I do use nipple shields in the hospital. They have to be put on correctly!
Just laying the shield on a flat nipple does not do anything except give the
baby an empty nipple shield. Getting the nipple as erect as possible and
turning the shield partly inside out helps pull the nipple more deeply into
the shield. If the shield doesn't fit I will send the mom home pumping but I
would much rather send a mom home with the baby at the breast even with a
shield. Taking care of a newborn is hard enough, pumping can easily push
some moms over the edge. We talk about the shield like training wheels
(thanks to someone on the list). Training wheels can help your child learn
this new skill but you wouldn't leave them on any longer than you need to.

Weren't the nipple shield studies done using a nipple shield with the pump?
I too would love to see more studies done on this issue. They are a tool.
You can't say that they are always bad or always good.

Janet in Santa Cruz, CA

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