Please talk to me if you have sucessfully BF with inverted nipples, need advice.

[jocesar]

Hi

I'm a first timer 38+5. Really keen to bf but worried about having rubbish inverted nipples. The R one occasionally does pop out but no joy from the left. I'm really pissed off because at my first MW visit at 10wks I raised the subject and she told me I wouldn't be able to bf and would need to express from the LHS. I then discovered MN and have found that it is entirely possible but maybe a bit tricky? Just looking for tips, general advise and support. Have been wearing nipple shields for a few days and they do seem to help draw the ipples out- would I bf the baby wearing these or not? Also is the nipple meant to fil te teat on the shield- mine only fill about a third. Can you buy ones with smaller teats?

Thanks in advance ladies

I'm afraid I have no practical tips, but just wanted to say that your MW is talking rubbish - my sister has inverted nipples and fed both her DDs successfully. She used nipple shields too.

Tiktok, a lovely bf counsellor, hangs around on here in the evenings, so maybe try bumping this thread then for some more practical advice?

Well done on not letting your MW put you off

i dont know how you do it but my mum has inverted nipples and bf very successfully both her kids, she bf me for over a year. this was late 70s/early 80s so chances are there werent nipple shields etc in those days. she is on hols atm so cant ask her im afraid but i know she had no probs at all! DO NOT TAKE ANY ADVICE FROM THAT MIDWIFE EVER!!!!! unless she is telling you what you want to hear. google la leche league. they are v helpful

there's nothing like the very VERY strong suck from a newborn to make your nipples turn the right way out, I've known a few women that this has happened so quickly, please don't worry.

I have totally inverted nipples. They do not (usually) stick out at all. I have BF 5 children up to 15 months each.

It is harder and getting the baby to latch on in the early days can be quite a trial. Eventually they won't go back in again but I found the first few weeks very painful. The 15 year gap I have between my youngest 2 children meant I was back at square 1 with number 5. It certainly isn't impossible but you have to be quite determined.

It does get much easier after the first few weeks. (Do be prepared for them to invert again when you finish BF)

You don't need to wear the shields while BF and you will find that expressing is harder than feeding the baby

I have (well had now) one inverted and one flat. It was tricky to get the latch right to begin with, especially if the breast was full and breastfeeding was very painful for the first three weeks with dd but after that I've not had any problems!

With dd I would often wear the nipple shield for the first few minutes of a feed to draw the nipple out but then take it off as I found the milk pooled in the teat of the shield then leaked down my front! Otherwise using the pump at the beginning of a feed helped too.

After a couple of weeks I had no need for the shields at all (and I hadn't used them every feed before then). I would try feeding without them too or you might find you need to use then for the entire time you breastfeed if your baby gets too used to them.

Nipples no longer flat or inverted!

Avent breastshields come in 2 sizes I think.

I had inverted nipples but a long time before I was pregnant I used this which was a bit painful but worked.
www.amazon.co.uk/Avent-SCF152-02-Niplette-Unit/dp/B000QFBX6E
Don't know if it would be more painful when pregnant or if in fact you can use it in pregnancy.
www.avent.com/uk/en/sterilisers_bottle_warmer.php/breastfeeding_niplette.php

I bf successfully twice, even though one nipple still pops in and out. I had problems with the first latching on but never any pain and the second baby latched on but there was pain on one side for a few weeks. But am not sure if that is different to women with noraml nipples!

I'd second what claireybee said - I had a very similar experience. I found medela shields a bit better for me - the avent ones seemed enormous (even the small size). at your midwife!