Nipple Shields

[katballoo]

Hi, new to mumsnet and hoping for help!

10 week old baby girl. I had very sore right nipple in 1st week and trouble latching baby on to left side as quite flat I think! By day 5 I was seriously considering giving up BF as expressing wasn't helping and baby was not getting fed properly.

I got nipple shields and things turned around but now I would like to stop using them if possible. Baby doesn't seem to recognise my nipple as food now and I still struggle to latch on without shield! What to do??

ketballoo do you have any local breastfeeding groups you could visit? or give one of the helplines a ring and see what they suggest?

have you tried removing the shields partway through a feed?
so let her have her initial drink, then take her off, remove shield and see if she will go on again, that way the milk will be there already and the nipple will be easier to latch onto if they are usually a bit flat

keep persevering tho, i am sure it's possible, it will just take a while for her to learn that it's all the same thing!

I do have a local BF group, I have so far avoided going as heard very mixed reviews and don't want to be made to feel bad for using shields! BF is best however it works! Might just have to bite the bullet and go! I will try removing shield part way through, not done that yet! Thanks!!!

I'm exactly the same with my 10 week DD. It's like she doesn't know what to do with my naked nipple. It was suggested to me by a HV at a BF group to gradually cut the nipple shield over time until she is feeding from nipple without it. I haven't tried it yet. I can't really be bothered trimming them as I have about six shields on the go.

Would like to get rid though. When in public it's a bit of a fact and I keep panicking about leaving the house without them!

Let me know how you get on!

Meant to say bit off a faff!

Lynzjam I know what you mean, its kinda hard to be discreet in public while trying to position baby and shield and not flash too much boob or nipple!!!

last feed I took it away after about a minute and she fed fine for the majority of the feed but once she gets towards the end she seems to forget to keep suction then she wont latch on again! Will keep trying it when I'm in the house with a bit of time!

I'm not sure if cutting the shield back would help all that much, its not so much the surounding area as the actual latch on to nipple thats the issue??? HV's sometime bamboozle me!

Can i ask a stupid question, whats DD? keep seeing it and can't for the life of me work that one out lol! I'm new to this!!!!

DD is dear/darling daughter

list of acronyms here that you might find useful

good news about her taking the feed wiethout the shield! even if it was only part of it. it's a good start

where in the country are you? I seem to be friends with an awful lot of LLL leaders so may be able to recommend a nice group! :)