Kathy, In answer to your student's question: It has been my experience that the term "inverted nipples" is used quite loosely, sometimes even to refer to nipples that retract on compression. Therefore, the term itself can be quite misleading. I discovered a reference that described two types of what I consider to be truly inverted nipples: 1) Umbilicated, in which a fully formed nipple is hidden in the pit, and 2)Invaginated, in which the skin that would have developed into the surface skin of the nipple simply lines the pit leading to deep milk sinuses, but there is no nipple per se at all. Of the 5 or 6 cases I have attempted to follow with photos and interventions, all but one were bilateral. Several mothers opted to change their intentions and it was never determined whether they were umbilicated or invaginated. One mother had a unilateral invaginated nipple and one everted nipple. She told me that her mother, her aunt and her grandmother each had exactly the same situation, on the same side. She went on to BF exclusively on the unaffected side for four months and going strong when I lost contact with her. K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC Dayton, Ohio ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]