Breat sheild?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33027
Printed Date: 28 August 2025 at 4:25am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Breat sheild?
Posted By: UpsyDaisy
Subject: Breat sheild?
Date Posted: 22 April 2010 at 5:36pm
|
Sorry this has probably had a topic before but I have two week old twins and no time to search!!
Have had big supply issues with milk not coming in to day 7 after c-section and also latching problems with our boy (he comes on chomping he is very enthusiatic and unfortunately damages nipples alot in just a few attempts) he is improving though and lactation consultant eventually suggested a breast sheild once supply had come in. She did not seem that keen on this and called it a band aid though. I was wondering what peoples experience of a sheild is were they able to ween off it - the pros and cons etc? Our week girl can latch well (as long as she doesn't get too wound up) in which case I have resorted to using the sheild on her also just to get her fed. I am at this point just happy he can now feed at the breast as was looking at one point that she could and he couldn't which would have been just awful. |
Replies:
Posted By: M.i.s.s.y
Date Posted: 22 April 2010 at 6:01pm
|
I used nipple sheilds for ages, they were my saving grace. im sure i would have given up if it wernt 4 them. gave my nipples time 2 heal.
Jade was fine swapping from not using them, to using them, & then off again. I will def be using them again this time if they are needed. Go for it, & good luck, congrats on ur twins as well.  -------------    
|
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 22 April 2010 at 6:34pm
I fully agree with this post! Nipple shields were a god send in this house. I went on to b/f for nearly 8 months. I gave up the nipple shields at around 6-8 weeks. Although if we had a day of bad latching or fussy feeding, I resorted back to the niple shields! Go for it! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Missy77 wrote:Posted By: Mrs_B
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 9:04am
|
I used nipple shields for the first 5 weeks, due to DS having a poor latch and my poor damaged nipples!
They were great but I was keen to get rid of them as I didn't feel comfortable feeding in public with them and hated having to get up in the middle of the night to sterilise them etc. I tried weaning him off them myself but couldn't get him to latch without so ended up seeing a lactation consultant who gave me some tips and within two days we had got rid of them. |
Posted By: UpsyDaisy
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 9:07am
|
Thanks, the lactation consultant advised that you have to keep expressing milk to keep supply up did you have to do this?
also feel like both the twins take longer to feed with the sheild Can i edit the name of the thread was in such a hurry holding one fussing baby last night that i typed breat not breast! i'm holding the other baby this time i am getting good at doing things with one hand! |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 9:19am
|
I used nipple shields for both my children. I would not have been able to BF without them. I did it on the advice of my MW and the hospital lactation consultant. There are people that don't like them but I can't for the life of me figure out why.
Yes you should try and express once a day to keep supply up as they can interfere with the process - I think the jury is out on this one but better to be safe than sorry. But definitely since there are latching issues you should express I think. I weaned with both my girls at 3months and continued to feed DD#1 until she was 18 months old and I am currently feeding DD#2. If you wait until 3 months you shouldn't have too many issues weaning from the shields. Just when you do wean don't do it all at once. Do a feed a day without them or else you will end up very engorged. -------------  
 
|
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 12:02pm
|
I had to see the hospitals Lactation consultant when DS was about a week old. He had jaundice and was sleepy and lazy, I had real troubles getting him to latch and suck properly. She suggested I use the shields to give him something easier to latch on until he got his strength up to latch properly himself. It was a godsend. I wouldn't have been able to breastfeed him without them for a while. For memory I used them for about 2 weeks, it didn't cause any problems with getting him to latch onto my nipple later on. Although, I would also try just the nipple first and then use the shield if things weren't going well. Like MrsB - I hated getting up to sterilise them in the middle of the night, and it made feeding in public rather difficult. But, I wouldn't hesitate to go this route again with number 2 if I needed to -------------  
|
Posted By: nicandtyler
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 12:23pm
i used breastshields for 6 weeks after the birth of my son as both my nipples cracked and one got so bad it started to bleed when feeding  i agree with the other posts i wouldnt have been able to do it without them, and after 6 weeks once my nipples had healed my boy was straight back on as if nothing changed  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 April '11
|
Posted By: myonlineself
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 12:57pm
|
A girl in my coffee group used them for 3 months due to issues latching and then weaned bubs off them - she did have to pump to keep her supply up. I say if using shields is the difference between breast feeding and not then definitely go for it.
I think its just that they are not ideal as can cause supply issues, but hey, no point having a good supply if you can't feed your baby! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 2:16pm
|
Hmm, well I have been using them since Liam was born and prob will keep on using until he is weaned....my nipples are flat and even after all this time we still have trouble latching on without....
I used to be worried about it but rang the breast feeding hotline here and they said it is fine and not to worry about using them, he might outgrow but might have to keep using forever. I was never told to express either. Some nurses at hospital thought I should try without but the more knowlegable say go for it and don't stress! Feeding is better than not. ------------- 
 Oct 11
|
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 3:33pm
|
I was never told to express, I did most days though to build my stock up in the freezer but that was the only reason I did it! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 3:36pm
|
Hmmm, well you inspired me to try feeding Liam without the shields and what do you know! He fed without the quite merrily, I was most excited and rather astonished as every other time I have tried he has screwed up his face!!
Anyway, guess it just goes to show that even almost 4 months down the track they can easily decide naaaah straight on boob is easier!!! Guess it is probably less hard work for the little ones to suck?? -------------
Oct 11
|
Posted By: Tigerish
Date Posted: 23 April 2010 at 7:57pm
|
I was given breast shields at the hospital due to DS having a tongue tie and trouble latching. While they were good for a week or so they majorily interfered with my supply and I got rid of them by three weeks. By this stage DS had a better latch and my nipples were used to feeding and more supple so they were no longer required. I say good for a short term solution though! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: girly_girl
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 10:06am
|
I was put on a nipple shield when DS was born (premmie with tongue tie to the tip of his tongue). After 2 procedures to fix the tongue tie and moving from a large shield to a medium one, we are still using it (at nearly 12 wks old). My nipples too are flattish and he doesn't seem to know what to do without a shield. I'm working closely with a LC but if we can't get off it thats fine - I'd rather be able to feed my boy than not! I pumped to start with but mostly because he was in NICU for nearly 3 weeks and I couldn't stay that long (was discharged after 4 days - c-section). I stopped pumping quite so religiously and now just pump for comfort when he doesn't take the second side. I haven't had issues with supply, but he does take a long time to feed. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Nutella
Date Posted: 24 April 2010 at 9:44pm
|
Oh, wanted to add...Liam was taking ages to feed and I didn't actually realise it was weirdo until I saw a mum with a baby a wee bit older who feed in like ten minutes...but now once we are not using the shields, he is much much quicker. Seriously can't believe that it didn't even require weaning, he just went boom straight onto the boob.
He is finding it a bit different as he doesn't have to work as hard now so is gulping and being a bit spilly but all good otherwise. All the same despite it having been a pain using them and the long feeding times, if I had not used them, I doubt I would have kept feeding as I was finding it so hard and as soon as we used the shields it was like wow, easy! -------------
Oct 11
|
Posted By: UpsyDaisy
Date Posted: 25 April 2010 at 11:13am
|
Natscats that is great you don't need sheild anymore.
Thanks for your replies - the sheild means they can both breatfeed but a bit fidly and is another thing to have to do - sterilise and express etc so will try to wean off it but will not stress about it to much as seems like as they get bigger it will happen. |
Posted By: CarrieMum
Date Posted: 25 April 2010 at 10:41pm
|
Can I please ask what brand nipple shield you guys used & had success with? I tried a couple of different brands (Pigeon & Avent) that were both quite differently shaped back when I was bf but I still had a lot of pain with using them & was really disappointed.
I'd really be interested to know what brands you used & found good. Thanks. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: nicandtyler
Date Posted: 26 April 2010 at 8:22am
|
I first used a medela one which i found quite good, I lost it tho so I tried a tommy tippie one after that, which i didnt find as good...was harder for baby to latch on to, I found with the medela one he was able to get a good latch and it really helped with taking the edge off the pain ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
April '11
|
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 26 April 2010 at 9:45am
|
Yeah I used Medela too. It was just what the lactation consultant gave me so I stuck with it -------------
|
Posted By: LeeG
Date Posted: 26 April 2010 at 3:46pm
|
hi ... I used medela nipple shield when Abi was born ... she was 5 wks early and couldn't latch ... they were great, but a pain to sterilise! It took 11 days for my milk to come in ... I had to express after every feed and I was shattered (and that was only with one baby)! I tried to wean her off the shield but she didn't stop until she was ready, around 3 months when she just stopped completely - probably once I relaxed about it. She still has one bf a day (as I'm back at work) ... the rest formula.
Good Luck ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 26 April 2010 at 4:19pm
|
Medela for both my children.
When Rowan was born they only came in large and small sizes but now there's a medium too and I found that was better for Morgan. -------------
|
Posted By: Tigerish
Date Posted: 27 April 2010 at 7:06pm
|
I used a Medula one too. The hospital gave me one and it worked well. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: CarrieMum
Date Posted: 28 April 2010 at 1:01am
|
Thanks guys, it gives me hope that I may be able to bf my next baby if I use a nipple shield. Im glad to hear your success stories and recommendations.
Im sure if I tell the mw that its either bf with a shield from day 1 or no bf then she'll support me!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
|