Building up milk supply with a nipple shield?

[chaosandcupcakes]

My 4wo dd has not wanted to breastfeed since birth, had tonnes of support but noone could make her do it. In fact for weeks she wouldn't even be near my naked chest without screaming and kicking. I have been pumping and topping up with formula..quite a lot of formula.

Anyways I have worked really hard at skin to skin and she in the last few days she has been latching on with a nipple shield. Result!! However as I wasn't pumping enough I don't have enough supply and am still needing formula.

How do I build up supply? If I let her nurse as much as possible will she build it up in her own? Does this process still work with a nipple shield?

I would nurse as much as possible and make sure you are drinking and eating well. I hear that oats and fenugreek are good for your supply.

I used nipple shields successfully for over 6 months but was discouraged in the early days as apparently they would definitely reduce supply. It wasn't true in my case.

I am in the same boat with my little boy, he is just over 2 weeks old and won't latch in without a nipple shield. My HV was very disparaging about this and said that I shouldn't be using one. I felt really bad after this (this came bang in the middle of my baby blues and when he'd only been home a few days after being in SCBU) but now we've settled in and I refuse to feel guilty or bad for using it. We're less stressed and Lucas is still getting his milk and I express plenty :-)

Hope you find you ideal situation :-)

Tx

I used nipple shields for 3 months with my first as he also refused to latch on without. Miraculously he then did go without them. I was incredibly paranoid about the effect the shields might have on my supply, especially as he had reflux and was sick a lot. I ended up expressing quite a lot, more for my own reassurance about my supply as he wasn't great at taking bottles! The kellymom website is great for bf advice, that recommended feeding lots, skin to skin and pumping to boost supply. I'm just hoping i'll be more relaxed about it second time round (36 weeks and counting...)!

Forgot to add HV not keen to support nipple shields but the hospital BF clinic saw a feed, a healthy baby and said if it was working for us then not to worry

Just a bit of reassurance to you all, my DS wouldn't latch without a nipple shield at first. I think I used them for about 4 weeks exclusively (did some top ups with formula) and I think my supply was a bit lower than ideal to start off with, as DS was a slowish weight gainer (3-4 oz per week). However when he got to 5 weeks, he started being able to latch without them and so I spent weeks 5-7 just feed feed feeding, which really helped my supply a lot. After this traumatic start (well, I found the non latching and 2 hourly expressing as well as feeding traumatic anyway!), I'm pleased to say that he was 7 months old yesterday and we're still on with the BF :)

Good luck :)

Thank you so much for posts and encouragement. She has been nursing pretty much all day although only from one boob. Can't get her on the right boob which I have tried to pump from. Nipple getting pretty sore despite the shield, hoping the latch is ok.

Jims my HV actually encouraged use of nipple shield she said anyway I can get her to take breastmilk is good!