Nipple Sheild

[Flowers9]

Why do I feel guilty for using a nipple sheild to breast feed?

I have to use nipple shields to breast feed but I feel like I'm letting myself and my baby down. I know it sounds stupid.

My baby is healthy and is gaining weight well! Baby is fed and is happy!

I have to use them as my nipples are very very flat and despite trying everything and getting help from experts baby would not latch without a shield.

Has anyone had to use shields and did you have a similar feelings? If so, how did you manage the feelings?

I did find that NHS/midwife/health visitor advice on nipple shields was mixed erring on negative. So I would say there's something cultural that affecting you feelings on this. We have it so drilled into us that the "natural" way to feed is best is there anything outside of this is seen as bad.

But if it works for you it works. I had the opposite problem, I couldn't get the shields to work and I really wanted to use them. I've just got over a nasty bout of mastitis and on the NHS website there was a big list of things to do ( none of which involved getting any actual support of course) at the end it said " THEN you can TRY nipple Shields". ( Well not capitalised like that but that was the voice I heard it in lol)
To which I thought no. Actually I think I will try them now and try and do something about the pain so that I can continue to breastfeed, Thanks!
Never ever ever feel guilty for doing what it takes to feed your baby. Breastfeeding is hard.

I used them when my nipples were torn to shreds with no guilt at all .....why would you feel guilty for feeding your baby?

I used them too. I had similar feelings at the time, not sure why. In hindsight I'm so glad I did use them as I absolutely couldn't have breastfed without them and loved feeding him and seeing him thrive. If theyre working for you just enjoy it!

If it works, it works. That’s great. That said, I struggled with them with my first due to flat nipples. What made a huge difference was using a nipple extender/corrector before feeds. After a few weeks, I didn’t need to use it anymore or nipple shields.

If the baby is still able to feed, why the need for the guilt? I don't get it. Sounds like you don't neither. If it helps you not be in pain and has zero effect on the baby. It sounds like you have been. bit brainwashed into thinking if you use any material aids you are doing it wrong.

Aw, you are doing great just by persevering. Know how you feel, I gave myself such a hard time mentally when I couldn't breastfeed. The breast is best rhetoric can feel very judgemental. Just because you need them now doesn't mean you always will. Keep going, you're doing a great job x

I used nipple shields too, couldn't get the latch right for some reason and felt the same as you. Now I look back and feel sad for me back then, I was doing a great job and was so hard on myself. Be kind to yourself x

I used nipple shields and like you felt really guilty about it and so many people used tell me to try and wean my darling off them. I engaged with a lactation consultant and she said if it’s working just keep going so we did. Right up to 6 1/2 months, when I had gone and bought new nipple shields to replace the ones I had been using and one night she didn’t use them and never used them again. For a while, we were quite surprised I think both of us as to how much more efficient she was. I really wish I didn’t worry about the nipple shields it was working for me. It was working for her and that’s all that mattered

I combi fed my first daughter and used nipple shields for ten months, no regrets and it worked well for us. Second time now I used them for a couple of months and baby was happy to start feeding without, so we did. Some babies are just better than others at feeding, its so bloody hard, and anything that helps is to be welcomed! Don't let health visitors or anyone else make you feel bad. I would never have breastfeed my daughter without them, and yet to learn about them and how to use them I had to do my own research and reading online, mostly on here! The feeding classes I had barely mentioned them.

I started using them after about a week because I was in so much pain and I'm still using them now at 6 months. But I'm 6 months into breastfeeding and I'd have probably stopped after 6 weeks without them so I think they're bloody fantastic. I didn't try them until it was far too late with my first born because NHS etc are so incredibly negative about them and I genuinely think it would have saved my breastfeeding journey if I'd used them with him too (very traumatic time ending much earlier than I wanted).
The feeding team were keen for me to wean off them and I tried briefly but then had some other issues to deal with so I didn't try for a while and now she can't feed without them. But so what, it doesn't affect how close I feel with her, she's still dripping milk all down me and snuggled into my boobs all the time as she would be without them! I just wish she wouldn't keep trying to pull them off which she currently thinks is very funny...

Their childhoods are very long if you have a script about what the perfect mother looks like.

Shields are great.