Hi Lactnetters. I feel I no longer have to lurk and that it is safe to come out of hiding. For ten years now I have hidden from YOU , my peers, because I dreaded your strong criticism of anyone using nipple shields. I was terrified of your criticism. I felt left out of the herd of believers . And now I am in shock that many of you actually condone the use of shields !! Be still my heart.!! Can Elvis be far???? Diane you put it beautifully in your post. I too have had mother's openly weep when the baby finally latches on .. then later they are very angry that a well meaning LC or nurse had them suck training. pumping, syringe , cup etc etc and even SNS for heavens sakes. Wasting days and lots of $$$. and now a low supply from all the exhaustion. Eventually needing to suppliment with formula. I feel strongly that many moms are often abused by well meaning "purists" who force moms to learn complicated things like suck training (Please whoever came up with that annoying invasive and threatening idea substantiate the proceedure) cups, tubes syringes and even SNS (ugh)Moms are soooo stressed out and exhausted. How are these PURE??? I must confess that after 14 years of being a LLL leader before becoming an LC I was already brainwashed into believing that shields and bottles were the "devil incarnate". Early in my LC career 10 years ago I tormented two moms with that philosphy without questioning it's validity. AND I NEVER EVER did it again. I thought to myself "HOW in the WORLD can those gadgets and plans BE LIKE BREASTFEEDING?" Obviously they are not. So I started thinking for myself and started to rely on my teaching background and myyears of dog training skills. Yup the newborn is the smartest mammal I know and very easily can learn a correct "response" when the "stimulus" is correct and "STIMULATING" enough. The shield is a close enough shape looks like MOM and in the right location on MOM and stuff coming out tastes like MOM and the right person MOM is doing the breastfeeding all by herself . If it looks like a duck......... As far as I am concerned shields are much more "pure" than training, syringes etc. Yes I agree with you Diane that we should feel confident that we have the background and the training to make the decision that is in the best interest of the dyad. I am in private practice so most dyads I see are already bottle feeding or doing all those other contraptions. (the bottle feeding ones do best going from shield quickly to breast). All cases the pairs were breastfeeding success stories in a very short time . I offer money back refund for the shields to encourage the moms to get off of them. Most are through with the shield in a matter of feeds. Others just a couple of days. Most are so thrilled with actually " breastfeeding " they will give me back the shield proudly but not accept the refund. I have never had a mother have a reduced milk supply as a result of the shield. They had a low supply to begin with perhaps because of the time and energy consumed by pumping and suck , cup and syringe training!! Confusing threatening and exhausting for both Mom and baby. They can cause Mom to feel like an idiot and a failure. Not exactly the new mother feelings she dreamt of . Only one baby out of ten years I have been in practice was overly fond of the shield. But then again-Maybe it was the mother !! Who knows? But they were happy and breastfeeding . The alternative eventually for all these exhausted moms would have been formula feeding. So using the shield can be a WIN -WIN situation for Mom and Baby when breastfeeding has already gone down the proverbial tubes. In a hospital setting obviously more time needs to be spent first on other techniques. positions etc. I occaisionally will be called in to work with babies less than 24 hours old who still have not latched on. I still have used the shield instead of all the other weird things. In fact newborns are even easier to get off the shield. They forget all about it even sooner. And Moms are SO encouraged they work doubly hard at using all the best latch on techniques and positions they have learned and gain tremendous confidence and motivation to continue to breastfeed. Ha I got it all off my chest!! Do I have to go to NOMAIL now or is this a SAFE place?? PS : I'm sure those other devices have their proper place somewhere in the universe and perhaps someday I will find a use for one of them.So go ahead and pummel me now with wet bra pads...yikes