Breastfeeding with shields

[Bluebellevergreen]

My baby won't latch without. I have had at least 10 people helping me latch him on without success (BFing counsellors and midwives)
He had a tongue tie fixed and I will try to latch him on without shields in the future but atm is way too stressful for both.
He was not at birth weight yet when weighed at 12 days.
So I am worried he is not getting enough. hv wasnt worried because we just started to exclusively BF.

Has anyone succesfully breastfed their babies with shields?
We get wet and dirty nappies and I will have him weighed again next week.

I have worked so hard to get to this point it would be a shame to give up

Thank you

[2tiredtothinkofausername]

Hiya, I've used shields now and we're still going at 13 months.

I gave one bottle at night from about 6 weeks which worked well for us and stopped me worrying about nipple shields and weight gain.

In RL I have meet quite a few people who love them too!

Good luck, I promise it'll get better

[MoodyOne]

I used shields till LO was 6 weeks (as I had undiagnosed thrush) and I was in so much pain I thought they were just cracked.
To wean him off I started the feed with them on then half way through took them off , and one day he just knocked it off and I couldn't be bothered to put it on again and he latched on ...

[1sttimemama1986]

I used shields for 3 months and started sneaking the shield out mid feed gradually till my boy did it without. I just had to persevere and trick him!!!

Same as you, if it wasn't for the shields we wouldn't have bf at all. No weight or supply issues here.

I bought enough sets so didn't have to stress about having them ready. I washed after every use and then sterilised them too.

All the best, keep boobing mama!!

[MoodyOne]

I successfully breast fed with shields for a month and he put on loads of weight ...
to wean him off them I just started with the sheild and when he pulled off at the end I just put him back on the nipple to suckle and after a few days he knocked the shield off at the start of the feed and just latched on x

[sailawaywithme]

I fed two children for almost 3 years (combined) - with shields for every feeding. No issues with supply, despite the
-completely overbearing- lactation consultant giving me all kinds of doom and gloom scenarios.

[TheClacksAreDown]

I used them for 5 months. No supply issues and in fact I was able to express milk for the milk bank too. I used the medela ones and found them the best.

I also got told doom and gloom but suspect that was from when shields would have been thick rubber.

[Wineandchocolatebiscuits]

It's so nice to hear other peoples experiences - when I was feeding with them I felt like I was the only one. I'm convinced so many more people could at least partially breastfeed if they try them but hospitals will generally just suggest bottles/formula before suggesting nipple shields.. def needs to be more education about them

[mumonashoestring]

Yep, I ended up always having one tucked into my bra, plus one or two in a tub in the changing bag, some near the bed, some spares for the sterilizer... They were everywhere

[Truebelles]

Have fed dd on shields since day 3. It was that or give up. We are at 6 months now and I am so glad I used them. I use the medela ones too, they're great. I wear them in my bra now too, just change them every few hours, wash and sterilise them. I don't find them a faff but I bottle fed dd1 so they're easy compared to that. Wish there was better advice about them. I have 'useless' nipple as one midwife helpfully told me with dd1 failing to latch, small and flat. Shields have enabled me to breastfeed. I love them.

[Darthvadersmuuuum]

I used to keep mine in one of those little scratch mitten (there IS a use for them) and tucked into my bra. It wasn't a massive deal and DD always gained on 50th centile.

[Jenijena]

I keep them down my bra now, as I figure it's cleaner than what he picks up from the floor. In the early days I had a little box of Milton with me, and then, after I saw a lactation consultant who insisted clean was clean enough, washed them under hot water and kept them in the little yellow Meda box. Only once he got to the 'germs from everywhere' stage did I store them here :)

I find if I go to sleep with one still attached, it stimulates my nipple to keep on filling up with milk.

Don't stress too much about hind and fore milk, depending on what you read it's rubbish..
Good luck!

[Wineandchocolatebiscuits]

You can also weigh her nappies on a kitchen scales - weigh a dry one and then take that no away from every wet one.

[Wineandchocolatebiscuits]

Yes it's much better than not at all - don't listen to the nay sayers - this post is full of people that have fed successfully on them exclusively for over a year.

You only have to replace when they start losing that sticky feeling to them - imo it helps with getting max contact and milk drainage to keep using new ones when they've got a bit worn. Maybe it's not every few days but def replace regularly if you want to get max milk out.

IMO medulla are the best ones. Check you've got the right size too. They come in medium and large.

[Bluebellevergreen]

Tum I am going to see a consultant at a children centre on Tuesday
Hoping they can help I will ask about that

[Darthvadersmuuuum]

I successfully bf DD with shields for a year. Initially I used them due to the bleeding and bruising pain from her latching on incorrectly and despite trying to get rid of them several times she couldn't/wouldn't latch on without.

[Tumtitum]

I used nipple shields with DD until around 8 weeks due to tongue tie. I also liked the medela ones. You don't need to buy new ones just sterilise frequently. I kept a load in a cold water steriliser thing and when I went out I popped a couple in their boxes in my bag, then when I finished using one I rinsed it under the tap then back into the sterile water.
I went to see a lactation consultant who weighed DD before and after a feed to calculate how much milk she was transferring. I found that hugely reassuring, could that be an option for you?

[Bluebellevergreen]

jenjina so you wear them under your bra all the time? I didnt think of that

[Bluebellevergreen]

Thank you all. We had a tricky delivery forceps and so on and it took a while to get himmon the breast.
I feel that some professionals havent been helpful telling me it will be a problem with the shields when my other option is not to BF at all!
Some others see no issue with me using them.

I didnt realise I had to buy new ones every few days...

I got the mendela one with a little cut for the nose.

It was a miracle when DH brought them to hospital and then I looked down and my baby was feeding from me 😪

So whatever to the lack of hindmilk, I am expressing and will do formula top ups if weight doesnt pick up but surely better this than nothing at all.

Yes they are frustrating at times and keeping them clean when out and about but whatever

thank you all for the positive stories

[Jenijena]

11.5 months and counting here with DS2 and still using shields. Whilst he could latch without them, all the 'experts' I saw couldn't explain why my nipples kept bleeding. I had massive nipple trauma with DS1 (who I did slip to au naturel) by 3 months) but this one has been on the shields ever since. It's not ideal, and a pita, but given the crap he puts in his mouth since about seven months I just shove some clean ones down my bra at the beginning of the day/night.

[Wineandchocolatebiscuits]

I fed my lo exclusively for 18 months on nipple shields - she could never latch without. Just keep a watch on the weight/milk supply. I was fine but if you do ever need to pump once or twice a day to up your supply.
Drinking loads of water help as does feeding at night.
With the shields make sure they are on nice and tight and you have stretched them over your nipple properly (amd its central over your nipple) and buy new ones every few days (it's cheaper than formula). Maybe try breast compressions too when you are feeeding to stimulate whole breast.
Congrats on feeding her - its stilll bf even if it's on nipple shields

[mumonashoestring]

I breastfed DS with shields for 6 months - every feed - til he suddenly got the hang of latching without them. The only issues it caused were occasional chafing on my nipples if the shield slipped a bit but as long as you have lansinoh handy and a chance to let them 'air' then you'll be okay

My HV spent weeks visiting and going on and on about how nipple shields couldn't be used long term, not enough hind milk, problems with supply etc. DS lost quite a bit of weight after birth BUT he was a c-section birth, 8lb 14 so wasn't exactly a tiny waif to start with & would be expected to lose weight, and was regularly getting through wet and dirty nappies, sleeping well and alert and happy when awake, I had no supply problems, so I have to admit after a while I just assumed she was concentrating more on what she'd learned from books than on what she could see in front of her.

[Hedgeh0g]

Make sure you get the tt revision checked if weight gain continues to be slow, it's not uncommon for it to need doing a second time, especially if baby was very young when it was done the first time. But, it's like any muscle, it will take them a while to learn to use it properly, so hang in there!

[ExplodedCloud]

My dd was dropping weight until the very limit of the point they'd have considered hospital. And then turned a corner. I think my (not big) boobs take a while to catch up. At some point one nipple fell apart and I used a shield. It was fine. It was the difference between carrying on and stopping. I healed in a few weeks and then I bf for 18 months comfortably and successfully.

[Bluebellevergreen]

xmam I have never heard him swallow but he pees and poos so he must!
The issue is the weight gain then, need to see if it picks up
fruit this is really reassuring.
squedgie glad to hear! I get the nappies but the weight is an issue at 2 weeks :-( worried, 100 grams below birth weight still

Thank you all! Your answers are very reassuring. There is all this oh you will reduce supply, will have to stop using them. But no actual support as when they have tried to latch him on he wont so they say oh keep trying and I get desperate. I rather use them than give up on breastfeeding all together!

I just hope his weight picks up ☹️

[Specialagentblond]

I used them for a few days, they were fab. A bit of a faff cleaning them and I lost one in a house full of visitors but apart from that they made a huge difference x