Really dumb question - how do you know if your nipples are inverted?

[feesh]

God I feel like such a twonk for asking this! I've always assumed my nips are inverted, but now I've got my Niplette and am thinking of doing something about it, I'm not so sure!

How do you tell? I can't say I've studied many nipples!

Mine are kind of soft and there is a little bit of a fold/crease in them, but they pop out easily enough when I'm cold etc. Are they meant to be sticking out all the time?

Is there meant to be a hole where the milk comes out, because I can't see anything like that? I think maybe mine are slightly inverted but really I have no idea!!

Any thoughts ladies?!

PS I actually have a biology degree, haha!

It's not a stupid question, I always wondered if mine were and only got up the courage to ask my real life friend when she was breast feeding. She took a look for me and confirmed mine are not.

Mine sound like yours, a bit flat with a crease. Turns out breast milk doesn't come out of one hole - also what I thought pre having a baby. It comes out of lots of little holes, like a shower head. Saying that, I utterly failed at breast feeding but it wasn't only because of my nipples.

If the reason you're asking is because you're hoping to breast feed in the near future, I suggest going to a breast feeding cafe/ clinic while you're still pregnant. I wish I'd done that, I truly believe it might've helped me be more successful at breast feeding.
A. You'll know where to go for help in the early weeks of your babies life.
B. You'll get a chance to see other women breast feeding.. Something I'd not really seen before so didn't really have a clue about the mechanics of it all.

I have one and tried Nipplette before I had DS1, with not much success. Sounds like yours isn't as inverted though. Anyway a sucking baby will manage to turn it the right way round! I borrowed some nipple shields for the first day or two (otherwise there wasn't anything to latch onto) and then it was important to very quickly stop using them otherwise DS1 wouldn't have accepted a normal nipple. I BFed for a year after that so it was all good. Just wanted to encourage you as some GPs/midwives are clueless and may say you can't BF when you can!

feesh if you touch your nipple does it go hard and pop out ? If so then it isn't inverted. My right nipple is 'normal' where as my left sounds just like yours and droops down slighty, and have sucessfully breastfed two babies hope to breastfeed my third !