Hi All,
After reading a previous post from today, as an LC, when you find that in your opinion, a mother was given a nipple shield inappropriately, are you writing as a hospital based LC or in private practice or a physician practice? I work in a hospital setting where a nipple shield is the difference between a mother achieving a latch and breastfeed or she gives up and asks for a bottle. I deal with infants under the influence of the epidural, mother's who are not necessarily motivated to breastfeed but want to because they know it's best. When the baby doesn't latch the bottle works, "I just want my baby to be fed".  To suggest hand expression works only in a rare occasion. My goal is to have the mother breastfeed, if she is able to do that with the shield, I'll go for it. She is instructed on the proper use of the shield, it is a tool, 48 hours later she is no longer in the hospital. 

Years ago I heard a speaker talk about how we are experts in our current setting. When I worked in Public Health, I thought the hospital wasn't doing things right. Then after I started working in the OB department where I worked Labor and Delivery, Post Partum and Nursery, I realized why we did what we did, it wasn't wrong. I have also worked in a clinic, the pace is quick, there isn't a lot of time.

To generalize that nipple shields are overused is not acknowledging the setting we all practice in and what we are faced with.
If you're not working in the hospital setting, please respect those of us who are who are doing the best we can do in the 48 to 72 hours we have to get the mom and baby on the road to breastfeeding.

Christine, RN, IBCLC
Menomonee Falls, WI

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