Dear friends,  This is my first posting to lactnet, although I have
benefitted much from your wisdom and humor for quite some time now.
Therefore, I will introduce myself before going on with my question. I am
a mother of a blended family of 5 boys.(ages 22-10).  I breastfed my birth
sons for varying lengths of times.  I am an R.N., I.B.C.L.C.  working in a
hospital setting as a lactation specialist, post-partum nurse/ nursery
nurse and childbirth instructor.  My husband teases me that I don't go to
work but, rather that I go to play...If that were only true.  He used to
only see the joy and the passion I have for my work.  Unfortunately he has
also seen much of the frustration and the angst we have all experienced in
a trail-blazing program.  Enough about me.  Now for my question:  Have any
of you read about or cared for moms who received Mag Sulfate during labor
who had erect nipples before labor but flat nipples afterward?  I have a
collegue who tells me that it is ducumented that PIH is seasonal which
would explain why I have seen no less than 6 moms in 2-3 weeks who have
received Mag during labor.  Some of these moms have received Stadol and
all of them have received epidurals.  Even if the baby is awake, rooting
and eager to suck, he often has trouble latching on. The final action to
salvage breastfeeding is to use a nipple shield.  I'm not against using a
nipple shield if I need to, but it is frustrating to a mom who knows her
body well enough to recognize the difference in her nipples to have to
rely on something "artificial" to establish an affective latch.  TIA  for
you responce, Kathy Bowers