Hi Anna

I was interested to read your post about the nipple sheilds.  We use latex
ones from the UK - Macarthys (Dagenham, Essex).

However, I am curious as to why your friend uses the latex ones - is it
just because they are easier for her to cut the ends away bit by bit?  I
find this of some concern,  because I feel quite strongly that when nipple
sheilds are suggested to a mother, it not only should be as a last resort
when all other non - invasive measures have been taken i.e. latch
correction etc. but I feel they need to be "fitted " to suit the nursing
couple.
The Macarthy sheild is longer than the silicon sheilds, which in some
babies can cause a problem with gagging and failure to milk the breast
correctly.  However I have found it to be excellent in cases where the baby
had an extended jaw line, and needed that extra bit of length to stimulate
the 'S' spot and so stimulate correct sucking. Also in cases of very high
palates when mum was about to wean through pain and frustration.  It (and
other latex sheilds) also have  the problem that a mother cannot see if her
nipple is correctly positioned within the sheild, and stimulation is
reduced. I have also found the 'life 'of a latex  sheild to be fairly
short, whether boiling or chemical sterilising is used. I have found other
latex brands to be too small and therefore constricting, in the nipple end,
and cause more problems than they solve.

I have also used the "snip" method to wean a baby off the sheild, and have
found this works just as well with the silicon shields.  I would love to
hear if your friend has a particular use for latex sheilds, - always ready
for new ideas to help "our mums".

Regards
Brenda Donnelly  RGON  NMAA Counsellor
Brisbane,  Australia