Nipple Shields

What are your thoughts on these? Has anyone ever used them? Do they work?
Do they confuse baby?

--Alison

Alison wrote:

What are your thoughts on these? Has anyone ever used them? Do they work?
Do they confuse baby?

I've posted this several times but here goes.
I use them with my 11mo.
Do they work for what?? If for inverted nipples, I would be reluctant to use
them, as the baby will learn to latch. DS would latch for the first 3-4 weeks
of his life on my very inverted nipples, but now will not at all.
I am now heartily SICK of using them. He will NOT wean off them and wouldn't
after only a few weeks of using them. I have to keep track of them and am not
the type to have a single place to use them, though lately it's been in my
pocket or on my bed so at least I can find it mostly. But I can't just flip
him under my shirt and nurse...I have to find and use the shield. Even at 3am
I started using them because I was in hideous pain from vasospasm and
compression injury, and used them too long because I was alone and stressed and
it was one less thing to deal with (weaning and reestablishing nursing and
getting nipples not to hurt)
They can affect supply for some women. They definately can cause nipple
confusion (DS acts like I have shoved something very bitter in his mouth if I
offer him a bare nipple).
They did help me keep breastfeeding when I was in agony with every feed, and I
am still nursing at 11m, but if I had a do-over, I would try much much harder
to get him OFF the shield.

If you are going to use them, know why you are using them, wean off them **as
soon as possible**, or even slightly sooner if you are the limiting factor, and
monitor your baby for weight gain.

Dawn

Dawn Lawson wrote:

Alison wrote:

What are your thoughts on these? Has anyone ever used them? Do they work?
Do they confuse baby?

I've posted this several times but here goes.
I use them with my 11mo.
Do they work for what?? If for inverted nipples, I would be reluctant to use
them, as the baby will learn to latch. DS would latch for the first 3-4 weeks
of his life on my very inverted nipples, but now will not at all.

snip Dawn's great post

My sister used them for the first 3 months or so. Her son wouldn't latch
onto her inverted nipple but would on the other nipple. He'd latch with
the shield on that breast. In an attempt to get him nursing on the bad side
she used the nipple shield on the good side (kind of silly logic, and I
recommended against it, but she was desparate). So baby ended up
only wanting to nurse with the shield. Once things were going pretty
well and she wasn't supplementing anymore she weaned off of the
shields, starting with nursing from the breast when baby was sleepy
(he was most receptive then). She actually weaned off of them pretty
quickly, although in retrospect, she wishes she had not used them
at all.

Definately watch for weight gain, since nursing with the shield may
not stimulate the breast as well as nursing without.

Mary

"Stephanie and Tim" wrote in message
...

It took some work to convince DS to nurse without them, but we
were able to get over that with the help of a very good lactation
consultant.

Do you have any hints and tips on how to wean a baby off the nipple shields
?

Marie

"Alison" o.uk wrote in
message ...
What are your thoughts on these? Has anyone ever used them? Do they
work?
Do they confuse baby?

--Alison

I used them for a couple of weeks with my DD but would only recommend them
as a last resort. My DD would not latch and was bottle fed EBM for 2 weeks
and I was determined to get her breastfeeding. Finally after two weeks on
the bottle I got her latched on with the nipple shields and eventually got
her weaned off of them. But as I said only use it as a last resort, but I
would use them before resorting to a bottle.

Nadene

"Jolltax" wrote in message
...

"Stephanie and Tim" wrote in message
...

It took some work to convince DS to nurse without them, but we
were able to get over that with the help of a very good lactation
consultant.

Do you have any hints and tips on how to wean a baby off the nipple
shields
?


I weaned my DD by removing the nipple shield halfway through a feeding (so
she wasn't too hungry) or when she was a little sleepy and attempted to
latch her on with out the shield. For the first couple of weeks she didn't
want to have anything to do with BF without the shield. But I kept trying
everyday and one day she decided to latch on. It took a while to get her
totally weaned off of them but eventually she did. She was about 2 weeks old
when she started using them (was bottle fed prior to that) and was about 6
weeks old before she was totally weaned from them. I had a friend who didn't
get her DD weaned off of nipple shield until he was 2.5 months old. Keep on
trying.

Nadene

I only had flat not inverted nipples, but I used a device called the
Nipplette from Avent to stretch my nipples out. Much less irritating
IMHO than any of the other stretching methods, and I tried them all
:-) They say only to use them in the earlier trimesters, but I didn't
discover them until I was in the third trimester. I used them anyway
and all turned out well with nipples nicely stretched out before the
baby arrived.

KC

Larry McMahan wrote in message ...
Alison o.uk writes:
: What are your thoughts on these? Has anyone ever used them? Do they work?

If not the devil's handiwork, they are, at best, not very effective. NO.
For the most par, no.

As you can tell from the many other responses to this post, that for most
people they don't work very well, and besides, they create additional
problems that make breastfeeding more difficult.

The simple fact of the matter is that for flat or inverted nipples, there
are FAR BETTER ways to solve this problem. This is why I wrote a Flat/
Inverted nipple FAQ when Monika had inverted nipples before we had Clara.
There is a copy at the end of this post.

Like may potential problems, this one is best solved BEFORE the baby comes,
starting no later than at 30 weeks gestation. If, however, you had no idea
it was a problem until the baby got there, you could try the pumping
suggested at the end of the FAQ.

: Do they confuse baby?

Well, yes, in may instances they do.

: --Alison

Larry,

Here's the FAQ


Subject: Larry's Sore/Inverted Nipple FAQ
Newsgroups: misc.kids.pregnancy

Larry's Flat/Inverted Nipple FAQ.

I have posted this FAQ on numerous occasions in both
misc.kids.pregnancy and misc.kids.breastfeeding.
I have received a number of responses thanking me for raising
consciousness about this possible problem.

I have also received questions asking whether nipple stimulation
could cause pre-term labor.

The kind of nipple stimulation described in this article is
less intense than, for example, orgasm from engaging in sex
while pregnant. It is generally accepted medical practice
practice NOT to contraindicate sex during pregnancy. For that
reason, it is my opinion that there is no more reason to
contraindicate the techniques I describe for correcting flat
or inverted nipples.

If pre-term labor has been identified as a preexisting
problem or if you have a condition (multiples, for example)
that predisposes you to pre-term labor, you may want to avoid the
nipple stimulation described in this article. In this case,
check with your care provider.

On the other hand, if you are having a normal pregnancy
and have no known disposition to pre-term labor, there is
no reason not to use the methods described in this article.

Newsgroups: misc.kids.breastfeeding
Subject: inverted nipples-success stories? (long)

Yet another inverted nipple sufferer posts asking advice and if anyone
has had success solving the problem. I respond for three reasons.

1. To say there ought to be a FAQ on this, it IS a frequently asked
question.
2. To say YES, Monika had severely inverted nipples before Clara was
born. We recognized the problem WHEN she got pregnant, and we
solved it.
3. To say that solving the problem is not rocket science. Solving the
problem is quite simple, but like all issues of reshaping the body,
it takes time! You can't go into it expecting to change overnight!

First, the human body is quite elastic (stretchable) and quite plastic
(reshapable) with the exception of bone, which is quite rigid. This is
the first thing to note.

Inverted nipples are usually a result of the ligaments along the milk
ducts which run to the nipples (and the ducts themselves) as shorter
than the distance from from the center of the breast where they
originate to the nipple. Hence they pull in end of the nipple in
toward the center of the breast, inverting it. This is the second
thing to note.

Since the tissue is stretchable, if you can get hold of the end of
the nipple, you can pull it out to a protruding position. The problem
is that as soon as you let go, it goes back to the inverted position.
However, each time it goes a little less far. Pull it out 100 times
and it stays out a while, pull it out 1000 times and it may stay out
permanently. Ths is the third thing to note.

These facts suggest a simple treatment. Pull the nipple out and hold
it in a protruding position as LONG as is comfortable, then rest and
do it again as soon as it is recovered from the exertion. Repeat over
a period of time. And this is like both orthodontia and politics:
A small force over a long period of time accomplishes more than a
large force over a short period of time.

Now. Some practical ways to accomplish this treatment...

A. Get a hospital grade breast pump (ie: one with a strong pull) and pump
on the inverted nipples. 1. You need to pump long enough to stretch
the nipple out and hold it in the stretched position long enough for
the internal ligaments to stretch somewhat. I would suggest at least
15-20 minutes per nipple (this is much longer than you need to pump
to obtain milk after the baby is born). 2. I would suggest observing
to see if the pump is pulling the nipple out to a protruding position.
If not, you need to get a stronger pump or use another method.
3. I would suggest starting no later than your 30th week. This gives
you 10 weeks to uninvert the nipple. 4. I would suggest at least 2
to 3 pumpings per day. If you have more time, go for it. 5. If you
have not made SIGNIFICANT progress by week 36, then increase both pumping
time and frequency or add another method.

B. Get DH to provide the same suction. Some people may find this
offensive, but I think it is more effective for two reasons. 1. It
can be modified to suit the needs of the individual. 2. It is more
like what the baby will do than any other method.

Here is the way I would suggest proceeding, if DH helps. 1. Since
this is more effective DH can suck 10-15 minutes on each breast.
2. DH should make sure to get the entire nipple and at least half
of the areole in his mouth and stretch out the nipple as far as
is comfortable, while massaging the deep tissue under the areole
with his tongue. This encourages the ligaments and ducts to stretch
out more easily. 3. Again, start by your 30th week. 4. In this
case you can start with once every second or third day, and work
up to every day by 33 weeks and twice a day by 36 weeks, etc.
5. I can't imagine not making progress by week 36 with this method.
But again, to increase progress, increase sucking time and frequency.

C. Breast Shields. This is the LEAST effective way to uninvert
nipples. Why? Because it does not apply ANY force to stretch the
nipple out to a protuding position, it simply presses the rest of
the breast mass back. For that reason, if you choose to use this
method, I would suggest starting MUCH EARLIER than with the other two.

Both methods A and B can lead to sore nipples or tender breasts,
expecially if they are not used to contact. In both cases I would
suggest applying Lansinoh cream and waiting until the soreness
subsides, at least from weeks 30 through 36. Beyond week 36 you
have to trade off how much progress you have made in uninverting
the nipple versus how tender you are. Another consideration is
that the baby will want to nurse 8 - 10 times a day. If you can't
stand sucking or pumping three times a day, you may well have
pain problems feeding the baby. Better to endure a little discomfort
early than a lot later on.

Monika and I used method B. We actually started earlier than 30 wks
because Monika was quite anxious about being able to latch the baby
on if her nipples were inverted. It took us about 10 weeks to "turn
them right side out." Monika had the added benefit that she suffered
no nipple soreness when the baby came. This was in contrast to the
5th or 6th week of turning her out when we had to rest a day because
of a tender spot or hairline crack.

Why do I feel so strongly about this?
1. I am a strong breastfeeding advocate, and I hate to hear of
women who want to breastfeed but can't because
a. The baby can't latch onto the inverted nipple, or
b. The nipple is so painful the mother can't stand to feed.
I know both of the conditions can be avoided.
2. Even though we had reversed Monika's inverted nipples, Clara
had difficulty latching on at first. This was quite stressful
for both of us. If the nipples were still inverted it would
have made the problem worse, and we may be in group 1, above.

This works! If you don't believe me ask Monika ( mmcmahan at home dot com).

As for the ones who have the problem, but only read this message just
before the due date (or even after the baby is born), my heart goes
out to you. Depending on the severity of your inversion, you may have
to choose between enduring relatively more pain or not breastfeeding.
However, anything you do NOW to solve the problem will be gentler
than what the baby does.

If the baby is already here, I would suggest using the pumping method
immediately after a feeding. If the baby is latching on at all, you
are probably getting all the sucking you need, and any addition may
well increase the soreness. The pump can hold the nipple in place
with a little less force.

Good luck,
Larry

Thank you all for your replies - obviously a hot topic. Gosh you guys with
inverted nipples have even more hurdles to cross and I'm heartened to see
just how much we mums will do for our little ones. No, fortunately inverted
nipples is not the problem.

I just have incredibly tender nipples - so much so that I can't even bear to
be hugged by DP. And most of the time my breasts feel as if they've been
kicked and bruised (which they haven't). I am miserable but baby is putting
on good weight and seems quite happy to nurse so I grin and bear it. I
would dearly like to b/f for at least six months and we're now 2 months in.
The next four months look bleak for me so I was going to try the nipple
shields.

Here's what we've tried....
1. Whilst Rowan was in Intensive Care and I was in hospital with him, I got
an infection. Got treated with antibiotics, left me with thrush.

2. Treated the thrush with cream and pessaries.

3. Had screamingly painful breasts - hospital said it might be hairline
cracked nipples (no signs nor bleeding) so I started using the Lansinoh
ointment (still do).

4. Two weeks later, Rowan had oral thrush and my breasts were agony (I have
a sneaky feeling we had it at point 3 but it wasn't picked up then) . He
got gel, I got tablets.

5. Still with painful nipples, I sought further help to check latching and
positioning though m/w seemed to think they were fine. In tears, contacted
a b/f support councillor who was marvellous over the phone but said that
sadly there wasn't anyone locally that could help me in person. She did
explain the football hold though and that has lessened the pain, or at least
has split the pain in half, one lot on one side of the nipple, one lot on
the other. At least I don't cry now when I'm feeding him (all the time on
the one spot was excrutiatingly painful)

Do some folk just have very tender nipples? I was assured that nipples
toughen up after a few weeks but this has been almost 9 weeks now and it
wasn't sore in the early days when he fed for 10-15 min slots. It was once
he went up to 25-30 min sessions that the problems started (about 5 weeks
ago). This puts me right off having any other children as I really couldn't
bear to go through this again and I don't want to go to formula.

Sadly in the UK we don't have such folk as lactation consultants :-( not to
my knowledge anyway. They sound like wonderful poeple. And I don't think
the m/w has enough time to sit for a full feed. She checks when we start up
and then says we're doing it ok. I'd walk about topless if I could cos it's
the only time my nipples aren't touched. Sleeping is fine if I sleep on my
back, but if I inadvertently turn ..... Just miserable and trying hard to
enjoy my first try at being a mum.

Thanks for listening
--Alison

Alison o.uk wrote:

4. Two weeks later, Rowan had oral thrush and my breasts were agony (I have
a sneaky feeling we had it at point 3 but it wasn't picked up then) . He
got gel, I got tablets.

What were your tablets called? Did they seem to help at all?

Sadly in the UK we don't have such folk as lactation consultants :-(

Oh, you sure do! Here's one way to find out about them:
http://www.lcgb.org/index.htm

not to
my knowledge anyway. They sound like wonderful poeple. And I don't think
the m/w has enough time to sit for a full feed. She checks when we start up
and then says we're doing it ok. I'd walk about topless if I could cos it's
the only time my nipples aren't touched.

It might help (temporarily) to use a hard nipple shell to keep your
clothes off your nipples, until you can see an IBCLC to get things
properly sorted out.

Good luck

Lara
EPing for Luke, ten months and four days

Alison wrote:

I just have incredibly tender nipples - so much so that I can't even bear to
be hugged by DP. And most of the time my breasts feel as if they've been
kicked and bruised (which they haven't). I am miserable but baby is putting
on good weight and seems quite happy to nurse so I grin and bear it. I
would dearly like to b/f for at least six months and we're now 2 months in.
The next four months look bleak for me so I was going to try the nipple
shields.

Snip

With persistantly painful nipples, I have to wonder if you don't have
a really bad case of thrush that isn't going away. Someone around
here beat a really bad case of thrush, perhaps they will weigh in
or someone can point you to a google search.

You might try that (groups.google.com), searching on thrush
for other treatments. Some treatments include diflucan for mom,
gentian violet and a low sugar diet.

Mary