Tina wants to know why the baby refuses to wean off shields. I was struck by the phrase in the post "mom reports nipples protrude." I take this to mean that the mother was not seen. It is very difficult to get any sense out of a difficult bfg situation (not latching certainly qualifies) over the phone. The mother may have nipples which appear to evert, but which invert (telescope in and flatten) upon compression. There may be other issues. The mother needs to see someone who can physically be present when an evaluation takes place. If infants are able to grasp sufficient tissue, and if there is enough milk, it is rare that they are hard to wean off shields. A trick is to start the feed on the shield, and as baby relaxes into the session, take it off. What is the baby's weight gain? I've also seen moms with gushing let-downs whose babies were overwhelmed. Sometimes these babies like shields because they cut the flow rate some. Again, if you can see it, you can figure it out. Barbara Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSEd, IBCLC Austin Lactation Associates, Austin, Texas http://www.jump.net/~bwc/lactnews.html