makenzie is almost 7 weeks now, and i cant seem to get her to eat without a nipple shield. i think maybe two times, shes eaten from both sides with out one, but usually she'll latch on for a few minutes, then let go, the try to latch on again and then let go. and each time she lets go, theres still milk in her mouth and it gets all over lol i think it might be my nipple...it doesnt seem to stay extended for her.
so is it ok that im still using a nipple shield? i dont mind using it, it just would be nice to not have the extra step when trying to feed her.
well i feel alot better about how long ive used it now..and if its true that using one decreases your milk supply, id hate to see how much id be making if i didnt use one! lol
thank you all so much :)
I wouldn't be to worried about using the shield as long as she is getting milk and growing she should be fine. I use the shield exclusivly as my nipples are flat, I love that the shield allows me to breastfeed even though I have complications. you can continue to try with out and when she starts getting frustrated just put the shield on, the main thing is to relax.
good luck
HI M.- Congrats so n the baby girl and way to go with breastfeeding. I am a mommy to 2 boys- with my 1st I had to use the breast shield every time I fed him- he just couldn't eat without it- (I do reccommend buying a couple of extras though as they are easy to loose) When I had my 2nd son I had one of those "breastfeeding monter" nurses that insisted that I not use the shield- like I was horrible to consider it... thankfully I shrugged her off because I knew better... but after about a week with my 2nd he was able to latch on without it. The doctor said it was because my 1st baby pulled my nipple out enough that my 2nd baby could latch on... Hang in there, I say, whatever works for you and your baby is what you should do.
Hello,
I breastfed my son for 7 months and used one the whole time and he was just fine. He just never stayed latched on without it. I know they say it can decrease your milk supply without the direct stimulation though but I never had that problem.
S.
Hi there. I couldn't help but respond. I have never used the nipple shield but bought them (just in case) I would ask either your ped or a lactation specialist if maybe she is tongue tied...I know it sounds weird but if her frenulum(skin under the tongue) is too short she may be having a hard time staying latched on! It would be worth ruling it out.... We had my lil ones frenulum clipped and it made a hugs difference. We thought it might help with his spitting up...we had to wait until he started sitting up to conquer that one!!!Good luck!
I think the important part is that you didn't give up and are continuing to breastfeed. If the nipple shield seems to work for both of you, then why stop? Don't frustrate yourself trying to get her eat without it if you don't mind using it.
M.,
There is no reason not to use the nipple shield if you have to. I used one for the first 5 months with my daughter because my nipples would flatten and she couldnt stay latched without it. It is a bit annoying though, I feel your pain. Try keeping several around and when you do dishes, find some and just stick them in the top shelf of the dishwasher so you'll always have clean ones. This helped me a lot.. although, I did have like twenty nipple shields laying around the house.. it was a bit strange when company came over... LOL!
Just be patient...I had to use one too. I kept trying to feed my son with it in the begining and then take it off and finish nursing. One day he just got it. I kept a little log of which side he nursed, how long and with or without. You will notice that you will start seeing more success as he gets older. Can you go to a lactation group? The lactation group at Madigan was very helpful to me. Maybe the hospital where you delivered has a group that can be of some help. Just keep with it, it will get better, I promise! :)
With my first we could only use the sheild for the first three months before I went to formula. It was soo difficult for me.
With my second I went 8 months with no sheild. I think it must depend on the child. It is no biggie to use it.. but you are right the extra step is a bit annoying especially when they are starving and can't wait.. I know the feeling.
Hope this helps.
Hi, I used a nipple shield until my daughter was 4 1/2 months old. Then one day I couldn't find it and she latched on by herself. I understand not wanting to take the extra step but when she is ready to latch on without it she will let you know.
my daughter used to eat the same way, i actually had to stop breastfeeding at 5 weeks because of the extra difficulties with her latching on and because i had a 2 1/2 year old that always took advantage of that downtime. I commend you for going this long and not giving up. If you don't mind using it, and it gets her to eat better, then i think its worth that little extra step.
I began using a nipple shield after my son was born because I had "flat" nipples. However, I realized that nipple shields ghave not been around forever and women once had to figure out how to nurse their babaies wihtout one. Just relax and figure it out with your baby. I would un-latch Elyas many times before he got a good latch on and sometimes I would stimulate my nipples a little with my fingers so he really had something to latch onto. He would sometimes get a little fristrated but it your nipples will get used to it. Good Luck! L.
M.,
I used one with my son also. I used it until he was around 2 months old. I tried and tried to get him to nurse without it and he just wouldn't do it. I got frustrated that he wouldn't latch on and he got frustrated that he couldn't. I didn't feel like it was worth fighting over. When he was around a month old I started trying to nurse him at least once a day without it. Eventually I got him to nurse on one side without it and a few weeks later the other side as well. I think it just takes some time for them to get used to it. I was really worried that he would become so used to it being there that it would be hard to wean him off of using it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Using it didn't affect my milk supply either. I wouldn't worry about how long you use it, just keep trying to wean Makenzie off of it. I agree with you about the extra step. It's a little inconvenient when you're not at home! I hope this helps. Good luck!
R.
Don't give up! It might take her a while but she will give it up. It took my son until he was 3 months old before he finally gave it up. It will be worth the effort to get your baby off of it; it is so much easier and better for the both of you. Feel free to email me if you want some suggestions on how to work on getting her off. In the meantime, good luck!
Hello there M.,
My daughter never stopped using the nipple shield. I nursed her for 26 months and we always used it. It was alright, like you said, it was just another step to feed her. If you want to break her of it, I would suggest doing it soon. Of course I don't have any advice on how to go about weaning, since we never did. If you don't mind it, then don't worry, you and Makenzie are not the only pair that have used it for a long time. :)
C.
