Nipple Shields, help!

[JollySergeantJackrum]

DS will be 2 weeks old on Thursday. We started off bfing and really though all was going well as he was latching on fine and seemed to be not hungry when he came off. He would latch on for about 5-10 minutes at a time. By day 4 he was quite upset and day 5 (Monday) he cried the entire day. We ended up at sick kids on day 6 (Tuesday) and they said he'd lost 15% of his body weight in 6 days.

He had a wee bit of formula and I started expressing to feed him. He's been getting expressed breast milk from the bottle around 3 hourly since and has not needed formula top ups since Tuesday night. I have no issues with milk supply and am in fact expressing far more than he needs. I'm already 2 days ahead of DS's requirements with stored milk in the fridge. I'm expressing 3 hourly also.

We eventually saw a BF advisor at the hospital on Thursday (they were all on holiday so it took a while ). Anyway, she observed me bfing DS and reckoned that because my boobs are very large (34K) and my areola/nipple are quite flat, DS was having trouble maintaining a latch and lost so much weight because he was only getting fore milk and not hind milk. The BF advisor suggested trying nipple shields to get BFing re-established and to try him on the breast either before or part way through every bottle feed, depending on when he's most calm.

DP toddled off to Mothercare and got Medela contact nipple shields for me. I can't work them at all. I've managed to get them to stick a couple of times, but they seem to come off really easily, particularly if he's fussing and DS and I just end up covered in milk. I have tried him back on the breast without the shield, but it's still a struggle and he's not attaching for any decent length of time.

I would really like to be able to re-establish BF as I am worried about my supply running down in the future. I also need to get some sleep rather than having to express for 30 mins in every 3 hour period as well as feeding/changing.

How do I get the nipple shields to stay on? Is it worth going to Boots today and getting their nipple shields to see if they stay on any better? Should I be holding the shield on during the feed? Any advice you can offer would be hugely appreciated as me stressing out can't be helping the situation.

I'm not an expert but I've heard making them damp helps (with milk?) or maybe lansinoh.

Do they fit well? I have to buy large. Only realised this after a nasty blockage.

I had to use nipple shields with my first daughter. Much preferred Boots ones over Avent, didn't try Medela. Gave a better seal if I remember rightly. Baby seemed to prefer them too.
Good luck.

I used medela contact without too many problems. Wetting them helped and sometimes i did need to hold them on if he was fussing. I used to feed him lying on my side - if lying on left side use left arm (and maybe pillows) to hold ds in place and right hand to hold nipple shield on.
Well done for keeping up the expressing - you sound like you're doing great :)

Can you see a different bf counsellor? Some are much better than others! Maybe try one of the helplines?

0300 100 0212 National Breastfeeding helpline.
0300 330 0771 NCT breastfeeding helpline
0845 120 2918 La Leche League

Thank you everyone :)

We've had the midwife round this morning and I had a lovely 25 min conversation with someone from the NCT breastfeeding helpline also. Basically everyone agrees that I'm not doing anything wrong, it's just that baby and I seem not to be very compatible at the moment. Hopefully once he grows it will help, but the plan at the moment is:

• Try him at the breast at every daytime feed, either before or after he's had some expressed breast milk, whichever feels better (he tends to be quite agitated before he's had any)
• Try the other nipple shields
• Try the latch assist
• Try a different position - him lying on me and moving to find the breast himself

We'll see how this all goes. The NCT woman reassured me that my supply won't disappear overnight, it'll take a wee while to go down with just expressing.

We'll get there eventually, at least he is now getting fed :)

Thanks again

Is it worth trying an exaggerated latch like here on page 10 I have to use it with my DS or his latch is painfully shallow.

I have same issues as you, and I much prefer the boots ones to the medela ones.. To use, I wet (with saliva) and press in place, then try to squeeze nipple out as far as poss. Then, with DD lying on a pillow on my lap, I put one hand (right hand on right boob) under her head to hold her in place, and the other hand I use to hold the shield in place and guide into her mouth. I can then usually get both hands free after a few mins if she's relaxed, or at least one hand free if she wriggling about, but the pillow and sides of the armchair/rocking chair are crucial in getting enough hands!!

Quite frequently resort to tape or steristrips to hold them on. Could get some micropore from chemist maybe (sellotape works but not so great on skin), personally find it impossible to get nipple shields in right place, newborn latching on without it all enduring up in a mess.

We managed 2 15 minute stints today, with me holding the shield in place with my fingers and DS in the rugby ball position. Haven't attempted it with the right breast yet, but hopefully something similar will work.

Unfortunately our local Boots does not sell nipple shields and the big one is 45 mins drive away, so we've not managed to get there yet.

Steristrips or tape sounds like something we could try if we lose the latch again.

It's all so difficult, I'm amazed that so many women persevere with it.

Are you turning them inside out before you put them on? You need to flip the rim backwards to make a mini sombrero- the nipple bit will stay the right way round - then kind of flip them the right way round when they are on your nipple.

jolly - how are you getting on? i just came across this thread - i use MAM nipple shields from Amazon with my 6 month twins, and used them to feed my older son for 17 months. they are small and easy to use, even with newborns, I highly recommend them. I've also used Avent ones, which are a similar shape, before - my local Tescos sells those. hope you are ok

Bert - it was the inside out bit that i couldn't do. Every time I try to do that it's a disaster.

Thanks, Strawberry. Managed to get DS to latch on about 5 times over the last 24 hours. He is in the rugby ball hold and if he's on the left I use my right hand with my fingers in a V holding the nipple shield on. DS's nose ends up between my fingers and this allows him some breathing space.

I wish I had seen the link from bitingfairy before as it specifically suggests trying the rugby ball position if you have larger breasts.

I'm feeling so much better about feeding now, although I know we've still got a long way to go.