nipple better for her and as her mouth got bigger it got much easier.

I did not have any supply issues and she was and still is able to switch between nipple, sheild and bottle with no issue.

I will still use a sheild for the first feed of the day but I use it for flow control because my milk comes so fast it chokes her in the morning if I can't control the flow!

I had a hell of a time with holding the sheild and getting her to latch so I never NIP with it but now that I dont use it I have no issue NIP

 

[CrystalMarie]

Oh and about pumping you could just pump once or twice a day to build up a stash but if you have no interest in building a stash you could just stop cold turkey and feed on demand.

My first feed of the day I pump the opposite side that LO is feeding on and until I went back to work that was used towards my stash...now that I am back at work PT and af is back my supply has been screwy so I now pump 4 times a day...three times at the same time LO is feeding and once when I am at work....that upped my supply in a week! So we will see how that works and if I can drop a pumping session or two I will because I hate pumping lol

 

[Calif]

I will be checking here for answers too. I'm still using a shield at 8 weeks. I NIP sometimes and it's not a big pain. The biggest regret is not being able to do sleep/dream feeding lying down.

There was a study that EBF moms who cosleep get the most sleep, followed by bottle feeding, and breastfeeding moms who got up and fed got the least sleep.

But I'm glad for the shield and won't force wean.

 

[too_scared]

I bed share and used to nurse laying down with the shield all the time. My sister does as well. It takes some getting used to but it is worth it if you can work it out because you really do get tons more sleep.

 

[Calif]

I bed share and used to nurse laying down with the shield all the time. My sister does as well. It takes some getting used to but it is worth it if you can work it out because you really do get tons more sleep.

Wow! Do you keep the shield nearby or on? Can you walk me through it s little?

 

[too_scared]

Sometimes if I fell asleep nursing I would sleep with it but usually i kept it on my pillow. I usually only use 1/2 my pillow so i would keep it on a tissue on my pillow. Then i would just put it on when he woke up.

Just a little warning though. It is messy!! He would sometimes fall asleep with the shield full of milk and knock it off and get milk on the bed.

It isn't too bad once you get a little practice. Good luck

 

[AllyTiel]

I used them for the first 9 weeks of my daughters life. It was good in that I was able to breastfeed, but it made nights very stressful when I brought her into bed. I would get everything all set up and the shield in place and she would knock it off and I would have to keep turning the lights back on to place it correctly. It was extremely frustrated and I so wished she would latch without it. She did twice, but I never could get her completely switched over. I ended up pumping because the shield stressed me out so much, especially when trying to feed in front of family. I wish I had kept trying longer, but with my PPD I think I made the best choice in my situation.

 

[too_scared]

Oh i forgot to mention, i have a little nightlight that makes it much easier too. We have the angelcare monitor and i use the light from that. It's not much at all but it's enough to see to put the shield on. Also, like i said, the longer you use it the easier it gets.

 

[Starburst2]

For nip and in bed I attached the nipple shield with a little bit of microporetape either side so it wouldn't fall off. I'm 10 weeks in using a nipple shield but so grateful that I can bf as baby wouldn't latch on. I'd like to eventually wean him off but if I can't I'm happy to carry on with it I have had no trouble with it supply is good and I have a happy healthy boy!

 

[laodicean]

We've been using nipple shields from week 2 up until a few days ago when LO surprised me by consenting to latch without *happy dance*

We wouldn't still be breastfeeding if it wasn't for the nipple shields, and I'd happily use them in public (though I tended to try and find corners so I could be discreet when putting them on.) Don't get me wrong, they were a complete faff, but in comparison to having to pump in advance or carry a breast pump around with me if I was going out for the day, they were a godsend.

We also used to nurse lying down at night like a PP by the light of the Angelcare monitor, though I still used (and still do) wake up because for some reason I get quite bad nursing agitation when I nurse lying down, and the only way to get through it is to distract myself by reading a book.

As for pumping, I don't think you'll need to if LO is nursing at the boob until they fall off of their own accord. As long as nappies are wet, etc, etc...

 

[Calif]

For long term users of nipple shields, does LO get faster? My baby nurses 20 min each side for each feeding. I wonder if the long feeding is due to the shield?

 

[rhii]

For long term users of nipple shields, does LO get faster? My baby nurses 20 min each side for each feeding. I wonder if the long feeding is due to the shield?

Good question... Charlie nurses forever too

 

[laodicean]

For long term users of nipple shields, does LO get faster? My baby nurses 20 min each side for each feeding. I wonder if the long feeding is due to the shield?

Good question... Charlie nurses forever too

I just posted a thread about this yesterday; now that I've dropped the shields my LO nurses in half the time he used to.

 

[shoefay]

I have been using shields too since the start, my boy is nearly 4 weeks and so glad I was introduced to them as he would latch on and was doing expressing and syringing.....nightmare.

I am hoping to use them long term, he may learn to latch but if he doesn't then will keep using them, they are great. People have told me that they are not great for your milk supply though? Any of you heard that? I still get plenty and it spills everywhere too when he is feeding and manages and knock the shield off so if anything that shoukd be doing more to help my supply!!??

Have only fed once in public and it was ok but messy and sheild came off and milk got all over me, but totally used to being covered in all kinds of things now I am a mom!