Pam - you stated that you "..have never, and I repeat NEVER!, encountered a
mother truly committed to BF who has stated that she liked using a nipple
shield.  All tell me they
realized (quickly) what a mistake it was to even start with one.

While I realize this has been your experience, I want to offer a different
point of view based on my personal experiences.  My oldest, now 6, was born
and desperate to latch on but my nipples were completely inverted.  I knew
we would NEVER use AIM so we tried all of the "tricks" to make them pop out
but nothing worked and my daughter was getting increasingly frustrated.  The
nurse, who had breasfed all 5 of her children past 2 years, suggested a
nipple shield.  I LOVED IT - not because it was fun to wash or put on but
because my baby was nursing well.  She used it for about 2 weeks and I
weaned her off it with the help of a local LLL Leader.  The way I weaned her
was offering her the bare breast when she wasn't starving and we weren't
tired - not in the middle of the night. She continued to nurse until she
weaned herself at 2.  My middle son was premature (28 weeks) and I never
needed a shield - I had a pump.  Pumping was a pain but I was grateful it
worked and he never needed bottles once he was home - 3 months later- and
nursed until he was 18 months.

My baby, now 18 months, was jaundiced and my nipples inverted again and I
ended up needing nipple shields once again.  The hospital LC, who didn't
realize I was a LLL Leader and therefore qualify as commited to
breastfeeding, found out I was using one and gave me a lecture on how they
were unnecesary and "a bandaid".  Had I been a first time mom I might have
felt guilty and stopped using one.  My son was weaned off them by 3 weeks
old.  I loved the shield for making the 1st few weeks less stressful and
avoiding the vicious cycle of a baby who doesn't latch well affecting my
milk supply and him getting hungrier and sleepier and on it goes.

While I agree that most moms don't need them, some do. And even if it's just
a band-aid, if it preserves the breastfeeding relationship, so what?  I'd
hate for a mother to be prejudged as "not commited to BF" because she's
trying to make it work.

Jennifer Cassini,LLL Leader

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