[bobbiejo1982]

Another mom suggested this to me.

[MamaSkunk]

I tried them cuz they consider my nipples flat...go figure i didnt think they were flat...but they didnt stick out far enough to hit the roof of DDs mouth to trigger her suckle reflex. They gave me nipple shields and DD sucked on them and basically didnt get anything so she wouldnt try again. It was awful. A friend also tried them and didnt have much success either. So i dont know. Hopefully you wont need them and you can Breastfeed with no problems.

[zkat]

I would try without them first. Baby's latch should be enough to stimulate milk. Sometimes a shield will inhibit and make breast feeding more difficult.

Did she have a specific reason for suggesting it?

[bobbiejo1982]

She suggested it because she said saves alot on your nipples, like keeps them. From getting dryed out and cracking. Had nothing to do with latching and didnt mention any problems with not getting enough.

[shen7]

I would only use them specifically in order to address a serious problem and never just right off the bat. You really want all the direct stimulation of the baby latching to pull your supply in initially, and might as well give it a 100% effort to develop a good latch without it. I know some moms have needed shields either temporarily or long term, it is a tool that is there if you need it, but it really shouldn't be something you assume you need, IMO. What you do need: a comfy place/pillows etc, baby, you, as much relaxed cozy skin time as possible, and resources to turn to for help should you have any issues arise. And make sure you are educated on breastfeeding basics, esp what a good latch looks like, they should really have a lot of boob in their mouth and not be chomping your nipple!

Originally Posted by bobbiejo1982

She suggested it because she said saves alot on your nipples, like keeps them. From getting dryed out and cracking. Had nothing to do with latching and didnt mention any problems with not getting enough.

My nipples never got cracked or dried out and I never used a nipple shield. Give them boobs plenty of air time in the beginning (first week or two) and just use some of the milk itself to rub into them a bit after a feed. Lanolin as an ointment is also very helpful for some women who develop irritation.

[zkat]

I agree that with the liberal use of aloe and lanolin, my nipples didn't crack and bleed etc.

[MamaSkunk]

I agree...dont use a shield unless one is needed. I was also told a bit of your own breast milk or lanolin does wonders for any irritation.

[NoPennyRoyalTea]

With my DD, I was given shields by a LC in the hospital due to inverted nipples and I really feel that's one of the several reasons why I failed to BF long term. I will be staying away from them this time.

[farmfourmama]

Agreed. I wouldn't use them unless needed. You don't get stimulation the same with them!! Just buy them if needed.

[BeccaMenk]

I would steer clear unless it is a last resort. Ds had latching problems due to nipple confusion ( its real...dont use a binky or bottles or sheilds until you have a good latch). As a last resort before giving up breastfeeding we tried nipple shields. At first they worked great and ds started to gain weight and my supply increased. But, the sheilds actually began to hurt me because my nipple was getting sucked through the little holes in the top. DS was an aggressive sucker! My supply dropped and he stopped gaining weight...eventually I had to stop because he wouldnt wean from the sheild and take the bare breast. It was a disaster...also it was a bit of a pain to use them when feeding in public.

That said some woman do have success with them and end up using them the entire time, but for the majority it seems to lead to supply issues and such. I am really nervous about breastfeeding again because it was such a painful nightmare with DS. It was so painful but Im praying that was just because of his poor latch and super strong suck. Im determined to try it again and hope it works but this time Im not going to agonize about it if it doesnt work....though really hoping it does !

[Madison.N.Hailey'sMom]

I had to use them with my youngest because she wasn't latching well but we only used them for 2 weeks and then she got the latch down. I did use lanolin because I did crack and bleed a couple of times. I would not suggest using a shield the whole time your nursing if you have no real reason to other then to save your nipples. It can make breastfeeding a lot more of a hassle because you will have to clean and put them on every time you nurse.

[bobbiejo1982]

ok thanks for the info. i will not use unless needed.

[hilachu]

had to use with DS because he was tongue tied at birth (didnt know it was a real thing!) and my nipples were supposedly flat
only breastfed for two weeks and it hurt progressively

i would def stay away unless absolutely needed

[ashnicole86]

My midwife suggested to me to start "preparing" my nipples at around 36 weeks...She said to get some liquid Vitamin E caplets, break one open and massage the oil onto my nipples once a day, until I go into labor. Once I give birth she said this isn't a good idea to do, and to use lanolin then. But she said that the vitamin E greatly helps to moisturize a head of time and get the skin "ready". She told me to get caplets, I do know that once upon a time GNC sold a bottle of pure Vitamin E drops, but I haven't seen that in a while.

[8miraclez]

I never used them despite having inverted nipples with my first. The baby shouldn't be sucking on your nipple anyway, which I didn't know. It's more about getting the areola in their mouth. My first had latch problems and the solution was to pump until it pulled my nipple out so she could latch. That gave more skin contact and eventually, my nipples just stayed out. None of my other kids had problems. I think using a shield is just like giving a bottle. It's a tool that's useful if you need it, but it can cause nipple confusion.