https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:14:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-559334 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:52:28 +0000 ktdid23 559334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used a nipple shield for the full 6 months I nursed my LO. I didn't mind using it, she ate a ton, and all that mattered was that she was getting my milk. Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-558829 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:12:37 +0000 Minnie_Girl 558829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mama_byrd: Oh my gosh, I had NO idea about the connective tissue thing! DD is completely off the shield but those first few minutes can still be pretty painful. Everything makes sense now, haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-558821 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:07:06 +0000 boiledpnut 558821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have to use a shield too because of an extremely high palate. He will sometimes nurse without it, but he's definitely more efficient with it. The LC we met with said if we needed to use it for a year, so be it. Don't feel bad about using one! You do what's best for you and your baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-558487 Sun, 10 Feb 2013 01:09:51 +0000 mama_byrd 558487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son had to use one for first two months, but I started offering the nipple without the shield at every session for 4-6 latch tries without and if he got really upset at that point, I'd put it on again. After about 4 days of this routine, he started taking the nipple without the shield more often and then suddenly one day after about 2 weeks of shield weening, he took the nipple without and never turned back. One downside for me at first (and for maybe the next month of nursing without the shield anymore) was that when he first would latch on and before my let-down occurred, those first minutes were very painful. It took that long for the connective tissue *behind* the nipple to stretch out enough to not be painful anymore.</p> <p>One thing I learned about the term "flat/inverted nipples" is more of a connective tissue issue than a nipple appearance. My nipples stood out so I didn't think they were flat and certainly not inverted... But since the connective tissue behind the nipple is so tight, if the baby can't draw the amount of aureola into their mouth to get a good latch, then technically you have "flat" nipples. What I found as the only/best way to break that connective tissue down so that the nipple could get into the right position in my baby's mouth was to have him nurse without the shield - the force of his suck eventually loosened the connective tissue enough that it wasn't painful for me anymore. It was hard to stick with it at times due to the initial latch pain! I think I never realized how long it would take to get pain free. Especially since the books tell you, if its painful the latch is incorrect... But that's not always the case... Sometimes the pain is an anatomy issue, not a lazy baby sliding off the nipple! I didn't find this out from any book, but I did read about right connective tissue and pain from AskKelly.com, which has been a great resource for me on so many topics, but especially nursing advice.</p> <p>Fwiw, once I started talking about my latch issues to other female relatives, I discovered that having tight connective tissue is indeed hereditary, as quitting nursing due to pain went back two generations to my grandma and her sisters (which is when bottles and formula started to be pushed more heavily after WW2). My great aunt even wore a glass (!!) nipple shield to try and nurse her son, but have up after a week and switched to formula. She was so amazed to hear how easy and cheap the silicone ones were now, lol! </p> <p>Anyway, if you want to get rid of it, just keep trying every day and every nurse session if you can wait it out. I've actually never heard of someone making it to one year with the shield still on, as eventually they either switched to bottles or the baby eventually took the nipple without. Best advice that got me thru it was someone telling me, "when you want to quit, tell yourself one more day". Inevitably, the next day is better and suddenly you find yourself in the place you want to be. Good luck!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-547498 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:15:13 +0000 Mrs. Tricycle 547498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: It was initially a pain for me, too. I bought four shields and four cases, so I don't have to wash one every time I nurse and so it's easy to keep track of them. I bought these "sheild shells" but they're totally just retainer cases with a fancy screen print. <a href="http://www.shieldshell.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.shieldshell.com/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-547450 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:43:00 +0000 jedeve 547450@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've succumbed to the shield. </p> <p>He started on it because my nipples are inverted and he couldn't latch on. The LCs and nurses kinda gave me grief about it so I tried to wean him right away. He got off it on the left side completely, and on the right side he went a whole day with no shield. Unfortunately I got thrush that day too, and it was excruciatingly painful to nurse. So back we went. Now I have over active let down on the left, previously good, side. So I am just gonna use it. Oh well. </p> <p>It's a pain to keep track of and keep it clean, but what else can I do? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-547363 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:20:46 +0000 ameals 547363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OK one more question--I'm wondering if the nipple shield is a culprit in her terrible gas. She usually starts crying and pulling in her knees on the second boob and will sometimes continue to eat if she burps, but mostly just swallows and cries and we have to move to the bottle. The bottle is better though we often have a similar issue towards the end.</p> <p>Anyone have this feeling? The LC doesn't thinks so and I'm trying other things to help her gas (non dairy diet, etc) but I can't help but wonder. Maybe I should do a completely bottle-fed meal a day to see if that's different..... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-547274 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:52:58 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 547274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't wean LO off it until she was three months old.<br /> I just kept trying and trying, and one day she just got it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-547272 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:48:56 +0000 ameals 547272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the support ladies! It's great to know I'm not the only one...</p> <p>@Mrs. Tricycle-- I'm sensitive for the reason @autumn865 mentioned--I felt like the only one who needed it so long! And I was also feeling guilty about not challenging her to do without.</p> <p>It does have some drawbacks for me--I have low milk supply, which was a problem long before the nipple shield, so the diminished stimulation isn't so helpful. Also, as @creativemomma15 says, it's a pain in the a**!</p> <p>We'll keep plugging away! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-546315 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:01:44 +0000 autumn865 546315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't worry! We have been using a nipple shield from the day my DD was born (flat/ inverted nipples) and i also have a really fast letdown. She is a little over five months and BFing is going strong. I see no reason we will have to stop before my goal of at least a year. In a perfect world would I want to use one? No way but my daughter is healthy and growing and I'm able to BF her when otherwise I might not have. Occasionally I try to feed her without it but she looks at it now like it is some foreign thing and will not latch unless it is on. </p> <p>I think the times I feel the most down to be honest is when I look at other mothers who nurse easily without it. I had to come to terms with the fact that for some people BFing is easy and I am not one of those people. We had to work really hard to get the BFing routine/ relationship we have now. I will never be that mother who comfortably, easily and naturally feeds her baby on the go. But I try to remind myself that nipple shied or not I love the cuddly nursing times and if using the shied is what I have to do then I'm ok with it.</p> <p>Good luck with whatever works best for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545879 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:11:21 +0000 Minnie_Girl 545879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I COMPLETELY understand the way you're feeling! I used a shield exclusively with LO for the first 6 weeks and have weaned her off almost completely at 8. Personally, I couldn't stand the shield and made it my goal to wean off of it sooner rather than later. I always resented using it because I didn't need it--my baby and I have perfectly normal anatomy. I made the mistake of taking an unqualified nurse's advice.</p> <p>I don't know if I can offer any advice that can help you (we were told LO had a high palate and that my nipples were flat...not sure if your reasons for using a shield are similar?). It was a process of trail and error, figuring out what worked for LO and I. And lots of crying on both our parts, haha. </p> <p>I will say that I was ridiculously hard on myself about it, and I didn't need to be. It seemed like we'd NEVER wean and she'd NEVER figure out the real thing in comparison to the huge silicone nip...but it DOES get better. Weaning doesn't need to happen overnight and it doesn't need to be upsetting. Becoming a parent is tough enough as it is! Take it one day at a time, and good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545873 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:07:03 +0000 creativemomma15 545873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just to clarify, our LC was very supportive either way. It was my choice to want to wean him off of it just because it was more of a hassle for me and we had a more awkward time nursing with it. He would pull off a lot and pull the shield off with his mouth making milk go everywhere and such. If it wouldn't have worked I would have just kept using the shield but it was starting to make nursing a little more stressful for me and then in turn for him too. I do agree to do whatever works for you and your LO! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545867 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:04:15 +0000 yellowbird 545867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 5 months and I'm still using one. She can eat without it if she's really hungry, but she definitely prefers the shield. I've been lazy and I really should wean her from it, but its easy. My let down is still ridiculous and if she doesn't use it she gets sprayed in the ace, so I think that's why she likes it.</p> <p>I'm just happy that I've made it 5 months breastfeeding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545865 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:01:50 +0000 eeh 545865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do NOT panic! We used a nipple shield for almost 4 months. I started using one initially because of really, really bad nipple damage from an aggressive latch. My daughter wouldn't even consider eating without one once we started using it. I know, firsthand, the anxiety you're feeling. I slowly started to wean my daughter around 4 months and the trick for us was to try without it about every other feeding and never try going without it when she was too tired or too hungry because then she just got pissed. I typically tried to get her to latch 4 or 5 times and then would get out the shield. Eventually, she didn't need it at all. She's 6 months now and nurses like a champ.</p> <p>Hang in there mama! Using a shield is NOT a bad thing. You're still breastfeeding your sweet baby. If you need it, you need it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545837 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:44:55 +0000 MamaMoose 545837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel exactly the same way as @Mrs. Tricycle:. Our babies are the same age and I've been using the shield the whole time too. Every now and then I'll try without and baby just gets upset so I don't stress about it. LCs will guilt trip you that you should wean off it ASAP but I don't understand why it's an issue. It allows me to breastfeed easily and stress free and I'm not at all bothered by the slight inconvenience. I also plan to BF for a year and if I have to use the shield the whole time so be it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545799 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:49:46 +0000 Mrs. Tricycle 545799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been using one for ten weeks and I'll occasionally try to feed with out, but it just doesn't work for us. I'm not stressing about it, as baby is growing well and nursing is stress free. I did a lot of research and there are many women that have used them for a year or more w/o a problem. Why are you sensitive about it? If it helps you reach your goal of one year, and baby is doing well, who the heck cares? :) that's my take, anyway.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545791 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:32:20 +0000 creativemomma15 545791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only used a nipple shield for a month, but when we worked on weaning him off of needing the nipple shield I met with a lactation consultant to do it. She helped show me what to do and was very encouraging. You could look into that for some added support and advice if you wanted. I only used a shield for a month, but I understand wanting to not use it. I hope you can make it work for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nipple-shield#post-545782 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:12:53 +0000 ameals 545782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did anyone have any experience using a nipple shield really late? My lo is 3.5 mo and we have used one for almost two months. Long story, but I'm still lucky if she breastfeeds WITH it, so I haven't seen an opportunity to try to wean her from it. And now she doesn't seem to know what to do with the bare nipple.</p> <p>I am feeling alternately grateful that it allows us to breastfeed at all and very sad/ sensitive about the fact that we still use it with no end in sight. I want to breastfeed her for at least a year and I'm hoping we can get rid of it. But I guess if it's what gets us to our goal, I shouldn't be so down on it.</p> <p>Did anyone use a nipple shield for a long time? </p>