Nipple shields and mixed feeding

[Northernbeachbum]

I've been planning to bottle feed for personal reasons, but for financial reasons I'm considering whether I should try breastfeeding. Dp will support me regardless. If you use nipple shields does it take away the feel of breast feeding? Thays what I'm hoping for. Also we would mixed feed so I can get some sleep at night, I'm assuming mixed feeding is deemed better than ff alone?

Hello, I use nipple shields with my 7 week old DD. I don’t feel her mouth/tongue on my nipple area at all, but I do feel her suck and can feel the pull of milk coming out. When she comes off sometimes the end of the nipple shield has quite a few drops of milk in it. I can tell when she is on be nipple properly and when she isn’t. Sometimes the shield slips out of place and she ends up trying to suck part of the areola and she will stop and cry and then I reposition it and off she goes feeding again! I really like them, and am delighted to be able to BF. I have tried to wean her off them but she won’t take to my normal breast now. I started using them as we thought she had a tongue tie and by the time she was checked and found that she had no tongue tie, she was already used to them and wouldn’t change. Hope this helps!

I found it a really weird sensation when I first breastfed but I got used to it. I tried a nipple shield but it was hopeless, as my baby couldn't latch on.

Breastfeeding works by the sucking making milk for the next feed. If you restrict the amount of breastfeeds, you won't make as much milk. If you have plenty of milk and try and sleep all night, you'll probably wake up anyway as your breasts will be full. You'll probably also wake up when your baby cries. I found it impossible to sleep through, if mine was crying, so it was just as easy to feed her.

One of the reasons I wanted to BF was financial but there are so many other benefits for both baby and mum, it seemed like a good decision.

After a few difficulties, I found it ok and quite rewarding. Whatever you do, I hope it works out.

It does sound like nipple shields could do what I need in terms of not being able to feel too much. That's great thank you

Dc will need to have a bottle sometimes whether it be overnight or out an about so maybe ff is the best option