Feeding question......nipple guards

[finallypregnant]

I know you shouldn't breast and bottle feed due to nipple confusion but does that include not using nipple guards too? They seem to be made from the same material as a teat. I'm a bit confused!

How old is your little one? What are you hoping to achieve with the guards i.e better latch or help heal your nipples?

Not here yet. Just looking into lots of different feeding threads here to give myself a good understanding rather than panicking when he's here.

I've been told by some that I can't breastfeed due to damage to my breasts when I was a child but I am hoping to see some other specialists and even, still give it a go when he arrives to see what happens but at the moment, I need to be prepared for everything.

If, due to the damage, you need to use nipple shields get some latex ones.

Ideally you shouldn't use nipple shields for long because it can change the way the baby latches, therefore nipple confusion.

Do try and see a lactation consultant.

Thank you.

Do you means shields ? If so use them for a limited period and only if you really have to. They can cause confusion and affect supply as the baby doesn't feed as effectievly as direct, so the supply/demand cycle isn't as efficient. You've also got the faff of sterilising them adn keepign them ready.

For me and ds it was the only way to get him to breastfeed for a few days and I was grateful to the mw who took the time to help me get over the problem of him not latching on , he would have been formula fed otherwise. Weaned him off them by about 10 days and as it happens he was bfed for over a year

This is the exact info I was looking for. Thank you again. And yes, I meant shields!

If you think they may help you, it would probably be a good idea to do it with the help of a breast feeding councillor, as used wrongly they can cause more harm than good. But of course as LIZS showed, they can help in the right situation.

Good luck when the time comes xx

Nipple shields can be useful in certain circumstances but because they can cause problems they should only ever be used with the support of a qualified breastfeeding councillor or lactation consultant. Have you contacted any of the main breastfeeding organisations (NCT, Breastfeeding Network, La Leche League, ABM)? It is worth making contact now so if you do run into problems you already have a support system in place. I went to LLL meetings before DS was born & it was great being able to seek help from people I already knew...much less daunting than dealing with strangers when you are already stressed.

Good luck!