I am posting this question for a friend who is an LLL leader.  She has seen
one mom and spoken by phone with another mom in the last two days, both of
whom have VERY large nipples.

Mom #1 has a one-week old baby.  Baby can get nothing more than the nipple
into her mouth.  My friend tried compressing/flattening the breast, changing
positions.  She describes mom's nipple as being as WIDE as first two joints
of her little finger.  She describes that baby opens wide, but mom's nipple
so large that gum line and tongue only reach to where nipple and areola
meet. Baby cannot compress sinuses.  Baby hungry, crying, one wet diaper and
no poops on day 4.  Mom started pumping and cup feeding day 4.  Wets and
poops picked up dramatically right away.  Mom now pumping every 2 hours and
feeding EBM with SNS.  My friend says it's like baby has mouth full of
gum--baby's cheeks are full of nipple.  She thinks this baby is using SNS
"like a straw".  Baby only sucks on nipple.  Baby CANNOT latch-on far enough
back to get milk transfer.

She will see mom #2 in the morning.  This mom wore shells during pregnancy
with first baby 3 or 4 years ago for flat nipples.  Mom states that the
shells pulled areola and nipple into shell, creating very large nipples.
New baby was born Saturday.  She worked hard with LC with baby #1, but
eventually went to ABM.  LC told her nipples too large for effective
latch-on.  With this baby, the MD's office told her to feed bottles, nipples
too large for baby to  nurse.  Mom rented pump yesterday and began pumping;
very little milk first pumping, but amount increasing.  Mom really wants to
nurse this baby, and made appointment with my friend the leader at 10 am
tomorrow.

My friend states she has only seen nipples this large one other time in 8
years as a leader--that mom always had to use SNS with big bottle--her 1st
baby was FTT until mom began supplementing, went on to use SNS with all
three babies until after solids were introduced.

TIA for any suggestions.

Cathy Lester, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator for Margi Centanni, LLL Leader