Experience of using nipple shields?

[NumptyMum]

DD is a chomper (discussed on another thread) and my mw had suggested that in my case a nipple shield might help when breasts are particularly traumatised. I am going to investigate cause for chomping, but in the meantime I'm finding the shields useless - they don't stick, and when they do a) her hands can easily swipe them off, b) she doesn't latch as well as I have that much more to try and get into her mouth before she closes it and she doesn't open it much c) sometimes during a feed she will then 'slip' and suck just at the nipple part of the shield.

Is this just because of the type of shield I'm using? I've got a Medala one - would it be worth getting the Avent one? I know that nipple shields aren't generally recommended but honestly for times like this morning when I'm that sore, it's either these or formula. So please can anyone give their experience of using the nipple shields, and whether I should stick with them?

Oh - and before anyone suggests I should get expert support, I'd love to but despite living in a large city, there is no trained NCT or BFN counsellor here (I'm still to check re LLL); also after closure of my local hospital our bf group is supported by a HV who is nice but NOT well informed. So I'm a bit stuck .

Numpty I used shields on advice on midwife as struggled with dd latch/ inverted nipple. My bf experience was poor but would have been non existent without them. It does make it more fiddly as you have to put them on and keep them clean but for me was worth it as allowed me to bf.

I used the Avent one with dd2 and found it excellent. She was prem, small & struggling to latch and I had no problems with them at all, except they are not discrete to use!

FWIW I had a lot of support from a highly qualified breast feeding mw and a la leche league supporter & they both said that if the nipple sheilds were helping, then to keep using them because the most important thing is to get feeding established, then get rid of them. As it happened I used them for 2 or 3 weeks then just took them away & she managed fine. My dd1 was a chomper & I gave up feeding her at 4 weeks because my nipples were so traumatized it made my doctor go white when I went in during my second bout of mastitis! No one had suggested nipple shields & when I suggested them the mw were very negative but I really wish that I had used them as I'm sure I would have been able to go on longer. So from my experience you're doing the right thing! Btw (you probably know this) but always always take the babe off the breast and re-latch when they start to chomp, dd2 had a bit if a tendancy to do this to but eventually she learned not to.

All the best!

I have used the Avent shields with both of my boys at times, and I would highly recommend them. They were a much better shape for me than any others, some were a bit 'pointy' if you know what I mean!
Good luck.

Thank you all - will give the Avent ones a try; will also try calling LLL for assistance after I've seen the mw tomorrow (want her to check for possible causes of problem again).

I just get so frustrated with the Medela ones as I thought they were going to be the answer when I was too sore, but instead they get me and DD more frustrated as I take the time to stick them on, they peel off, she swipes them off, I can't get them into her mouth etc etc (sigh). So I hope the Avent ones are a little better but I'm not holding out for them to be the miracle solution any more.

Hi Numpty!

I used Avent nipple shields for a few days with DD1 as she couldnt latch on when my milk came in. Then ditched them no problem.They never fell off.

This time around with DD2, I used them early on when my letdown was too forceful for her and she used to splutter and choke and take in too much air-the shields helped. I accidentally bought Medela instead of Avent and they just didn't seem to work for me. Found some Avent ones again and they stayed on better but DD2 was more of a fidget than DD1 and did pull/push them off with her hands sometimes. I managed to stop using them after a couple of weeks - they are annoying and fiddly to clean and carry about - but they had no negative impact on my supply at all and if necessary I'd have continued with them.

Good luck; it's horrible to dread every feed...

I used them when I couldn't get my dd to latch on. They are a pain, but avent are better than medela. I found I had to hold them on initially and then they did slip about despite using that breast cream to try and "stick" them on. I was able to go without them after 3 weeks.

Hi Cantdo . Hope your DD2 is doing fine? and DD1 of course.

Glad some other people have been frustrated with Medela, makes me feel better somehow! I'm only planning on using shields when it's too sore to contemplate NOT using them, because as you say they are annoying and fiddly. Hadn't heard of using breast cream to stick them on - is that any specific cream? Or just Lansinoh?

I'm going to ask the mw about various things tomorrow (including tongue tie and high palate, as both could be a cause of my compressed nipples). If those are ruled out, I'll just need to work on my positioning and build trust with DD again as she's now very antsy for most feeds, probably because of being shoved hither and thither so I don't blame her. Hi ho.

Hello Numpty,
I've used both the Avent shields and Mam ones. For me the Mam ones are much better, they're softer and my baby seems to prefer them.

They do peel off, but if you have Lansinoh underneath they do stick better. On a more negative note they then can slide off if the baby is in headbutting mode!

I've used shields for two periods of a couple of days, and when I went back to feeding without them my baby did take a little while to latch on, but there doesn't seem to have been any long lasting problem.

Good luck, I definitely couldn't have carried on feeding without shields!

I seem to be in the minority here - I use the medela ones and prefer them to avent!

My LO did used to knock them off at first but I persevered. Making them a little damp helped to stick better.

My LO is 5 months old and still BF (with shields).

Hooray for Avent nipple shields! Just tried one on the sore side and was able to feed without the frustration of it flapping about/slipping off, and with NO pain! It DOES mean that DD's latch changes, she can't take in more than the nipple area of the nipple shield - but the increased thickness means it's not hurting me; and I'm only using it on the side I start feeding from, I'm still going natural with the 2nd side offered so hopefully she won't forget how to latch on properly.

Phew - may yet get there! Thanks for all the input everyone. Off to get tea ready with a much lighter heart than this morning...

Hurray for Avent shields! So glad they are helping.

As for the latch, I found both DDs managed to latch on without them after using them, no problem. And although that's just my experience, I recently read a blog (linked to from Mnet) which cited research showing that shields don't (as had been thought) cause latch or supply problems long-term. So am sure you will be able to ditch the shield when the pain has gone.

Probably worth checking that there isnt another underlying issue, like tongue-tie, as well.

But well done!

Alternatives are NUK and MAM ones. NUK worked best for me. You can also use a little bit of surgical tape on the top side to stick them on at the start of a feed.
Good luck.