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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Flat nipples

14 replies

CharBell · 22/09/2005 09:30

Baby is 10 weeks old and have been using nipple shields all the way through due to flat nipples. ONCE he managed a whole feed without the shield but that is the only time he ever managed it (and believe me I have TRIED.)

Has anyone ever had this and then managed to wean them off shield and onto FLAT nipples?????

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2005 21:20

Oooh, I did this with DS1. He always refused to latch without shields.

(The problem with shields, other than the hassle, is they're not necessarily good for your supply. Mine was sketchy with DS1 anyway.)

At any rate, I would periodically offer without the shields, and he wouldn't go for it. But then once, when he was tired, he just latched on, and that was them sorted.

Another option is to express a wee bit just before feeding, as that draws the nipples up and makes them easier to latch onto.

The longer you feed for, the less flat your nipples will be, anyway - I'm one year into feeding DS2 (who never had latch problems - so you're not guaranteed the same problem second time around), after 18 months feeding DS1, and my nipples are considerably less flat than they were to begin with.

sansouci · 22/09/2005 21:23

how i sympathise! i used shields all the way through. cost a fortune as they were always getting lost! Boots used to sell something called Niplette which was supposed to draw nipples out. You could try to find it.

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2005 21:25

The Boots Niplette thing is probably the same as the Avent one. And, from what our local BFC tells me, it falls off your nipples if you leak any milk. It's made for women who want their nipples to show through their shirts (!!). A pump does the same job, only better.

sansouci · 24/09/2005 21:05

FFS! show through their shirts indeed. what next.

LadyLazarus · 25/09/2005 18:01

i have flat nipples too, did the shields for a week or so, but the baby was just getting really ratty at every feed, really struggling to latch on even with the shields. now i'm expressing and formula feeding as well, which is not quite what i'd intended to do, but the baby is much calmer and i'm happier too. good luck if weaning back on to the breast works for you

arbutus · 26/09/2005 09:07

I ended up expressing, too. Also, with ds, my nipples bled so badly and the pain was so excruciating when breastfeeding that I had to give up. Couldn't stand it. Expressed for 2 months. Ds, now 2, is fine. No allergies.

fastasleep · 26/09/2005 09:27

I had flatish nipples, well..they only popped out when it was cold and babies certainly aren't cold! It was agony trying to feed DS, who was a littley and never really got the whole latching on thing anyway... I expressed for 9 months... ugh damn those nipples!

I now have lovely pointy show through shirt nipples though , thanks to my relationship with the breastpump! So at least you know you'll be ok for number 2, not that that's much help really

arlynab · 26/09/2005 13:25

I seem to have only found out about my flat nips today when I tried breastfeeding my newborn twins. Been trying since they were born to no avail and the nurse finally told me the problem is to do with my flat nips.

So have been pumping milk since this morning! Hopefully my sore nips will be able to handle months ahead of pumping. Bought the nipple shields from Mothercare but did not bring it to the hospital (didn't think I would need it). Will try it with my twins when I get home from the hospital.

Now at least I feel a bit better just reading that others have similar experience with bf.

fishie · 26/09/2005 22:32

congratulations on your twins arlynab! i was told my nipples were 'wrong' and didn't manage to latch ds on for 5 days, it was all fine in the end, am bfing happily 5 months on.

BUT i had a lot of help with positioning from a bf counsellor, who visited me once a week for three weeks. and i won't lie, it really hurt for a while. so glad i persevered though, is def worth it.

starlover · 26/09/2005 22:34

arlynab it IS possible to breastfeed with flat/inverted nipples
please try and speak to a breatfeeding counsellor, they will be able to help you
for the time being see if the expressing brings the nipple out... if so you can express fora few minutes before each feed to get the nipple sticking out and then latch baby on

congrats on the twins!

LadyLazarus · 30/09/2005 13:35

Just wanted to say that I thought for a laugh I'd try my baby on the breast this morning (have been bottle-feeding with bits of expressing) and she fed for 25mins!... however, very painful, to the point of me shouting out at some points... am determined to persevere tho...

sansouci · 30/09/2005 13:40

persevere, LadyL. I wish I had!

LadyLazarus · 01/10/2005 15:51

hmm seems to have been a fluke, tried her on the other side later on yesterday and she was having none of it!! Back to expressing for me I think, plus it's a lot less painful!

mummyhill · 02/10/2005 22:02

I have inverted nipples and have been having huge issues with breast feeding. Luckily I have a very supportive breast feeding councilor and midwifery team, I am hopping that the health visitor will be as supportive as the rest of my care team. I am expressing and topping up with formula till supply can meet demand as I couldn't get DS to latch and he is now used to the bottle and refuses the boob even when I actually manage to get the nipple to come out. I am not stressing about it all though because at least I am able to give him breast milk. I never had any of the support that I am receiving this time round when I had DD and she ended up being bottle fed, and i ended up feeling like a failure. This time round I am happy, baby is happy and dh is totally supportive of my way of giving our son the best start in life I can.

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