Nipple shields /combi feeding help please!

[Jjajus]

Hello!

So I’m planning on both breast and bottle feeding my baby, we have the Mam bottles and I was looking at getting some nipple shields as mine are extremely sensitive and I think the shields will help me massively with breastfeeding.

Am I best getting the MAM nipple shields to match the bottles? I’ve read about baby getting confused and struggling to latch when breast and bottle feeding together so I’d like to avoid this if possible.

Any advice would be fab! Also how do I know what size nipple shields to get? Is there some sort of guide? Total newbie!

Hi Jjajus, why don't you give the National Breastfeeding Helpline a call on 0300 100 0212 and chat to a trained breastfeeding counsellor and they will be able to chat through your options.

@bert2e oh thank you! I didn’t know that was a thing that’s fab :)

I was fine using both shields and bottles win two of my children, I was worried too at first but every baby is different.

I wouldn't buy shields at this stage, your baby is (presumably) not here and you don't know how feeding will go. Most people don't use them because their latch is fine (and they're a faff if you're out from what I've seen) so I'd just see how it goes. Google sizing as each brand is different, you basically just need to measure your nipples... Get someone to help!

Our NCT breast feeding "expert" had a view which was along the lines of "if feeding is painful, then don't just reach for the shields, solve the actual problem with the latch instead" and I suppose that is pertinent here. Someone has given you the BF advice line and you can also look for groups in your area - LLL are doing online 121 advice etc.

I breast fed for the best part of a year and we used bottles (for expressed and formula) from week 2 with zero issues. From our friends it seems to be the later you introduce a bottle, the bigger the risk is of them only wanting the breast.

I had a premmie that I breast fed with nipple shields as a nurse told me it would be easier for the baby...She also told me to tape them on and I stupidly did this for weeks (it became really sore) until another nurse told me I didn't need to! And I didn't. I also expressed and he had formula from a bottle too.

the problem was it gave me a fear of feeding without them as I'd used them for so long and didn't get to the 'nipple hardening' stage. It was a pain to keep sterilising them, it was something else to forget to pack in the changing bag, and I felt very uncomfortable whipping them out to feed in public.

I'm expecting DC2 and I've vowed not to use them this time! They were good for helping to establish feeding but for me they became a crutch. However you feed - good luck!