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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

BFing and flat nipples....

13 replies

munchkinmum · 14/03/2007 23:03

Gonna start trying for baby number 2 v soon- first baby only managed to BF for 2 weeks before it all went pear shaped and had to formula feed. Lowest point of my life without a doubt.

I have flat nipples which I wonder may have contributed to the difficulties we had (blood blisters, cracks and excrutiatingly sore nipples leading to my daughter being unable to latch on in the end...)

Have seen various products on the market to help 'draw out' flat nipples to help with latching on... Any thoughts, comments or experiences of this would be helpful.

Any comments gratefully received....

OP posts:
MarsLady · 14/03/2007 23:18

Let me bump this for you.

Also.... have you tried speaking to any lactation experts? like AfBM

Flat nipples don't stop you from feeding the baby as baby shouldn't suck your nipples. However, I digress.... AfBM, La Leche etc should be able to sort you out.

Call out for tiktok. She'll help

shonaspurtle · 14/03/2007 23:20

I have actually bought that Nipplette thing (at heuuuuge expense for what it is btw!). It was in desperation for anything that would help when I was having major problems a couple of months ago now.

I soon realised that it was useless while you were bfding but have to say that it seems straightforward to use and I do believe it would have worked and saved me a lot of grief if I'd used it before getting pg (of course then I wasn't even aware that I had "defective" nipples ).

There must be something similar on the market though that isn't so expensive as £30 for a couple of bits of plastic and a syringe is really taking the piss!!! Still, it would be worth it I suppose if it works.

As it turns out, after much grief, my left nipple has been "cured" by bfding and the right one isn't as flat as it was so hopefully I won't ever need it.

Will be interested to see if you get any responses from anyone who's used this sort of thing long term (it says it takes quite a few weeks for you to get a "permanent" effect).

shonaspurtle · 14/03/2007 23:25

Mars, yes everything I've read and been told about says that babies breast feed not nipple feed so it doesn't matter, and I suppose the fact that I am still successfully bf bears that out actually, however I do think that having something to aim for () helps a lot with correct latching.

It's definitely easier and more comfortable for my ds to latch onto my "normal" left side than the flatter right side.

I got dreadful blood blisters on my norks at first from ds latching on to random areas - bless him, he is a very determined and sucky little thing and the fact he wasn't getting anything out didn't seem to phase him...

Original poster
munchkinmum · 14/03/2007 23:29

Thanks for your replies so far:

Marslady; sorry to be a bit ignorant but you are gonna bump for me? Am I missing out on asome MN terminology here? Please enlighten me!

Shona: was thinking about niplette but you are right, they are such a rip off!

Will watch the thread with baited breath!
xx

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 14/03/2007 23:30

Actually munchkinmum, unless someone comes on and tells you it's useless and steer clear would you like me to send you the Nipplette that I didn't use so you can try it out?

They come in pairs and I have tried one (it would be a bit minging to use a seconhand one I think!) but the other is still in its box and completely unused. Obviously this would mean you could only treat one nipple at a time which might look quite odd but it would let you see whether it might be any use buying one.

It's just sitting in a drawer so let me know if you'd like it.

Original poster
munchkinmum · 14/03/2007 23:32

OMG - had massive blood blisters too! She was like a hoover!!!!

OP posts:
MarsLady · 14/03/2007 23:33

munch...it means Bring Up My Post... so bumping it is effectively putting it to the top of the active convos for a while.

shonas.... I used my words clumsily... but it's something that I'm studying at the moment which is why I said I was bumping it for tiktok!

Incidentally.... munch and /or shona... if you tweak your nipples to they stand up (sorry... it's not meant to be as cheeky as it sounds)

shonaspurtle · 14/03/2007 23:38

Mars, yes they do (a little bit) so I was told that I don't really have flat nipples and there wouldn't be a problem but it takes a lot of tweaking!

As I said though, bf has really helped and the left one is now very standy outy which makes me think there were adhesions or whatever it is that causes flat/inverted nipples. The right one is still much the same though and ds can't latch on on his own that side yet (still have to do the grabbing a chunk of breast and stuffing it in).

Original poster
munchkinmum · 14/03/2007 23:38

Fumble fumble (sorry TMI!) - erm... a little bit but nothing fantastic (IYKWIM!)

Shona - that would be great, really kind of you to offer.... How would we arrange this...?

OP posts:
shonaspurtle · 14/03/2007 23:41

Email me on shonaspurtle at gmail dot com with your address and I'll stick it in the post to you.

MarsLady · 14/03/2007 23:47

If you can even a little then you'll be fine bfing. But I'll step back and wait for the experts to step up.

Original poster
munchkinmum · 14/03/2007 23:48

Done... cheers.

Anyone else any expeience of this....?

Off to my bed now - shattered!

OP posts:
steinermum · 15/03/2007 00:26

I used the niplette thing on an inverted nipple while I was pregnant and was able to breastfeed easily when the time came.

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