My daughter is one week old, and has had severe latching problems. As a last ditch effort, we tried a nipple sheild and it is working well for her. She is gaining weight and has become an avid nurser after starting the nipple sheild. So my issue is this - I have one flat nipple and one inverted nipple. The side with the flat nipple is doing well, but on the side with an inverted nipple, the nipple sheild is rubbing me as my daughter nurse and causing sorness. I'm conserned that this will progress beyond just soreness if I don't change something, but My daughter is not ready to wean from the nipple sheild and her weight is still low so I want to give her every opportunity to continue her comeback that she is making. I am using a 24 mm size nipple sheild and I need a 27 mm brest sheild for my pump. Does any one know of a company that makes a 27 mm nipple sheild? Or have any suggestions on nipple care or any other advice on how to make this situation improve? I have contacted medela with no luck . . . any suggestions or words of wisdom would be appreciated!
Thanks!
I had flat nippes myself. I used breast shells instead of shields, and they really helped! Within weeks He was latching like a pro, and my nipple weren't playing hide and seek anymore. I hope you find something that works.
Lucy, congratulations on your little one, and good for you deciding to breastfeed. While I am not sure about where to get different sized nipple shields, you might be able to get one from the hospital, perhaps if you meet with a lactation consultant there. Another thing you might consider doing is to get in touch with a local La Leche League group for more info and advice. As far as nipple care goes, if the shield is rubbing you wrong, and causing irritation, you can apply some pure lanolin to them. I got some from a lactation consultant, but I'm sure you can find it in a store somewhere. Also just using the breast milk itself should help. Be patient, it is not always easy to start, but should get better with time. Hope some of this helps, and best of luck to you and your daughter.
I also have an inverted nipple and used a nipple shield when I began nursing my son (now 7 months). I did experience some discomfort from the shield rubbing but I actually found it more painful when I stopped using the shield. To be honest, it took about 3 weeks before my inverted side felt better. I finally talked to a lactation consultant who recommended Medela Tender Care Hydro Gel Pads. They were amazing! I would also recommend talking to a lactation consultant. Overlake hospital has lactation phone service and I've found them to be wonderful. They might be able to help you find the breast shield size you are looking for. The number is ###-###-####
Hi Lucy! Congratulations on your lucky little baby girl! (My friend just had a baby girl same day!) Seems you've received really good advice already on the latching issues, but not much on the pumping shields. I know Target had a pretty good selection of Medela shields last time I was there. Babies R Us had them too. You can also purchase online here...http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403239. Or type in your zip code to see if they stock them at the store near you.
Good luck & hang in there!
~ R.
A lot of new homes have sore nipples for a variety of reasons, latching being just one of them. Use tea bags on your nipples. Take two tea bags and soak them, then place them on your nipples. The tannins in the tea will help to toughen your nipples so they woon't hurt so much. Your daughter won't notice any difference, but you will. Do this to each breast after you nurse her. This is 'momma time'. It will take about a week to 10 days, but it's worth the time and patience. Congratulations on your new daughter!!!
You can use Soothies breast pads in between nursings. I had horrible cracking/bleeding for the first 6 weeks with my son and these work WAY better than lanolin (cleaner too). Also, if you need to give one nipple a break to heal you can use the pump on it and only nurse on one side until it feels better. I waited until 5 weeks to use this method and wish I had done it earlier. Good luck, it's so worth the struggle. :)
Hi,
Everyone is suggesting you see a lactation consultant which is excellent advice! I am a lactation consultant in Seattle and you need help. there are no 27 mm nipple shields. you are using the biggest one. If your nipple hurts, it is probably because your baby isn't latching correctly--this can happen even with a shield. If your nipple is truly inverted, there may be some breaking of adhesions going on as well. get some help. you will be able to correct the problem the baby is having in the first place which is preventing her from latching to the breast directly. and good for you for hanging in there. good, professional help can help you be more comfortable and enjoy the process. Fee free to contact me.
Hi Lucy -
I had the same situation with my first daughter and saw great improvements with the nipple shield, however, my downfall was that I became dependent on the nipple shield because I was afraid my daughter wouldn't get enough milk if I tried to transition to nursing w/o the nipple shield. Because the nipple shield wasn't allowing her to fully massage the areola, I believe that led to my milk supply being lower than it would have been if I had worked at getting her latched on directly to my breast by the time she was a couple of months old. With my second daughter, I used the nipple shield for about 3 weeks, but then I worked to get her to latch on the my breast directly and it took a few days, but I was so glad I did that. It was so much better not having to be dependent on the nipple shield anymore.
Best wishes!
Lucy - Congratulations! And kudos for you for hanging in there and breastfeeding! I did some online searching for a larger shield but could only find the 24mm size and some smaller sizes. I agree with the previous poster in that you should track down a lactation store. I know several in Portland and would be happy to send you the information or help you find one in your area. Best of luck! ____@____.com
I used the shield the entire time I nursed (almost a year) and becuase it worked I just never gave it up. I ordered several online and got some I think from the hospital. You have to keep them clean which is difficult when you are out and about and I usually use some nipple cream around the edges to make them sort of stick and keep from rubbing too much. As most posters said this is common now that you are getting a good latch, but consult with a lactation clinic if it gets really bad or doesn't improve.
I had trouble nursing when my baby was a newborn too. I went back to the hospital twice, and the maternity nurses were very kind and helpful. They helped me get started. My husband and mom were also very supportive. I felt like a failure when I had so much trouble, and thought I would have to give up. But we got it finally. Hang in there!
I also had to use nipple shields for the first few weeks. When you are ready to wean from the shields, you can use a plastic syringe that has the top cut off to draw out the nipple before feeding. Just place over the nipple and pull--the suction will cause the nipple to come out. It sometimes even causes a letdown. My lactation consultant recommended this trick.
Are you in Seattle? The lactation consultants at Overlake are AWESOME and they are covered by most insurance!
I also had nipple problems. I gave up on my first baby. I stuck it out with my second. It is very painful for the first two weeks but after that it stops hurting. I tried nipple shields but everyone told me that it would be really hard not to use them once you started so I quickly gave that up. What I do is squeeze my nipple between my first two fingers to make it fit in my babies mouth and put it in as far as I can without making the baby gag. Then I have to hold it there through the entire nursing. If your nipples are raw try burn pads on them. They are soothing gelatinous pads that are used for burns. You can find them in the store in the first aid isle. Good Luck-enjoy your baby!
I feel your pain! One thing that helped my soreness were breast shells - wear between feedings. Good luck
Look up La Leche League online! You can search for support groups in your area, or as I did, you can take advantage of the free one-on-one help. You can look up a leader in your area on the website, and contact her. They are very helpful and have a wealth of information. I got help through email and phone calls.
