Nipple shields

[Confused40]

DD 3 days old and am bf'ing but only able to do so with nipple shields. She is happy and feeding, but my nipples are extremely sore, cracked, and starting to scan. Using lansinoh and getting air to them. When can I stop using shields?

Meant to type scab.

We had latch issues initially and I used nipple shields. I just kept trying without and used them if she didn't latch. Gradually she needed them less and less, stopped completely after about 4 weeks.

Keep going with the lanisoh but also try squeezing a bit of breast milk out after the feed and rub it in as it helps with healing.

Thank you addalittlefaithbaby its really reassuring hearing how the shields worked for you. I'm determined to keep bf'ing and an loving the fact that I'm doing it. Still painful and lansinoh is also helping. I've tried feeding without the shields and she didn't like it and got frustrated. I'll keep trying periodically and have to also realise she is only 4 days old.

Yes it's worth persevering. We had a really difficult first week feeding - DD was low birth weight and I suspect her initial latch issues were due to her small mouth and my large boobs/nipples! As she's grown that's obviously improved. I'd wait until you've healed to try offering without. We found it hit and miss to start and the latch was worse at night but it did come. Yes just keep reminding yourself its early days.

I used shields with DS1 from about four weeks (which was one week into breastfeeding, as expressed before then - long story) to seventeen weeks. Like Faith we had "small mouth, big boobs" issues, not to mention flat/inverted nipples issues.

It absolutely saved our bf relationship, and he fed until 26m.

The shields I used were cheap Mothercare ones with very fine holes. I tried others including Medela IIRC (he is nearly five so it was a while ago) but the holes were so big he was able to suck bits of nipple through them

Mine had a nipple shape and then an areola shape IYSWIM - some had a thin round areola like a narrow brimmed hat; others had a more elliptical brim which allowed more skin contact with baby's mouth. This is meant to be important but I found them less comfortable.

Has your milk come in? You may find a change in DD's latch when it does, which might help you. Have you had the latch and any possible tongue tie properly checked out? Three days old is very young and you are both learning all the time.

Good luck and keep going!

These look most like the ones I liked best.

These are most like the good "elliptical brim" ones.

These look like the "OH MY GOD MY NIPPLE HAS GONE THROUGH THE HOLES" ones.

My milk came in yesterday. DD is enjoying feeding and its truly wonderful hearing and seeing her enjoy her feeds. Still painful, even with the shields, but I'm persevering and its so rewarding.
She isn't tongue tied. I have large breasts, E cup and lots of milk. Breasts feel rock hard right before she feeds.
Seeing midwife tomorrow so will see what she says. Also have option of breast feeding clinic near to me. Want to wait a few more days before I go out though. Am stil exhausted

Used them for 6 months with DS1. He had tongue tie which we had snipped, but didn't make a difference. Did 1 or 2 feeds a day without to keep him used to latching. After 6 months I was able to ditch the shields and fed him without further problems till 14mo.

Definitely go to the breast feeding group once you feel up to it, the support is amazing! Also have tongue tie checked by a proper beast feeding counsellor/ lactation consultant. Midwives are not specifically trained to spot it. It was initially overlooked by 2 midwives for my DS.

Good luck, you're doing great!

I successfully used the Medela shields for a few days when my nipples got too painful. LO is now nearly 4 weeks old and boobs feel soooo much better. Worth sticking with! I just used them when absolutely necessary.

One tip which really helped me was to keep a flannel in the bathroom and use it to drape over/sponge down my boobs with hot water following a feed. It felt great and helped me heal.

Good luck x

Sorry to hijack someone else's thread! But I have a couple of questions about nipple shields...

I'm finding breastfeeding terribly painful (baby is 13 days old and it's just not getting any better - I think he isn't opening his mouth to latch deep enough and I'm getting fed up with all this glib advice from midwives/health visitors about tummy to mummy, nose to nipple etc etc - I'm doing all of that and my positioning is right according to them but it's still really sore).

When I tried my nipple didn't fit into the tip of the shield, so the shield went to the back of his mouth and my nipple ended up clamped just behind his gums - ouch!!

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I don't know if I'm using the wrong size or if my nipples are just too flat or something - there doesn't seem to be much information about what the different sizes mean.

thanks :)

Thanks everyone. Midwife saw us today and she says DD us latching on well and to continue with shields for now. I was worried dd wouldn't want to feed when nipples are healed and I no longer need to use nipple shields. I'm planning on going to bf support group in a few days.
I'm so proud of myself for persevering. It's so lovely feeding this way and so rewarding. Midwife says dd hasn't lost a lot of weight and is doing well. This is down to me feeding her, which is a very nice feeling.

I used medela nipple shields with ds now 12 weeks.. He just had a rubbish latch. A short square tongue but no tie. I was worried he would never feed without them.. I started at 4 weeks taking the shield off mid way through and trying without. The journey was slow. I also found that when is put the shield on before he latched my nipple wasn't at the end of it. He sucked my nipple forward. It worked for me. I have the odd random breast refusal.. Normally when he needs to fill his pants!

DD is almost 3 weeks now and I've tried feeding her without the shields and she becomes really distressed. I'm worried I'll always be feeding her with the shields.
Any advice anyone please?

Anyone?

There are lots of tips for weaning off using shields on Kellymom . Also, can your local support group help at all?

FWIW, I was using nipple shields and DS1 started to refuse to feed without them. I tried to wean him off them at first, but then we had some weight gain issues (I am 99.9% sure not related to the shields), so I stopped trying to wean him off them, and just concentrated on feeding him as much as possible. That sorted out the weight gain, but I was then too nervous to change anything so just carried on using them... until one day when he was nearly five months old when I decided to have another go, and basically weaned him off them that day. I guess I'm just trying to encourage you not to worry that you will always be using them. Even if she doesn't get it immediately, it doesn't mean she won't work out how to feed without them a few weeks along the line.

FYI... Avoid the Tommee Tippee nipple shields as my baby turned blue using them as my baby sucked away and the latex bent back over his nose. This happened three times and then my lactation consultant advised the shields were a very bad design....scary stuff! Best of luck!!

That's fantastic advice, thank you all so much. The link on Kelly mums to the article about weaning off is brilliant. I'm not feeling so worried about it now. I know that it will be a gradual process and may take some time, but I'm feeling confident. My DD is gaining weight so even though I'm using shields at the moment, its not always going to be that way.
Thank you all so very much

I'm using the medela shields and they work really well. At £7.50 for two you'd fully expect them too though lol

Just wanted to say I used shields for 10 months with ds. It's not the end of the world if you can't wean her off.

Just wanted to say as well we're 19 weeks into using shields and it's had no effect on my milk supply or on her weight gain. Like thekatsatonthematt said it's the not the end of the world if you can't wean her off. Some stuff I've read suggests that concern over supply was based on older, thicker shields - the newer ones are perhaps not so bad. Obviously I'd like to wean her off, but she's just not interested so I'd rather feed with than not at all.

Used them for 9 months with ds2 and 6 months with ds3 - a godsend!