Flat nipples success stories please!

[JellyBaby26]

So I'm bf my 3 week old. Having a rubbish time. Initial bad latch has made him rip my nipples at the Base on both boobs and gave had mastitis and bring tested for thrush.

I met with my local lll leader today who said I have flat nipples which makes sense re the ripping. Currently the first 15 seconds of a feed are painful as the tear is agitated, then all is fine. Am feeding using football hold so as to keep off the rips as much as possible and to get them to heal.

I have thought about quitting numerous times but I really don't want to as ff is sucgoing a p in the a.

Can anyone with flat nipples tell ne it will get better from experience? I love feeding him after the initial ouch bit but that part is really affecting me!

[CottonSock]

Yes, it got easier and didn't hurt after first few weeks. Baby was able to feed fine was our experience. Sometimes if boobs were very full and leaky the initial latch was harder

[KanyesVest]

I bf DD for 10 months and Ds for 12 and I had flat nipples, so it is possible! Are you tweaking/gently pinching your nipple before latching to bring it out a bit? It was a really simple little trick I never thought of until the community nurse suggested and demonstrated it

[thrillhouse]

Have you tried one of those nipple trumpet things? Lansinoh make one. It helped me a lot to begin with.

DD is 13 months now and breastfeeding as much as ever. My nipples are no longer so flat...

[Acopyofacopy]

Nipple shields worked for me, until they were sucked into shape and not so flat any more.
Avent niplette is another possibility, although I haven't tried it.

[pestov]

Nipple shields all the way. Can get them in bigger boots if desperate or medela do different sized ones on Amazon. Also, try pinching the boob into the mouth to make sure nipples are all the way in once you've healed and ditched the shields.

[stiffstink]

Nipple shields definitely. Amazon do different sizes of Medela whereas I could only get small in Boots. I used them from around 3-6 weeks then after 6 weeks I would whip them off once she had had a few sucks.

[BrieAndChilli]

I have flat nipples and breast fed all 3 of mine for around a year.
The first 4 weeks of feeding with each of them was pure hell!!!
Cracks, mastitisis, bleeding, toe curling pain etc etc I dreaded feeding but pushed through it by saying just one more feed them I'll decide if I want to give up then just one more etc,
After 4 weeks it was like a switch had been flicked, it became the easiest, pain free, no hassle thing to do!!!
Take it one feed at a time, with my 2nd child who was a massive sucker I did give in and give her a dummy for about a week every now and then to give my nipples a break, I also expressed and she had a couple of bottles. I was really ill in bed with mastitis and needed a physical and mental break from feeding. Once we'd got into the swing of things the dummy was dropped.

[BrieAndChilli]

I also wore breast shells under my bra for a little bit when the nipples were at their worst - ripped to shreds, just helped dry them out a bit and get the air on them and stopped the material of the bra constantly rubbing.

[pestov]

Oh and go to every breastfeeding group going. DD's tongue tie was repeatedly missed and not diagnosed until she was 5 weeks old. Every MW had their own ideas so try them all; most helpful was a student who was keen to try different positions with me

[EvansAndThePrince]

I had one inverted before DD, had to flick it a bit to make it hard before I could feed and she really did not like feeding off that side for quite a while but 15 months on and she favours that side!

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

I hope things improve. Please remember that you're not a failure if you stop breastfeeding though. If it is not improving and you're in terrible pain, then don't forget it's fine to switch to bottles.

[underrugsswept]

Mine were quite flat ( less so now) and although we really struggled with BF I think it was more because my DS never really got on with it more than down to my nipples. After a few days he latched on perfectly every time. Have you tried using nipple shields? I tried them for a few days at the start when my nipples were really sore and they were quite helpful. They're already shaped so give baby something big to latch on to.

[sleepyhead]

Yes. I had the same problem - oh my god the pain!!

It does get better. The baby getting bigger, bigger mouth, bigger latch all helps. He will also eventually stretch/break the tethers that are making your nipples flat - feeding ds2 was so easy because the problem wasn't there.

Have a google for the "flipple" (I think that's what it was called ) It's basically folding and placing your breast in his mouth so that he latches correctly. Also "exaggerated latch".

It will take time for the initial damage to heal unfortunately, but it won't always hurt like this - that's my experience anyway.

[sleepyhead]

Just read the post about the dummy - that was a life saver for me. I just couldn't manage comfort sucking, too painful, and ds1 was a very sucky baby. Whatever gets you both through.

[Hufflepuffin]

Here's a link to the nipple trumpet someone mentioned, it definitely helped us! Along with cranial osteopathy (to release baby's jaw which was right after a tough birth) and a tongue tie snip! Lansinoh Latch Assist Dual Cone www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C93WS4C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OIxCxbND1H8EF?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[whifflesqueak]

I had a shitty time getting it established with my firstborn, but ur got much easier and I'm now feeding my new baby with no issues at all.

good luck!

[ForTheLoveOfGrace]

Yes big success here I bf my DD until she decided to stop at 16mths. Totally remember it was a tad painful with the flat nipples at first then it was like I was made to do it. As others have said tweaking before a fed really helped & I pumped for the first 2 weeks as I had trouble at first which really helped draw them out. They are still out and DC is nearly 19 moths lol. Good luck

[Lua]

As our readers, i had a really painful phase - specially with the first one. But at some point all the discomfort disappeared and it was absolutely fine. Hang in there. it will get better!

[Icklepickle101]

It gets better!!!

I remember 3-4 weeks being a low point, cried through feeds and wanted to give up. I'd say by 6 weeks it was comfortable and by 8 weeks we had it nailed and was a walk in the park. I know it seems like a long long time but it will fly by and the next 3 months were so unbelievably easy apart from recurrent mastitis leaving me in hospital

Keep at it you are doing brilliantly

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

I used nipple shields for the first few months with both my babies. Weaned them off them and both were breastfed for 12 months.

[JellyBaby26]

Thank you all so helpful and great to hear some success stories. I am going to make small targets and see how we go.

I went and got the nipple Shields to use on the next feed but decided against it for some reason.

I counted 15 sucks as painful then all is fine.

Trying to pinch the nipple prior to a feed but by the time dso gets to it after scratching himself in the face and trying to claw my nipple off its gone back to normal

Thank you all for helpful replies!

[ZZZZ1111]

Hi from another flatty.

My baby wouldn't latch at all which was blamed on my flatties but ended up being due to tongue tie.

Flatties themselves aren't too much of a problem and like others have said they will become more perky the more your BF.

Get your baby checked for tongue tie if you can.