Nipple shields for 9 months - is this the end?

[DaisyLady1]

I'm hoping there may be some other long term nipple shield wearers out there who can help...

Baby is 9 months old EBF and from day 1 we had to use nipple shields, even after seeing two lactation consultants. I am actually mega proud to have got to 9 months with them (especially as they are a massive pain in a*#e!) but would like to make it to 1 year if possible.

Anyway, the issue is that my baby now pulls them off with her hands and also bites them off and holds them between her teeth at every single feed. I did actually laugh the first few times but it's now stopping us being able to feed and is becoming a big problem.

The past few days she has done this constantly to the point I had to express this morning (haven't done this for months) and give her milk from a cup because she hadn't breastfed for a long period.

She is on 3 good meals a day and has sips of water but I'm seriously worried about how little she is nursing due to messing about with the shields.
For the first time ever, I've just had to hand her over to her dad to put to sleep as she has been biting the shields off me for over 40 mins during her bedtime feed and I'm now in a lot of pain plus concerned she hasn't had milk again.

Do I need to call it quits and just express for the last 3 months? Thanks if you have read this far!

[Somethingsnappy]

Do you mind me asking why you needed them? And sorry if it's a silly question, but have you tried without them in recent months?

[DaisyLady1]

Thanks for replying @Somethingsnappy, so my little one had tongue tie which was cut twice (made no difference) and I was told she has a high arched palate which made it harder for her to feed.
After seeking help from two lactation consultants, the conclusion was that if it was the only way she would feed then we should just continue with the shields. I tried so hard to wean her off them as she started to get bigger but unfortunately we never managed it.
Luckily her weight gain has always been great.

[BunnyRuddington]

No experience sorry Daisy but if you give one of the BFing Helplines a call they may have some tips

[WeAreAllCompletelyFine]

Gosh I used them for about 4 months and thought that was a long time. Fair play to you - they are a huge faff. I did wean off them at 4 months and BF for another 3 months but I stopped BF completely at 7 months.

I think it sounds as though they are no longer going to be an option as your LO has sussed they can be pulled off and that's a fun and interesting thing to do. Your options are

1. try to continue BF without them and just see how it goes. Give yourself a time scale to persevere - 2 weeks maybe? And if it's not happening within that time, reassess.
   
   
2. accept this is the end of the BF road for you and make a clean break. 9 months (with shields) is a fantastic achievement that has obviously required a lot of work and perseverance so you can be proud of that.

[Somethingsnappy]

I don't have personal experience, but I do have a few ideas that might be worth trying.
Firstly, could you try approaching it in the same way someone might if their baby had started to bite the nipple? So at the first sign of it.... A firm no and take baby away from the breast for a short period, place her on the floor for a few moments and then try again? You could do this a few times until it sinks in.

Alternatively, I wonder if you could express a bit just before you put her on, so the letdown has already started, put her on and then do breast compressions straightaway. Perhaps the milk flowing at once would prompt your baby to get going straightaway. And of course, once she does start feeding, her tongue is then in the way and she can't bite.

Lastly, try a different position, particularly a laid back one (semi reclined, baby on top of you). I'm wondering if the help of gravity in this position would make it harder work for your baby to lift her head to properly bite and pull the shield?

A big well done to you for doing so well with the nipple shields!

[BunnyRuddington]

Some good suggestions Something. Have you tried directing her hand to somewhere else OP?

Some Mums find that if the put babies hand on their earlobe, they'll happily play with that instead of your nipples.

[Somethingsnappy]

Also a good suggestion, @BunnyRuddington, like a nursing necklace too, or something..

[DaisyLady1]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to send suggestions.

@WeAreAllCompletelyFine The shields really are a huge faff, I salute anyone who even has a go with them to be honest! She literally will not even entertain the idea of trying to latch without, which I guess is fair enough this far down the line. I know I will have done well if I have to stop now but I feel so close to the 1 year mark. She also wont take a bottle so I'm guessing that means having milk from her Doidy but she tends to gulp that so not sure if that would work.


@Somethingsnappy Thanks for the suggestions, I have been half approaching the technique of taking her off like babies biting in breastfeeding which I could definitely continue to try. I've read when they are actually on the nipple you should take them off when you feel them pull back off the latch (before they can bite) but because of the shields, I can't feel anything so shes either feeding or has already pulled the shield of if you get what I mean.
She often actually pulls them off when the flow is already going which ends in us both getting a soaking. I haven't tried with the milk flowing before putting her on or laid back so I will give these a go, thanks.

@BunnyRuddington I soften hold her hand when she is feeding (especially now she does this!) but now she bits them off instead, she does laugh when she is doing it too!

Could it be that she is significantly dropping milk feeds now she is eating 3 good meals - how many times per day should a 9 month old should be feeding? I usually feed on demand but have just kept offering the past few days as she isn't really asking. Her morning wake up feed has completely gone now but I just don't know how much I should be worrying.
Can you also give breastmilk in a Doidy cup (if I end up having to express) as she won't take a bottle?

[Somethingsnappy]

It could well be that she's not interested in so many feeds now that she's fully onto solids and subsequently just not as hungry. I think the average baby will take about 4 or 5 feeds a day at that age. Before naps or after snacks is a good time to offer.

And yes, you can offer your baby breastmilk in whichever cup or bottle you both prefer!

[Somethingsnappy]

P. S. She might be less likely to play with the shields if she's drowsy or half asleep, so before naps or even as she's just dropping off might be a good time to get the best results.

[Somethingsnappy]

So even if you expressed a couple of feeds, and managed a couple of feeds at the breast, that would still be a good balance.