Greetings, all! We're very DAMP here in south Texas. I thought I would
add my $.02 to the nipple shield thread of discussion, which I have
followed with interest. I have used nipple shields several times
successfully. I do usually try to avoid them, so moms don't get the
idea they need "things" in order to breastfeed. (Success=Babies who
wouldn't latch without the shields, latched and fed with them and then
weaned off of them.)  One very frustrated dad was furious with me for
talking his wife into this idea, which they had apparently agreed to
avoid, before I got there. This 6#, sleepy,37-weeker was confronted
with a very buxom, engorged mom, and these two were not going to meet!
(Although Mom's milk supply was plentiful, he had been bottle-fed
because he couldn't latch.) So baby fed happily at the breast for
several days with the shield.  Mom did express/pump in the begin with.
Mom cut away the nipple cover part of the shield to try to wean baby
gradually. Unfortunately the opening she cut was OVAL instead of round
(YIKES!), and mom experienced pain during the feed. I suggested that
she just remove the thing altogether, and that worked just fine!  The
middle step would have been to start baby with the (intact) nipple
shield to elicit let-down and elongate the nipple, then finish that
feed without the shield. Other moms I worked with have simply
discontinued their use one day, and that worked for them.  I think the
point was convincing the baby he really had come to the cafeteria
instead of having made a wrong turn somewhere! Just my $.02 oops $.04!
 Regards, Rowena Tucker,LLLL,PA,IBCLC in Soggy Texas







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