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How do u know when LO is ready to be weened off nipple shield?

ktpaladinoktpaladino member
in Breastfeeding
We are about to start week 3 and I have tried introducing the breast to him without the shield and it has been a disaster. He won't latch. He still has trouble even with the shield I think- he gets really angry when the milk isnt there right away and has to work for it to come. He was born 3 weeks early and is still practicing his sucking techniques and still has a very tiny mouth in comparison to my boob. How will I know when he is ready to try without it? Should I attempt to get help from a LC or go to a La Leche meeting, or just slowly try it on my own? Does anyone have any success stories or tips they would like to share?

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Re: How do u know when LO is ready to be weened off nipple shield?

  • jcsumm0jcsumm0 member

    Just keep trying, but don't stress if it doesn't work.  If you are stressed about it, just go a week or a few days using the nipple shield w/o worrying about weaning from it.  Then, what you are often told is to start the feeding with the shield and then a few minutes in, unlatch the baby, quicky remove the shield, and then latch the baby back on.  Lots of people have success with that.

    However, we never did.  What I would do is nurse on one side with the shield.  When she was finished with that side, I'd offer the second side w/o the shield.  Sometimes she'd latch on w/o it, sometimes I wouldn't.  No biggie, we'd just do that side w/the shield.  Then, when she was around 8 weeks old, one night in the middle of the night she wouldn't latch on WITH the shield, and she never used it again.  She was just ready! 

    Even if you feel like you can wean from the shield on your own, go to a LLL meeting anyway!  They are great support and a good way to meet other moms.  GL!!

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  • rosiemommarosiemomma member

    https://www.llli.org/webindex.html

    https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/wean-shield/#weaning

    hope these help 


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  • ToraniTorani member
    I used a nipple shield with DS1.  I would try to nurse without it about once or twice a day.  I started by taking it off partway through the session.  When he got good at that, I would try to latch him at least once a day without.  As soon as he was able to latch without, we never had to use it again.  Good luck!
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  • neener3neener3 member
    imagejcsumm0:

    Just keep trying, but don't stress if it doesn't work.  If you are stressed about it, just go a week or a few days using the nipple shield w/o worrying about weaning from it.  Then, what you are often told is to start the feeding with the shield and then a few minutes in, unlatch the baby, quicky remove the shield, and then latch the baby back on.  Lots of people have success with that.

    However, we never did.  What I would do is nurse on one side with the shield.  When she was finished with that side, I'd offer the second side w/o the shield.  Sometimes she'd latch on w/o it, sometimes I wouldn't.  No biggie, we'd just do that side w/the shield.  Then, when she was around 8 weeks old, one night in the middle of the night she wouldn't latch on WITH the shield, and she never used it again.  She was just ready! 

    Even if you feel like you can wean from the shield on your own, go to a LLL meeting anyway!  They are great support and a good way to meet other moms.  GL!!

     

    That's what we did.  He'd latch on the right with the shield, then I wouldn't use it on the left.  Sometimes I had to put it on.  I didn't stress about it.  Then one day he realized that he got the milk MUCH faster without the shield, and started to fuss with it on.  Our nursing sessions we cut in half without it.  He's a fast little guzzler now.   

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  • sugarmagzzsugarmagzz
    Like previous posters said, just keep trying. My LO finally ditched the shield at 5 mos. I wasn't super diligent about trying but every now and then (maybe every couple of weeks) I would offer the breast without the shield. Sometimes he would latch on and drink for a few seconds and then he would figure out that it was different and he would spaz out a little bit. I thought he would never give up that shield! One day he reached out as I was putting the shield on with a puzzled look on his face, so I decided to try without and we haven't looked back. I stressed about it and it held me back from many things, like nursing in public, and looking back my advice is to just relax and let your baby nurse however he can, all that matters is that he is nursing! He will give up the shield in his own time, just be patient. Good luck!
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  • funchickenfunchicken member
    My DD had a really small mouth, too.  To be honest, I waited until I was ready.  By about 7 weeks I was sick of the shield.  It's messy, and I was always misplacing it even though I had 3-4 of them.  I just spent a weekend watching latching videos and trying to get her on with out it for a few feedings/day.  When it clicked with her that she could eat much faster without it, she started pulling it off if I tried to use it.  After that, we were done with it.  It was much easier to get rid of it than I thought it would be.  GL!
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