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weaned from shield/new issue

jhopkins.574jhopkins.574 member
in Breastfeeding

After 3 months of nursing with the nipple shield, LO suddenly started prefering to nurse without it.  My LC had told me to try to wean her off of it so I would offer the breast w/o the shield here and there and all of the sudden LO seems happier w/o it-- I'm amazed.  I didn't think weaning would be this easy but now I worry it is too good to be true b/c we are having a new issue-- LO will latch, suck, and pull off, latch, suck, and pull off, etc etc.  What does this mean? 

I try offering the shield again but she won't even latch with that, it's like she is totally rejecting the shield.  Sometimes she stays on long enough (w/o the shield) to have a good feed, but this pulling off repeatedly has still happening alot and I don't know why.  Any one have any ideas or experienced something like this before?

LO has had alot of trouble gaining weight; she is now 3 months and 10 pounds.  I get her weighed weekly so I will find out next wk if she is still gaining weight despite this odd behavior. 

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Re: weaned from shield/new issue

  • vicki0827vicki0827 member

    There could be many reasons.

    1. if she is also arching her back, she may be gassy.

    2. DS used to do this until I felt letdown. Is it taking a while for your letdown to occur?

    3. Maybe the flow is a little faster than she is used to.

    That's all I have! Just stick with it!

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  • jhopkins.574jhopkins.574 member
    I have noticed that when I sit her up, she usually does burp and spit up.  I'm surprised how much she is spitting up b/c I feel like she is hardly on there long enough to get anything!  So maybe it is a combination of gassy and faster flow??  I do usually see milk so I think my letdown is occuring ok.
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  • vicki0827vicki0827 member
    You may also want to try her in different positions.  Mylicon and gripe water worked wonders for DS for the gas.
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  • angelina477angelina477 member
    Nursing was a whole new world when the nipple shields came off around 6 weeks. We went back to the LC for advice because of pain and other issues. Its going to be an adjustment for you both, but for sure nursing should be faster and your LO should get more. 
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  • jhopkins.574jhopkins.574 member
    Yes I have definitely noticed nursing is faster- what a relief!  It was taking hours before.  I can't wait to see if she still gains weight this week; I am in disbelief that she can be nursing so much quicker and still getting enough.  But she seems content so I'm hoping...
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  • Excited Mrs PExcited Mrs P

    This is EXACTLY what happened to with my LO, but at 7 weeks.

    She self weaned herself off the nipple shield and completely refused to eat with it.

    In my experience, the latch, sucking, off, etc. is your baby adjusting to sucking without the shield. With the shield, LO is able to take mini breaks to breathe (with nipple shield in mouth but not sucking) and then immediately continue. Without the shield, everytime LO takes this breather, baby needs to re-latch.

    Just keep at it, within a week, my LO adjusted and now at 12 weeks we are doing great! 

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  • jhopkins.574jhopkins.574 member
    Thanks, that makes me feel better.  My LC said she had never heard of a baby rejecting the shield but I didn't think I was  imagining it!
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