Bonnie,
What a coincidence!  We had a mom in our hospital last Monday with the most
non-compressible breast tissue and nipple and areola I had ever seen.  In fact,
I have 20 years in this and spoke to a Nursery nurse who has worked over 30
years and we both were amazed at these breasts.  This was NOT engorgement.
These were breasts so full of fibrocystic areas and previous surgeries that they
felt as hard as a man's  bicepts!  My first thought had been breast implants,
but no, I've seen those and the breasts usually have soft areolas.

Mom was very determined and wanted baby to breastfeed and avoid bottles.  Baby
did not open mouth wide and nothing would compress into her mouth.  As baby was
still 6 hours old, I decided to try the Nipple Shield and see if she could draw
in some breast tissue and nipple and  nurse.  The first time we tried this the
tissue rubbed on the inside of the nipple shield (even though I had TRIED to
S-t-r-e-t-c-h it over the breast.  The next time I used some Pure Lan to allow
it to glide better.  Baby was on, stayed on and swallows were heard, so I
encouraged her to keep working on this.  I also gave her some breast shells
thinking they would be necessary for the engorgement (I really couldn't imagine
what those breasts would DO with engorgement).
I would see her in the AM..
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men... and LC's - Hurricane Hortense came
along and I was unable to get into town the next day.  I assumed mom had given
up and decided to bottle feed after trying to breastfeed and finding the nipple
shield painful and uncomfortable.
Today I got a call from mom.  She has lots of milk, baby nursing well with
nipple shield, using breast shells and at times baby willing to suck at right
nipple without the shield.  Her questions had to do with how to control all the
milk she had - baby having 10 wet diapers and 4 stools.

Never would have guessed this outcome in a million years - and hope to keep in
touch with her to find out how it goes...

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, LLLL, IBCLC, RN
Puerto Rico
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