My LO is 18 weeks old and is exclusively breastfed using nipple shields. Shields were introduced in his first week at advice of hospital feeding team as he was jaundiced, delivered with ventouse, and on antibiotics. He was so sleepy he just wouldn't latch without them. The problem is I have been trying to wean him off them ever since. Physiologically I know he can do it - we had a couple of magical golden days when he was around 2 months old where he fed perfectly fine without them.
I feel like I've tried everything. Flipple technique and breast shaping, nipple averters, hand expressing first, removing a shield part way through a feed, trying when he is sleepy/not hungry, lots of skin to skin, co-bathing, breastfeeding support groups, a private lactation consultant, cranial osteopathy.
He used to latch for a couple of minutes and now he won't even do that.
Does anyone have any advice for ditching the shields this late in our journey? He's now obsessed with pulling them off and playing with them midfeed. It is making feeding out and about so messy and challenging.