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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Breastfeeding with shields

37 replies

Bluebellevergreen · 11/03/2017 16:43

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

OP posts:

Wineandchocolatebiscuits · 12/03/2017 14:49

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

Jenijena · 12/03/2017 19:43

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!

Darthvadersmuuuum · 12/03/2017 19:46

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.

Truebelles · 12/03/2017 19:51

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.

mumonashoestring · 12/03/2017 19:51

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

Wineandchocolatebiscuits · 12/03/2017 20:06

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

TheClacksAreDown · 12/03/2017 20:14

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.

sailawaywithme · 12/03/2017 20:20

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.

MoodyOne · 13/03/2017 05:31

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

1sttimemama1986 · 15/03/2017 19:19

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 · 09/05/2017 03:44

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 ...

2tiredtothinkofausername · 09/05/2017 09:21

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

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