Babies: 0 - 3 Months
TheMrsWithTheMostess
member
Nipple Shield Issues (please help!)
TheMrsWithTheMostess
member
I was given a nipple shield in the hospital by the lactation consultant because I have extremely flat nipples. Now 2 home healthcare nurses have told me I need to get off the nipple shield as soon as possible.
What are your opinions on this? Even after I pump before I feed, my nipples still don't stick out very far and DS doesn't want to latch at all. He perfers the nipple shield so I don't see the problem. He feeds like a champ, what do you think?
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Re: Nipple Shield Issues (please help!)
what's the argument against the shield?
To me, if it's working for you and your LO is gaining properly/eating well, then I'd stick with what's working.
I was given one as well by my LC. She said it was ok to use it for a few more weeks and once he got bigger he would most likely latch without it. It definitely helped to get him to latch, but I was afraid that he would get too used to it, so I started alternating between using it and not. He is finally just now latching without it. However, there are times when he still gets frantic and the shield helps him get right on. If it works for you, I say keep using it, but do try and see how he does without it sometimes too. Good luck!
Have you tried the Lanisoh Latch Assist to help bring your nipple out? I have that as well.
My doc said that using a shield for a prolonged period of time can cause a decrease in supply, but we have been using it for a few months now and I haven't noticed any decrease at all.
Zach Rance 4 President
She actually said I could use it as long as I wanted and that some women used it for a full 6 months. She just knew that for me I didn't want him to fully rely on it (one more thing to clean and to also bring with me everywhere), so her thinking was that in a few weeks he might not need it anymore. I am not sure what the whole argument against them is either, but if you read the pamphlet that comes with it, they even suggest not using it for too long. Who knows though, it definitely helped my LO gain a lot of his weight back and that is a good thing!
I don't buy into the supply issues reasoning for weaning from the nipple shield. I successfully breastfed DS using a shield the entire time until he self-weaned at 10 months. At that point I pumped for another month until I had a big enough stash that DS had bm until he was a little over a year old. I never once had a single supply issue and DS never had any formula.
Yes, the shield is a PITA, but without it, I would not have been able to nurse at all. And let me tell you, after just a month of pumping exclusively, I give major props to the EPers and there is NO WAY I could have done that long term.
ETA: DS gained weight like a champ. He was born 3 days before my edd weighing 5lbs 12oz and weighed 20lbs 10oz when he hit a year.
Thank you all so much; I even had DH read everyone's responses b/c I've been so concerned about the nipple shield issue and he's been telling me he sees no problem with it and couldn't understand why the LC and nurses told me to not use it "for very long". It makes me feel so much more confident b/c I want to EBF and if that means I have to use the shield the whole time then I will.
Thanks again and HAPPY NEW YEAR!