Nipple shields and inverted nipples

[GeckoPerson]

Little girl 2 is due end of November, and I'm wanting to give breast feeding a go again. It didn't work with little girl 1 because she was premature and wouldn't latch, and my nipples are inverted. I could sometimes get my nipple to evert for a few seconds, but it wasn't enough for her to latch.

One thing I didn't try was nipple shields. Looking at info online, it seems they should only be used for a short while, is this true? Because I'd have to use them the whole time I was breast feeding. Has anyone in my position successfully used nipple shields for longer term breast feeding? I'm wondering if it'll make any difference, or if I'm better off just going straight to formula. I have no guilt about formula feeding; I just want a fed, happy baby, but the thought of scrubbing and sterilising bottles again is making me want to breast feed 😂

Hi I'm sorry to see you didn't get a reply.

Nipple Shields used to be much thicker, so babies using nipple shields often got less milk less efficiently or were unable to stimulate full supply from their mother. However modern nipple shields are made from thin silicone.
When correctly sized, many babies have no problem with supply, and many mothers use them long term.

Lactation Consultant Catherine Watson Genna wrote in 2016 “Many LC’s encourage mothers using a nipple shield to pump… Now instructions are individualised, if the infant feeds efficiently and effectively with the nipple shield, the mother is encouraged to watch the baby for normal energy, copious stools and sated behaviours.”

So basically, if you are using shields don’t spend excess energy worrying out how to get off them. It does no harm to occasionally try to slip them off mid-feed or to encourage baby to try at the breast directly, but there should be no pressure to ditch the shields!

You also may find your baby is able to draw out your inverted nipple-many mums find permanent change is caused by breastfeeding.

Just to echo the above but do be careful of even the modern thin silicon ones. My son struggled to latch and form a seal, and he expended a lot of energy sucking but dribbled lots of milk out under the shield (I was always soaking wet with milk). He had big weight gain problems - we managed to remove the shields at 4mo and his weight gain went from 50g to 100g a week.

I used MAM nipple shields with both of my girls as I have flat nipples and big boobs. I had absolutely no issues with supply at all, and once my little ones were bigger and used to feeding I was able to stop using the shields - after 2 months with the eldest and 5 months with the youngest. A big bonus in my opinion is that they're more likely to switch easily between bottle and breast if you use shields.

Same as PP, I often ended up with a wet milk patch on my tummy as when baby has a short rest from sucking, the milk reservoir that has built up spills out onto clothes! But I 100% recommend trying them, and good luck!

I fed both of my DC using nipple shields all the time, one until 8months and the other until 14 months due to flat nipples so it is possible.

I fed my first baby with nipple shields (boots own brand) for the first 20 weeks. I had flat or inverted nipples to start. She never latched without them at first, it was like she couldn't see my boob, it was really weird. Nothing made her latch.
At 20 weeks, maybe because she was bigger and stronger, she just latched without. She pulled the shield off and scrunched it up in her little fist and never used it again. We went on to feed until she was four and I weaned her by my choice.
I fed her younger sister with no shields - I think all the feeding pulled my nipples out.
If you want to breastfeed, they are definitely worth using. They are a bit annoying in that you have to sterilise them and remember to have some ready, but as the alternative is bottles you'd have to do the sterilising and prep anyway so it's no extra work in comparison.

This might be worth a try too:

Lansinoh Latch Assist Nipple Everter with Case for Breastfeeding mums, Offers Temporary Correction of Flat or Inverted Nipples, 2 Size Cones Within The Pack and hygienic Carry case amzn.eu/iKfF3TF

I have inverted nipples and found they helped with a baby that wanted to breastfeed. One of my baby's had reflux and a dairy allergy and preferred the bottle so it didn't help with him. So maybe it will, but if it doesn't it could be for other reasons.