Opinions/experiences - Nipple Shields?

[Jayneypops]

Hi,

I am 38 weeks nearly and really really want to give BF a go this time around. I wanted to with DD1 but had a host of problems, incorrect latching, very sore bleeding nipples, lactose intolerant LO etc…) and in the end I expressed then bottle fed.

I am very anxious this time around as I did find it incredibly painful with DD1 and was often in tears while feeding - not what you want!

I plan to get prepared this time, I have some Lansinoh and have been advised to get some nipple shields to use during the first weeks if I happen to get cracked and sore again. I have also heard though that it can slow your milk supply and make it difficult to get baby to latch to the breast afterwards?

Could anyone with experience give me a bit of advice please?

Is there anything I can do to 'prep' my nipples this time around so that they are not quite so sensitive maybe?

 

[MommyJogger]

Nipple shields are an invaluable resource for very specific sets of circumstances. It's not something I would ever recommend simply for pain mitigation. If there's pain and damage to the extent it sounds like you experienced, then there is something wrong with the latch. Using a nipple shield isn't going to correct a bad latch and may actually make a poor latch even worse, but either way it's not likely going to help you breastfeed in the long run. Though there is the rare case where a woman used a nipple shield to help in the beginning and then went on to successfully nurse without it, it's not the norm. The best thing you can do is to get in touch with an IBCLC now. Get her contact information, find out the best way to contact her, let her know you're going to contact her soon after the birth, and even drop her a message when you go into labor so that she can expect to visit you quickly.
Don't trust the hospital 'breastfeeding counselors' to be enough or to be knowledgeable enough to help you. Ask if she's qualified to identify tongue and lip ties and then make sure that you have multiple visits with her after baby's birth where she sits with you and watches baby nurse for an entire feed, even if you think things are going very well.
You can do this, mama. Setting yourself up a knowledgeable support system is the very best thing you can do to help breastfeeding succeed.

 

[Wannabemum23]

hi,

I had my son in november 2012 and was told I had flat nipples. He couldnt suck my nipple to the back of his mouth and so no matter how much I tried he couldnt latch on without a nipple shield. So every feed I used a shield.


At 7 weeks old a friend had me convinced my son wasnt getting enough milk coz he wanted to feed every 2 hours or more in the evening (despite copious amounts of wet nappies and gaining heaps of weight). So i tried the breast pump to see how much i was producing. THe pump HURT like crazy as it pulls the nipple hard. I think it broke the adhesions in my nipples so much so that at 9 weeks when i had not cleaned a shield for the morning feed my son just started breastfeeding on his own without the shield!! i was in shock!

never touched a shield again and still feeding 14 months on.

So,
1. my milk supply was not affected by using shields. so don't worry about that!
2. it is possible to get off using them straight away if your baby can latch on.
3. using shields is much better than not breastfeeding at all.
4. i think as the baby gets bigger they are easier to feed and get right attachment. little babies get tired easy and give up and just cry if they cant get milk fast.


hope this helps.

 

[Perplexed]

I used nipple shields in the beginning (and still do). I wouldn't recommend them...I felt if I had more support id bf without them from the beginning. But it is difficult to get support where I live.

Right now my baby is able to latch on without them and I do nurse a little each day without them (slowly trying to wean).

Nipple shields may protect already cracked or bleeding nipples so they wouldn't hurt as much. But I discovered that the pains I had were not related to the nipples. Engorgement and constantly plugged ducts. But my nipples are also very sensitive and I'm very squeamish when I think about them being pulled etc (lol) so that's partially why I haven't weaned off the shields yet.

My baby produces plenty of wet nappies (10 or so each day) and has a big explosive poop every other day (which I heard is normal for bf baby). People often comment that my baby is small and that I must not have fed her enough in the first 6 weeks of her life (even though I fed on demand round the clock and woke her up if she happened to sleep more than 3 hrs- which wasn't common). We haven't weighed her but I'm not worried. She seems content between feedings, looks around making excited noises, kicking, looking at her hands (she just discovered them). And I know she grew because of clothing size. We are actually going for jabs tomorrow and she'll be weighed then.

Still, I do wish I could just whip out my boob without using the shields as they can get annoying. But at the same time i do think I probably wouldn't have continued to bf if I didn't have them. Then again if you have bf support where you live hopefully you won't need to use anything.