nipple shields - do they reduce supply?

[questions2008]

iv've just started using shields when bfing my 6 week old as left nipple has been causing me some pain for quite a while. its healing up now, and ive only used it for 2 days, but will it reduce my supply if i contninue to use? i havent noticed a reduction yet.

[mrsfix]

I used them when it all just got too much to bear. I am probably imagining things but they seemed to make her windy?

If you aren't disguising an underlying problem (ie we know we have a bad latch) and if the baby doesn't have nipple confusion, I have never understood what is wrong with them.
.... or maybe she does have confusion which causes the bad latch?!

I'm noooo expert but I did't notice supply reduction. Dreading - and thus putting off - feeds probably did! Keep up the good work you brave thing, I'm sure the different areola massage (or whatever it is) won't hurt for a little while but I will be really interested to see if the brains out there think there is a long term issue

[alittlebitshy]

They are said to reduce supply and i think that LONG TERM with my dd they did. But short term (ie 4 days here or there - two occasions with my ds i think) i found they didn't. But that is me, and i have always had a fantastic supply this time round so I can't say in a wider context.

What i can say is that using it (on my left side too) saved bf for me this time last year

And with ds at i yr and 1 week old, I can say happilty that I am still bf merrily so for me they were the solution.

[kathyis6incheshigh]

I found it really helpful while a cracked nipple healed.
Someone (can't remember if on MN or a properly-bf-trained-HV) told me that modern silicone shields are thinner than the older ones and hence not as bad for reducing supply.

[mrsfix]

ooh yes, ditto the silicone point. I did searches on t'internet and that was about the only thing I learnt before giving up

[jimbobsmummy]

I have been using them for 12 weeks. I have very inverted nipples and it was the only way I could get him to feed at all. I do try now to feed him without, but he still can't latch on (due to an anatomical issue rather than 'confusion')

I think they certainly reduced my supply a lot less than not feeding at all would have done!

[strawberrylace]

I fed my DS for 17 months using nipple shields, and he was fine. I used Avent and MAM ones. It was a bit of a hassle sterilising them, and not so discrete when latching on, but they were the way I kept on feeding through painful nipples and really bad thrush. good luck!