We've gotten Baby Grizz to nurse successfully with a nipple shield, but we eventually want to wean from it. Has anyone here successfully weaned from a nipple shield? How did you do it? We only need to use it til the edema I have from birth goes down.
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I used a nipple shield for three months! I was terrified I would never be able to nurse without it....but she figured it out!! I was so relieved.
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@Rainbow Sprinkles: that is reassuring! I'm so glad he's nursing but I don't want him on it forever
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@grizz: honestly I think it didn't happen until three months because she was just old enough to figure it out. Like she realized "okay, mom has her shirt off and is cradling me so it is time to nurse" regardless of whether or not I was wearing the shield.
I tried earlier, but not super hard. Nursing was going well and she was definitely getting enough so I kind of just let it be.
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The best way to wean from a nipple shield is to stop using it at night, or when they are sleepy. A lot of times they can/will find the nipple with their eyes shut, so it's the best time to try with out it.
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Bump--trying to do the same thing. He's a champ on the shield (and messy! Milk runs down his face!) but starts to freak out when I try without shield. My nipples are pretty small--is there any chance I could have success? I feel like he's so used to the obvious target of the shield now.
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@maybebaby: same! We are still on the shield
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@maybebaby: this Webinar might help?
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I started trying not using it at every day feeding, but we still needed it at night for a couple weeks. I just went with try, try, try, try again. If it didn't work initially, I used it and popped him off when he got sleepy, then latched without it when he was too tired to fight me.
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@aprk: thanks ill have to check it out!
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I used a nipple shield at the beginning also to help with the latch. I would let him try without it and if it didn't hurt as much, let him go for it, If it hurt, I'd put the nipple shield back on. I noticed that he only needed it for one side for a while, then he was fine on both sides without it. I guess it was easier for him on one side vs. the other. I definitely had to "sandwich" my nipple for him and hold it sandwiched through the whole feeding when I wasn't using the shield, but he got it. As he got older, all I need to do is put my nipple near his mouth.
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