Experiences of using nipple shields? And other bf issues..

[suntodayplease]

I'm after a bit of advice regard in using nipple shields....

DS is 3 weeks old and latch is very poor, bottom lip doesn't curl out very well so I'm having to try and pull the lip down once latched on to improve the position. Until I get the bottom lip curled out each feed is still toe curling painful. DS is feeding every 2/3 hours during the day and every 2 hours at night so I'm really starting to suffer now. Tongue tie has been double and triple checked so we know the pain I'm getting is down to a bad latch. Finding this really hard especially as DD was a dream to feed from pretty much day 1 so this has taken me a bit by surprise.

I saw a bf advisor who tried to help with the lip curling but she suggested I might want to try nipple shields, I've never used them before. If I start using something like that now is it likely that I'll always have to use them?

If I resort to nipple shields I guess this won't improve the latch so am I just delaying needing to fix the latch? Or can the nipple shields help temporarily whilst I'm feeding so regularly?

Due to fussiness and having to pull lip down etc once DS is latched on I'm finding feeding out and about very hard but with him being DC2 I'm obviously under pressure to get out a lot more and needs to be able to feed on park benches etc. will nipple shields be even harder to use out and about?

Also can anyone recommend breast pads? Never had to use them with DD but with DS often having to wait a bit for me to feed I'm leaking all over the place. I've tried the lansinoh ones but find they bend in half and get stuck once you've fed.

Sorry this is so long, but finding bf tougher than I thought, hopefully someone can help...
Thank you!

Sorry you are struggling; I was a lot like this when bf'ing ds almost 3yrs ago. My nipples ended up so cracked and sore they bled and scabbed.

Boots nipple shields were a godsend. I used a bit of Vaseline to stick them on, and they let my skin rest and heal a bit. They looked big at first, but ds soon got used to them, and I think they may have helped with the transition to a bottle.

I tried loads of different breast pads, as had oversupply, and liked Johnsons ones the best (soft and absorbant).

Good luck!

I second the Johnson's breast pad recommendation.

I used nipple shields from when DS was about 1 week old. He could never really latch properly and I was about to give up. I used to sterilise them in a microwaveable tub (good idea to stock up on several shields). I had a little pot I used to sterilise to keep them in when out and about. I never really found public feeding an issue, you can pop a shield on in about a second once you are used to it. Although lots of people suggested I might have problems (mainly with supply I think), they definitely meant I breastfed longer than I would have done (over two years as opposed to one week!). I never intended to feed for that long but DS has CMP allergy so it was just easier. He still feeds about once every three days and we still use shields (he was never able to latch without them, I did try a few times but he would pull a "ew" face if offered bare nipple).

Good luck whatever you decide.

HTH

Forgot to add that I found the Phillips Avent shields the best (mothercare stock them).

Are you using lansinoh nipple cream that stuff is amazing

I had to use nipple shields. My son had a mild tongue tie and couldn't stay latched once my milk came in. I used the nipple shields which exaggerated the size of my nipple such that it would hold his tongue down to latch properly.

I did find them a pain to have to use. Meant I had to position and then latch on which made if a little less discreet when latching in public. I used a nursing cover for the first while when feeding. Other women in my bcg royal said they'd had to use them but that they managed to stop at around three and a half months. Sure enough, ds latched on kind day without them and hadn't needed then since. That was st about three months. I tried him without approx every two weeks to check.

There's many different shields / mothercare, medela, Avent. I used big avent ones to exaggerate the size however you're supposed to pick one close to your nipple size.