flat nipples ..please help..

[vibha]

hi,
    i dint know where to post this and i hope this is the right place.
to cut a long story short, i have flat nipples and i mean really really flat . I tried to breast feed my DS and had to stop as my nipples were bleeding for more than 6 weeks,i expressed for 3 months and then moved to bottle feeding. ...i had help from my mom and health visitor .he latched on well and i had tons of milk but my nipples just let me down...i got mastities and had a terrible body shock and had to be rushed to hospital for care...all said and done i feel as though i failed and want to try to improve my nipples second time round if i have a baby.
i really want to breast feed and feel this condition  is something that many women have and overcome and BF successfully.
i have read about AVENT nipplet and wonder if it helps, as it sucks the nipple out and if worn for 3 months, permanently draws out the nipple to a desirable size.has anyone tried it and does it work??
if not,any other advice is appreciated.
thank u
cheers,
vibha

[jobi]

Hi,
I used nipplette when pg with ds 2 as i had problems feeding ds 1, was advised to use nipple Shields which didn't work. I wore the nipplette for about 3 months before i had ds 2 and then once i'd had him used them just before a feed to make sure!! I only managed to feed him for 3 months but this was also due to medical problems aswell.
When pg with ds 3 i didn't bother using them, instead i used my breast pump just before a feed which helped in the first few days and after my milk came in, only pumped a few times to draw out the nipple. I stopped pumping after 4 weeks and managed to breastfeed for 18 months 
You really need to persevere, find different positions, use cushions...................
Can't really think of anything else i tried, hope it helps anyhoo

Good luck
Jo 

[evanskimberley]

I had similar problems to you, I was in such pain and my nipples bled for weeks. She was latching on properly, but my nipples just couldn't cope.

I used nipple sheilds the whole time I was breastfeeding and it did give me some releif and let the nipple have a better chance to heal.

When I stopped breastfeeding at 6 weeks i expressed for  a few weeks and it was only then that my nipple hardened up, 'came ou' and healed too. If I have another I will toughen them up a  bit by pumping a bit like Jobi suggested.

[Meg G.]

I also have flat nipples. Further, my daughter was premature and born with a tongue tie.  I thought breastfeeding was off the table.  I pumped for the first week and then saw a lactation specialist who reccomended a nipple shield by medela. It worked great and I breastfed with it perfectly for three months at which point ds rejected it and I have been succesfully breastfeeding ever since ( another three months).  It allowed her time to learn how to suck although my nipples are still essentially flat, even when feeding.  If I don't line her up right at the start of a feed, she would eagerly suck away at the side of my breast!  i would try the shield if all else fails..  Good luck,
Meg

[Mrs. Gravy]

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/invertednipples.html

http://www.breastfeeding-basics.com/html/flat_inverted.shtml

[robynfuller]

Hi there, sorry you are in so much pain, I recently went to a baby workshop and they handed us a bag of goodies fillled with products and information leaflets, one of them was a Avent procudt brochure, where they had one on something called a nipplete which you place over your nipple and it sucks the nipple out to produce a nipple that protrudes. I thought it may be of some help, I have attached a link for you to check out.
I do hope that it can possibly help you, good luck to you, and let us know how it goes. Sorry I cant be of more help.

http://www.aventamerica.com/products/breastfeeding/breastfeeding_niplette.asp

Regards
Robyn

[vibha]

hello,
         thank u all for soo much support...thank u for the links they gave me much insight...and i am relieved to know there re people out there who have had success..
thank u once again.
cheers,
vibha