Nipple shields, dummies, storing expressed breastmilk

[MeadowHay]

Hi, DD is 2 and a half weeks old and EBF but I've struggled from the start with pain and damage to my nipples. I am getting ongoing support from a variety of people but nobody seems to know why I'm still suffering now as my positioning/latch is correct. Finally saw a different infant feeding team at a hospital today and they've recommended I try expressing as well as nipple shields, both of which I've been thinking about for awhile now as I'm really getting to the end of my tether with BF.

Could anyone recommend a brand of nipple shields? There are loads and I have no idea how they are different? Are there different sizes?

Also, if you express, what do you store your breastmilk in in the freezer?

Finally, sort of a different question, does anyone have recommendations for dummies that are as similar to nipples as possible? Before people say they are not recommended until BF is established, I already know that, DD only has it for like 10 minutes at a time if she's really distressed when changing her or if I'm out somewhere and cannot feed her straight away, then I feed her straight after. We are using the one in the Phillips Avent Nature bottle starter set but need to buy some more as only have the one but don't know which ones to buy. I saw MAM sell some called 'nature', is the idea that they are more like nipples too? I want to try and minimise risk of nipple confusion wherever possible.

I'm just a week in and nipple shields have saved breastfeeding for us. I'm using Medela ones from boots. Only needed them for about 36 hours. Long enough to give my nipples a chance to toughen up. Am now successfully latching with a bearable level of discomfort without them!

Midwife has advised that they can cause baby not to fully empty the breast so not to use long term, but as seems to be the case with all things breastfeeding, proceed as best you see fit for you and your baby. I figure if they are what allows you to keep feeding and putting baby to breast often versus switching to formula, then go for it.

Let us know how you get on...

Medela nipple shields are good, think there are 3 different sizes. They saved my breast feeding journey, used for 3 days and allowed my poor damaged nipples to heal enough. We're 8 months in now and those early days of biting on a towel when baby latched are well gone!
You can buy breast milk storage bags which are sterile and easy to use. Freeze milk lying flat for easier storage.

Yes, Medela nipple shields; I used the medium (possibly 19mm?). I think you’re supposed to measure the width of your nipple after baby has drawn it out through sucking . Could well be wrong though. As long as there is still some space around your nipple when it’s in use, i.e. it’s not getting squashed by the shield.
Has anyone checked your baby properly for tongue tie, anterior and posterior? This can cause agonisingly painful nipples. It took us 8 painful weeks to get this diagnosis.

NoSuchThing Hm, well I've pumped twice with the Medela Harmony and the shield it came with was medium, and I found that just as painful as when I'm BF DD...I don't think there is really space around the nipple though and it did look a bit squashed but then I have nothing to compare it to...so maybe I need the large or should at least try it. Yes DD has been checked by three different people for tongue tie now - midwife in the hospital, BF support worker at home, and then midwife from the infant feeding team in different hospital today and none of them think she has it. Plus as I said I had the same pain when I was expressing so can't just be her tongue...I'm so confused as nobody knows why I'm still in pain and I didn't think it would hurt to express.

How are you getting on, Meadowhay? I’m in a similar ish situation. DS was prem and has a small mouth, I have big nipples, it’s just not working!
Getting a large size shield for my medela pump has made a huge difference—much more comfortable so would highly recommend.
I have medium medela and Nuk Nipple shields and get on better with the medela. I’m using a M but might try a L. DS2 isn’t getting on well with them though. With DS1 (also prem) I used nipple shields exclusively until he was weaned—they were the only way I managed to BF.

NICU recommended NUK 0-2m dummies, think they’re the ‘pro genius’ ones. We’re also using NUK first choice bottles on their recommendation.

You can buy bags to freeze your EBM in.
Any dummy will be okay, your baby will quickly work out dummy is for comfort not milk, but be sure not to use it instead of putting her on the boob, as that helps with milk supply.
Are you very fair? Pale skinned people more likely to suffer, lansinoh is good. Also rub a bit of your fresh EBM round your nipples, it's good stuff!

Expressing shouldn't hurt, I know this from work and from personal experience. What about taking pain relief half an hour before expressing or feeding your baby?

Congratulations on your new baby. My DD had a dummy before she started Breastfeeding as she was tube fed for 3 weeks so i wouldn't worry too much about introducing one. We had a standard hospital dummy then changed to Tommee tippee when we got home. I expressed for the 3 weeks ( both breasts at the same time for 20 mins, this decreased to 10 mins as soon as milk supply was established) so stored a lot of milk in the freezer. I was told you need to freeze it asap along with writing the time and date on the milk bottle ( we use axifeed bottles to store the expressed milk ). I was told fresh milk can Last 72 hours in the fridge and can be frozen in a domestic freezer for 3 months. I never used nipple sheilds so i have no advice, however i do remember my nipples bleeding when expressing so much that the milk was pink. I persevered with the pain and it soon stopped. It was as if my nipples shed a new skin! If you need any advice or help feel free to contact me. Best of luck to you both.

OKAS 48 hour fresh storage for EBM is recommendation now.... I have seen it curdle after that 🤢

I second Medela nipple shields from Boots; I couldn't BF my LI without them as she had a very poor latch. Although I was only able to BF for 2 months, they enabled me to at least be able to do that. Good luck OP x

Slippermaiden thanks for the info . Tbh it has never been left past 24 hours but thinking about it 72 hour old milk does
not sound yummy in the slightest. I will update the other half as the expressed milk is mostly his management.

Breast milk can be stored in the fridge for up to five days according to the NHS (though my baby doesn't like the taste after three or four). It does not curdle, the fats separate out because it is unhomogenised. You can buy milk at the supermarket like this - it does not at all mean it is going off. Once you warm it up it goes back to a freshly pumped consistency. You can tell when it has gone off as it smells like sour milk. After a few days lipase in the milk can start to break down the fats and this can affect the taste.

Levi About the same really, maybe marginally better? Still crying many times a day because of BF . Atm I'm aiming to hold out til Tuesday when she will be 4 weeks and then re-assess again. The large size funnel for the Medela pump was nowhere near as painful though I still find it uncomfortable, but much more bearable. We have given her three bottles of expressed milk over the last 4/5 days on an evening and she took to the bottle straight away which is good. We have Avent bottles that are meant to have 'natural' teats and the matching dummy.The problem is that I can only express about an oz and a half each time and last night we gave her 3 and a half oz in a bottle and it still wasn't enough and I still had to BF her afterwards for a short while before she was full and would go to sleep, so I didn't really get a rest, so it all felt a bit pointless after the faff of expressing etc . Going to try the Medela nipple shields later today. We bought those NUK 0-2 dummies as thought they would be more of a natural teat and more comfy for her little mouth, but she hasn't been taking it as much as the larger Avent one so she seems to prefer the bigger size teat...wonder if that's cos I have big nipples . Hope you're getting on ok Levi with your baby .

Slipper Thanks, we ordered some bags to store milk in the freezer but have not gotten around to expressing enough to freeze any yet anyway. I am sad that I will probably have spent sooo much money on stuff to try and support BF and then still end up quitting within the next few weeks and a lot of it will have been a waste. We are financially in a very poor position atm so it's stressful. I'm not particularly pale-skinned, I have some middle eastern heritage so my skin has a slightly olive tone to it although is still light.

Yes I agree with throw that the NHS website says it can be stored in fridge for up to 5 days. Unsure where your info is from slipper about it being less time than that?

Oh also DD is getting referred for tongue tie by the BF support workers, need to get DH to call them back actually with some info they wanted. But I doubt there is much point now as probably by the time she even gets seen I will no longer need it because either I will be BFing fine or I will have stopped entirely as I'm definitely not going past 6 weeks if things don't improve by then, I can't do this to myself long-term, it's making all of us miserable.

I brought a medela starter kit, bottles , bags, tray and lids. It has been amazingly useful for breastfeeding and expressing. I took 5 weeks for the pain to stop. And I also had to buy the large funnel bit for the breast pump, the nipple should not be rubbing the edges when you are expressing. Good luck.

Tried the Medela nipple shields and the first few times I used them I was almost pain-free which was amazing. Then the next couple of times it was hurting again, think DD's latch was bad then though maybe? Also think the nipple shield is on the small size for my huge nipples but they are the biggest size and it doesn't look like any other available brands do a bigger one . Luckily DD is not phased by them at all and happy to feed with them or without them (have been alternating). But not sure if they're really helpful given I still have pain sometimes when I use them, but I'm hoping they may give my nipples more of a chance to heal from the damage? I don't want to use them exclusively though in case DD forgets how to latch/suckle properly without them. Gonna have a breastfeeding support worker come out on Monday and check I'm using them correctly too and they are going to refer DD for tongue-tie check.

Also excited because DH is going to do one of the night feeds tonight with a bottle of expressed milk which means I should be able to get close to a normal night's sleep for the first time since she was born.