Nipple Shield

SmilesAreContagious · #1 February 2nd, 2012, 09:04 PM

My son was born with a CHD and needed surgery when he was born. He was in ICU for 8 days and was only fed through IV. On day 9 they gave him breastmilk through a feeding tube and on day 10 I was able to give him a bottle (of breastmilk). They had to monitor his intake closely. So now that we are home he is EBFing as of Monday with a nipple shield.

He is doing great nursing but sometimes it takes him a while to latch on. Sometimes i have to put the paci in this mouth so he will suck then take it out and give him the boob (nipple shield attached). I tried today to take the nipple shield off after he had been feeding for a while and then see if he would latch without it and he screamed instantly. So my question is how long should I wait.to try to wean him from using the nipple shield since.its only been 4 days of EBFing? And are there any tricks that you ladies can recommend that would help the weaning process go more smoothly? Thanks

LookingGlassAlice · #2 February 3rd, 2012, 12:13 AM

Well, my daughter uses a shield for a inverted nipple, so its not the same but its been almost six weeks and we are just recently weaning, so I wish you the best as I dont know whats best in this siution. Have you put in a call to yours peds LC?

SmilesAreContagious · #3 February 3rd, 2012, 08:59 AM

Our LC is the one who gave us the shield amd im so happy she did or we wouldnt have had any sucess but I talked to her abput weaning and she has the attitude of if it aint broken dont fix it. So she doesnt see the need in trying tp take it away.

brightmommy · #4 February 3rd, 2012, 10:36 AM

I have been trying to ditch the nipple shield with Maddie since she was a month old. Only in the last week or so have I had any success. I offer her the breast without it at almost every feeding, but she is just now starting to latch on and eat with out it. When I first started trying she would latch on for just a few seconds every now and then and then get mad. Most of the time she still gets mad when I try to offer it to her without the shield. The handful of times I have had success is when I let her start eating with the shield then when she is almost done and mostly comfort sucking I take it away and she will latch on and suck for a few minutes that way.
It has been a very long process for us because I am not willing to upset her and try to go cold-turkey or the whole "she'll latch on and eat if she gets hungry enough" route with her over it because I don't want her to think of nursing/eating as being a battle or something that upsets her.
I have heard of some people that have done it in no time because their LO took right to it, but no luck here yet.
As far as when you should do it I have heard the earlier the better. I wish I would have started with Maddie before she was a month old and had developed such a preference for it. With your little one going from a bottle to the shield it might be tough if he has never been on just the breast at all.

Good luck!

jmills1129 · #5 February 3rd, 2012, 10:45 AM

I got my LO off the sheild by offering the nipple first everytime, sometimes she would take it, I also always expressed a little milk onto my nipple, and stimulated the nipple, so it was easier for her to latch onto. it was about 2 weeks after delivery I started this, and by 3 weeks, we were not using it, except when my nipples were to painful, Now at 5 weeks, we do not use it at all!

Patience, and persistence, you can do it!

angelsailor288 · #6 February 3rd, 2012, 02:51 PM

It look a while for Nicholas to get off the shield. He was fed by IV for his first feeding after birth and was given formula by the hospital because of his jaundice so we had a really hard time at first. I think by one month or month and a half of age, I would take the shield off halfway through and he would have no problems. It took time. Dont stress about it, its really not a big deal, as long as he is getting his breastmilk

One day it will happen!

mgm78 · #7 February 3rd, 2012, 05:13 PM

lots of good advice given, good luck and KUP

Will's Mommy · #8 February 4th, 2012, 06:01 AM

We are in the same boat as you. DS is 2 weeks and still using the shield. It's just annoying to always have to have it on hand

Doodlebug06 · #9 February 11th, 2012, 12:22 PM

I'm using it also. I have a Medela contact shield.
Dd is 3 weeks and was bottle fed bm for the first 2.
The LC said to wait until she's a month old before even attempting to wean from the shield.

I think getting them use to the "flow" from your nipple vs the flow from a bottle is the first battle. She's used to a diff texture and flow. So you can really only change up so much at one time.
Dd is now used to the flow of bf'ing but gets choked up if I have to give her a bottle since she sucks harder and more comes out.
I'm thinking of trying the brown playtex nurser bottle nipple at 4 weeks. It has a rougher feel more like a real nipple. (only when she HAS to have a bottle. Rarely)

TinaG1 · #10 February 16th, 2012, 07:03 PM

It took me 2 weeks of trying to get my son to latch without the shield. The only way he would latch without the shield at first was for me to start feeding him with the shield and then slip the shield off later in the feeding when he wasn't really hungry any longer. For a while he would latch without the shield on only one side. It felt like such a long process and it was very difficult for me. He was a month old when we ditched the shield completely. Good luck!

eiramillek · #11 February 17th, 2012, 05:21 PM

Lily is 9 months old and we are still using a shield. I have tried many times to wean her and it has never been successful. She does fine with it so I don't see the need to wean her.