Tips for stopping 6mo snatching off nipple shield?

[Kitty5824]

I've been using nipple shields since re-admission to hospital at 5 days old due to 16% weight loss. He very occasionally carries on feeding if I slip it off mid feed, but mostly freaks out when he realises it has gone. Not really a problem though.

However, the past few weeks he has started snatching the nipple shield off and trying to shove the whole thing in his mouth to chew on it.

I am hoping this is simply a reaction to teething (I can see the his two bottom teeth about to break through his gums) as when I take it back he sucks/chews his fingers for a bit before carrying on with the feed.

Anyone been in this situation? Can anyone reassure me that this is a phase?

Not really sorry Kitty but just wanted to say that I think you've done a fabulous job getting to 6 months with your rocky start.

Have only got advice for the teething, have you tried ibruprofen and a teething gel, like dentinox? Read on here recently that a MNer was giving her LO frozen bananas so that might be worth a try too. Mine always like cucumber or a cold, wet, clean flannel to chew on.

Hopefully someone with experience of nipple shields will be along shortly .

Hi Kitty, my DD who's now 7m went through a stage of doing this a couple of weeks ago. It lasted a week or so, I think she's now worked out that the shield has to be attached to me to work. My personal favourite was when she grabbed the shield mid-feed and flicked milk over MIL on the other side of the room

High five from one long-term shield user to another BTW! I thought it was only me...

Swaddling? I'm guessing he's too big for that?

Thanks everyone.

JJJ Cucumber was a massive hit from a teething perspective. I'll try the flannel as well.

RL Yep the flick thing has happened here, not in public yet so mostly just down me/the sofa/the wall etc...

High five right back at ya! I hardly know anyone in RL who is still BF at this point full stop, let alone with the shields.

KK he never liked swaddling when he was tiny (cup feeding in the hospital was an experience!!) so can only imagine the meltdown if we tried now.

He wasn't quite so bad yesterday, and I can now see the tops of both his bottom teeth very clearly so hopefully the worst is past.

I'm using shields... I used them until 2 months with DS then got fed up, eventually managed to get him to latch without, then had all kinds of problems. I was doing quite a lot of expressing too, though, and wondered if that helped supply.

I've had to use them again with DD (only 3 weeks so far) so looking at long term use this time, I'm really encouraged to hear that others are managing to do that. It's something else that there is very little advice on, other than Don't Use Them. I don't know anyone in RL either.

kitty and rl if you see this, have you picked up any tricks for using them discreetly in public? This is the side which really drove me crazy last time. When we're out, it's obv more difficult to feed as soon as she starts to make hungry noises, which means by the time I feed her I need 4 hands to find nipple, hold shield in place, get her hands out of the way (she keeps pulling the shield off in a scrabbly hungry newborn way), hold her in place... I've got a bf cover but I get really hot and stressed! Did you find similar or is it just me?! I think friends think I'm a bit mad, particularly those who have bf in front of me, when I use the cover in my own home. But I feel really self conscious heaving my whole boob out and struggling with the shield before I even get DD close.

Lucky Just practise I think! I'm nowhere near as self consious as I thought I would be and have never had the opportunity to use any of the one liners I learnt on here

I've never used a cover, occasionally I sling a muslin over my shoulder whilst I "prepare". I think it got easier once he could hold his own head and almost get himself into position IYSWIM.

I'm just trying to think what I did earlier in the middle of our market square!! Lay baby on lap with head in crook of arm. Retrieve nipple shield from cleavage (see below). Unhook nursing bra and try to heave boob over/under top. Place shield. At this point DS is panting and suctions straight on, but when he was smaller there was the ridiculous fight to remind him what he needed to do next.

I do "store" the nipple in my bra for easy access. I've got 3 in rotation (no idea where the 4th one went) so there is always one in the steriliser, one in my bra, one waiting to be washed and steralised (I used to steralise betweeen feeds, but it's the same one all day now with a quick rinse between feeds)

Don't know if any of this helps!

Thanks, kitty - I'm definitely going to use the store-it-in-your-cleavage tip :)

It's fab to hear of somebody else using the shields so successfully, sorry to hijack as I don't have any advice yet for the flicking!

Kitty you are a genius - I can't believe I've never thought of stowing them in my cleavage. I shall definitely be using that one...

I've found that my shields have got a bit stickier the more I've used them, so they stay in place long enough for me to apply baby to boob without too much faffing. It does get easier as baby gets older/bigger/more like a boob-seeking missile - she kind of attaches herself now. I've always almost forced myself to be a bit blasé about using the shields in public, as I refuse to feel embarrassed about using them (my NCT teacher made me feel like I wasn't doing it properly when I told her I was using them). A few people that I know reasonably well have asked what they are, but when I've explained why I'm using them, people are always quite amazed that I've kept going. I think maybe like feeding in public generally you're far more aware of it than anyone else is!
Sorry, nothing practical there!

Another long term nipple shield user here :)

I agree with raspberrylover that it is a stage, my DD went through it few weeks ago, it lasted few days and then she lost interest.

Up until 2 months ago I had been trying to stop using shields as the HV was really on my case about it. At the end I asked her why should I give them up as they work for us and she had no answer apart from they are supposed to discourage people from using them. I would not be bf if it wasn't for the shields and I tried them as last resort. Wonder if there are mums who did not manage to bf and could have if they tried them. Sorry for the rant, it helps to know that there are other people using them, I feel that in RL I always have to justify it to people. DD is 7 months BTW.

Hi
Great to hear of long term shield users- lo os 9 weeks and freaks out without the shield! HV and infant feeding worker are both on my case about using them- but he seems happy, pitting on weight etc- agree it can be harder to get him on to feed discreetly with them - will try the 'store in cleavage' tip!

Just a quick update...it seems it was indeed a phase. We have now moved the simply chewing the nipple sheild mid feed

Bottom two teeth can now be seen, top two must be on the way from the amount of screaming over the past two days...am very thankful for the shields right now - it hurts when he chews on my finger!!!!

I'm a bit late jumping in here but just wanted to say hi. I am another long term shield user (19 months and still going!). DS went through the pulling off and flicking stage, the chewing stage and now he brings me a shield when he wants to feed and can put it on my nipple himself! In my experience so far, most things are just a phase.