Going off the nipple shield! Help!

[Lels]

Hi everyone. I am new here and I just wanted to say that there is such wonderful support here on these boards.

My lo is 10 weeks. She was born premature at 35 weeks weighing 3.5 pounds at birth. She is now 7 lbs 13 ounces. She has always breast fed with a nipple shield. This week I am weaning her off of it. Her feeds seem to be ten minutes shorter and I feel she doesn't take as much. My nipples are also getting very sore. Is this normal?  Any advice on this?  Thank you in advance for your help. 

[amayzie]

She might be getting more milk more efficiently W/O the shields and is therefore faster- also they do get quicker and more efficient with feeding as they grow.

When you say your nipples are very sore, how severe is the pain- as in tender as you've just started without the sheilds and you age getting used to it- or painful where you are cringing or worse during feeds? If they are tender and remaining round after a feed then this is probably just your body getting used to the change. If your nipples are looking mishapen after the feeds- either flat, or lipstick shaped, AND you are getting significant pain/soreness then this could be that her latch is not correct.

[Lels]

Hi and thanks for the reply.   
They are misshapen like a lipstick after feeds. The soreness isn't terrible but I do feel like it is getting worse. What should I do? 

[Shiv52]

It could her latch isn't quite right in that case.  Is she going on with a wide mouth, nipple to nose?

Have you got any lansinoh cream?  It works wonders for sore nipples and will help cracks not to appear. 

[Fiver]

Do you have a local BF support group?  I know it can be a bit daunting to turn up somewhere new, but they could check out your positioning/attachment and give some pointers if she's not latching on quite as well as she could be.  If you mention the lipstick shaped nipple they might also check whether there's a tongue tie (where the tongue is tethered to the bottom of the mouth and can't move so well to "milk" the breast, causing pain).

[Lels]

Thank you for the advice. I am going to make an appointment with a lactation consultant. I really want to do everything I can to continue to breast feed.

[amayzie]

Remember too- the nipple shield isn't ideal- but if the choice is use the nipple shield or stop breastfeeding then the nipple shield is a fine solution. It does sound though as if there are some attachment issues that are still not resolved. Seeing someone in real life could make all the difference!

[Chrissy2000]

I used shields for DD until she was about 4 months then weaned her off them and she shredded my nipples, but i hung in there until she was 7mo!  Tried till I was blue in the face but we just werent a good fit and I ended up just going bottles and formula.  This time around I had to start with the shields since DS had a shallow latch and used to make the lipstick shape, shredded one side to bleeding point, and i would be in tears with the pain.  Went to the lactation consultant and had one of those Aha! moments.  I'd re read all the info about the latching etc and nipple to nose who-ha but still just couldnt latch him deeply for love nor money.  Turned out I was still not onto it and was confused since the pictures they had in the lit from the hospital were not anatomically correct and once I understood that I shouldnt try to get my whole areola in his mouth (durr) and there should be some areola showing out the top of his mouth, with more of the areola from the bottom then he was away.  Hopefully you will have an aha moment too after seeing the LC.  stick at it, use the lanalin creams, and do what you have to.  there comes a time when a suffering mum is not worth the pain and there is no shame in moving to formula, or expressing and feeding via bottle.  do what works for you. good luck.

[okinawamama]

Have you had your LO checked for a tongue tie? We had to use a nipple shield because my LO wouldn't latch without one due to a tongue tie. It was a total fluke that someone saw his tongue when he was crying and we had it clipped. I'd ask your Lactation consultant to check for one when you go it! Hugs and Good luck!

[Fiver]

If you mention the lipstick shaped nipple they might also check whether there's a tongue tie

Great minds, eh, okinawamama?!

The lipstick shaped nipple really is a classic sign and not all can be seen - posterior ones need to be felt.

We've just added some http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=233789.0 which you might find helpful if you think this could be an issue

[Lels]

Thanks ladies. We had a rough start with the breast feeding as lo was premature we were in nicu for 21 days. From supply problems to latching. I will def take all advice and ask these questions when I go to see the lactation consultant.

[Shiv52]

{{{hugs lovely}}}

You're doing great.  it took me a good few weeks for my nipples to get used to the BFing despite a great latch.  I had cracks and bleeding and it was pretty awful.  My MW said i just must have had very sensitive skin and that is not unusual.  If you are only just weaning the nipple shields then it may just take some time but seeing a LC in the meantime is a fab idea.  Lots of lansinoh!!

[shivi]

and I was the opposite -nipples hard as nails but terrible lip stick shaping so also a TT with Emma (Oscar and his perfect barracuda latch must have toughened me up) so nobody believed me that Emma had a TT....she was almost 5 mths by the time it was fixed.

I would check for TT and if all is ok, I would try feeding a bit on the nipple shield and then once the letdown has started, popping back on without or even just pumping/hand expressing to get the letdown going before you try to get LO to latch on as the initial sucking without milk could be doing the most "damage" to you,

and like everyone says, you're doing brill and BFing with shields is way better than not at all, particularly for ex-prems so well done!

S xxx

[Fiver]

You could also try feeding in a different position to give the damaged part of your nipple a bit of a break, like trying rugby/football hold rather than cradle.  Sometimes you can get a better latch that way too (all things I tried with my posterior TTd DD!)

[Lels]

Thanks for all the advice!