XP: Transitioning from a nipple shield?

opheliainwaders · June 2013

Hi ladies -

Cross-post with the BFing board.

Lyra is 2 weeks tomorrow, and we're finally starting to get the hang of breastfeeding - in the past week, she's transitioned from an eye dropper through a series of progressively more-difficult nipples, and is now feeding exclusively from the breast, using a nipple shield to help her latch on.We haven't had to supplement her with any formula since Sunday, and are pretty psyched!

Our last challenge is transitioning from the shield to just the nipple - we're taking it slow, BFing on demand, and essentially letting her "play" for as long as she needs. She'll latch on periodically for a bit (like, a few seconds), but definitely still needs some extra assistance.

I was just curious whether anyone had a similar experience, and if so, if you had any tips that worked for you in getting over this last hurdle.

Many thanks!

PhillyGal34 · June 2013

my son was a 31 weeker and we used a NS for a while. He was a great feeder but latching without it made him way too tired (I had flat nipples). He eventually just latched without it one day which I would guess was close to his due date. I'd just give it time. It's a pain and messy and I hated it but to me it was better than not nursing or stressing him out by trying to force him to eat without it. Maybe with a later term preemie it won't take as long but he wasn't strong enough at first to eat without it.

MinaE01 · June 2013

We moved from a bottle to nursing with a nipple shield right around his due date. We used the nipple shield for about a month and then he just latched without it. He was about 4 weeks old adjusted. I just tried one day and it worked. I would suggest offering the nipple once a day or so to see if he'll take it. I wouldn't try every nursing session, as that may frustrate him. Good luck!