Judy,
A colleague had a similar case, a mom with no nipple sensation unilaterally.
They instituted contralateral (other side) pumping while mom bf on the
affected breast, needed to do this for only a short time before the breast got
the idea. I think all your other ideas were wonderful as well, esp. manual
nipple stim. I would suggest that the mom pinch the base of the nipple, to
stim the sensory nerve that is nearest the surface near the areola-nipple
junction. This works to prep moms to pump as well.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC NYC [log in to unmask]