I find this conversation very interesting, but cannot seem to figure out why this problem seems to be so much more prevalent in Southern California than anywhere else. Can anyone explain this? I have yet to identify one, although I have seen high palates in my practice and we have got the baby one without pain after some work, most of which was positioning-related. I too have occasionally used a nipple shield to assist a mother and that has worked well. But I do not introduce it as a quick fix, but rather as a "temporary aid" until mother is no longer sore/baby is appropriately on breast and suckling well, etc. Other thoughts from northern West Coast people, non-west coast people? %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% "We are all faced with a series of great %% %% opportunities brilliantly disguised as %% %% impossible situations" - definition of a %% %% lactation consulting service. %% %% Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC %% %% [log in to unmask] Homewood, Illinois USA %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%