I am a mother who used a nipple shield on one side for a few days due to
an inverted nipple that would not respond to treatment during pregnancy.
 My other nipple was retractable but was bleeding and so sore I would
have given up nursing if I wasn't able to use the nipple shield.  My LLLL
recommended it only after we had tried every other method to get baby to
latch on the inverted side and after days of trying to get the sore side
to heal.  I could only get baby to latch with the shield and used it two
days.  My milk was in at the time and baby did ok.  I chose one-sided
nursing after that and breastfed that way over 3 years.  Two subsequent
children still wouldn't nurse on the inverted side either.  I could get
one child to nurse at an early morning feed when he was not fully awake
but that was it.

I have hesitated to recommend it as I worry about baby getting enough.
We see alot more babies who's moms don't have milk in yet and I worry
that there would be less hormonal stimulation to make milk. Does it make
a difference if a nipple shield is used at first nursings vs. later as in
my case where my milk was just dripping out of me?

I am seeing more moms who once they have a pump to help them over a rough
beginning turn to bottle-feeding EBM rather than solving the problems.
Anyone else noticing this? I recall Me___a Re___l Ro____up write up for
hospital discharge kits with pumps stating that having a pump increased
duration of bf. I always am feeling unsure of whether the pump gives them
a way to measure success literally  by oz. vs. the elimination patterns
we tell them about (bm,wet diapers).

Feed back appreciated on nipple shield use.

Bonnie Douglas, LLLL, n Idaho