Nipple Shield - Thoughts?

jmarrugo · February 2016

Our babies are finally here ladies!! I hope you all are hanging in there and loving every second with your little miracle. Is anyone else using a nipple shield? I keep getting mixed messages from every healthcare professional in our network. I went without it for the first few days but she was giving me a hickey on one nipple and a blister on the other. I've been using the shield for a little under a week and my nipples are almost healed just a little sore. Her positioning and latch is good but I'm interested to hear if this is normal. If anyone else had this issue, did you keep using the shield?

apinkpelican · February 2016

I used it temporarily with my first to allow my nipples to heal (2weeks maybe) and it helped me to continue BFing when I was on the edge of quitting due to pain. I'd recommend trying to go without it once you are healed though. Mostly because it can be a PITA to bring along and clean, etc. If the latch and position are good you shouldn't have too much pain after awhile. However if it helps you to continue BFing I'd say use it as long as you want/need to.

Monilee1017 · February 2016

I use one occasionally. My milk comes out fast at times and chokes DD sometimes so if she starts choking I use it. I try not to use it to much because I heard it hurt milk supply.

ashhsa · February 2016

I used for 2 weeks and still use occasionally. I find I somethings I get a bit slack at latching bub at 3 am and grab end up with sore nipples again- so use the shield for the late night/early morning feeds. Use it as long as you need. They are a total life saver!

danasphillips · February 2016

With DS I wouldn't have been able to breastfeed without it because he simply refused to latch. I was finally able to wean him off of it around 8 weeks. It never affected my supply, as I pumped after most feedings and actually ended up with a bit of an oversupply.

kodariah · February 2016

My baby was in the nicu and at my hospital they make you feed with a shield in the nicu to make nursing easier on the baby. From my experience I would say you should use it at little as possible and try your hardest to not use it at all. It makes baby lazy, my LO is four weeks and I have tried so hard to get him off the shield and he refuses to nurse without it and it sucks. It makes nursing easy so why would they want to do it the hard way. If it has helped you keep BFing then awesome, but if you're feeling better I would stop using it.

fishee333 · February 2016

I'm curious about this too. My LO is 2 weeks and I've been mainly BFing, though I've been doing more pumping lately because my nipples just hurt so badly, it makes me cry almost every time I BF. I have spent hours with lactation specialists and they've helped a lot, but LO still just has such a painful latch. I want to continue BF so I was thinking about trying a nipple shield in hopes that it both heals and makes it all less painful.

Sahara26 · February 2016

I used it for four weeks with LO. She was barely preemie (36 weeks) and they suggested it at the hospital because she was having a hard time latching on. I started trying to wean her off of it at 2-3 weeks old. She definitely has to work harder without it. Now at 5 weeks old though, she is finally nursing without it and doing well. I wouldn't have minded using it if it was the only way to get her to BF. But it is definitely more convenient for me not to use it.

jmarrugo · February 2016

Thanks everybody! I went all day yesterday without it and now my nipples are on fire again. :-(

l4rk · February 2016

jmarrugo said:

Thanks everybody! I went all day yesterday without it and now my nipples are on fire again. :-(

Talk to your doctor or midwife about a prescription nipple cream! I have one and it has saved my breasts. I also feed from only one breast for two feedings, and then switch to the other. (I will extract just enough for engorgement not to hurt, if needed, between breasts.) These two things have made the world of difference and not being in pain makes me much more willing to work on proper latching--the root issue of it all!

ndeguara · February 2016

I am using one due to small nipples, fast letdown and oversupply. Little man was choking every feeding to the point of turning blue without one. My lactation consultant said my flow is like us trying to drink from a fire hydrant, so the shield helps him latch onto my smaller nipple better and helps with the fast flow. It's a total pain to clean each time & make sure it's always near me. Hoping to get him off it eventually

Alyssaerin996 · February 2016

I used one for about 2 weeks before weaning. A nurse in the hospital who did not want to spend time with me on my latch gave me one my first night. It's definitely easier and helped enormously when I thought I would faint from the pain! I would say if it keeps you from quitting (if continuing to BF is what you want), then definitely use it! However, I'd echo some other posters that it can be a pain and may cause some issues. One fear of mine was if I was out somewhere and didn't have one and DD started screaming for food, I'd be kind of SOL. Also, even though I didn't have issues with my supply, I did wind up with a few blocked ducts in those 2 weeks of using it.

If if your latch is really painful and you've worked on it with a LC, have you thought about having LO looked at by a dentist or ENT to evaluate for a tongue or lip tie? I'm in the same situation- really painful latch even though we've been working our butts off with a LC and everything looks fine. Shes seeing the dentist next week. I have high hopes for some improvement! I will report back.

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