weaning from a nipple shield/frustrated

[hilhillrn]

How exactly do you wean off of a nipple shield???? My LO will be 4 weeks old on Monday. Ever since she was a few days old we have been advised to use the nipple shield because of my "flat nipples". I honestly don't they they're that flat, I guess they rise to about a centimeter when erect. I'm also kind of large chested (D cup). I went to see my LC yesterday, and OF COURSE, while I am at her office, my LO latches on wonderfully to the bare breast and stays latched on for 15 minutes. But OF COURSE, when I get home and try to do this on my own, she kicks and screams and just can't latch on. She screams bloody murder and there are just so many of those kinds of sessions that I can take, KWIM?

It seems that it just gets too "slippery" and her mouth just doesn't latch at all. I try to wipe my nipple off and still doesnt work. So I have to use the shield again. I've tried to use the shield for a few minutes, then take it off and try, but it just doesn't work. I've only been able to get her to latch once by myself. I've tried the "sandwich" method, I just think I have too much areola and breast and she just can't get it. This is SOO frustrating and I hate using that stupid shield and the constant washing and keeping up with it (I've already lost one and the dogs got to another one). I just want to be able to whip it out and give it to her!!! Ugh.

That on top of no sleep for almost 4 weeks, worrying if she's getting enough by the breast alone (my LC told me to supplement by bottle with pumped milk, so that's what I've been doing), a sore right nipple, 2 breakdown panic attacks due to breastfeeding, etc... I am almost at my wits end and *this close* to calling my ped and asking for a formula to try. It does not seem worth all this stress, anxiety, and depression to me. I honestly feel no different emotionally when I breastfeed than when I give her a bottle. I am starting to question why I ever wanted a baby to begin with and at this point, never want any more kids!!

Sorry for the novel, but I guess this is a question and a vent. I just never thought BFing would be this hard and people say it gets better, but I really don't think I can make it to the 3-4 month mark which is when ppl say it gets better. Each day goes by so slow and to think I have to do this for 2 more months for it to get better makes me want to cry.

Any advice?? thanks.

[whitnessforhim]

OH momma!!! You poor dear!! Believe me if there's any place who understands exactly what you are going through its this place. I know there are tons of moms on here who have BTDT with this kind of situation. You are not alone. I know those who are LC's or are familiar with weaning off of a shield will chime in soon to help.

Please don't give up just yet. Nursing is hard and often times we have this wrong idea about it that its just suppose to be easy and natural. You can get through this and we can help you. Also it doesn't hurt to have a IRL support group and a good LC to work with.

FWIW I exclusively pumped for my DD for the first 4mo. of her life because I couldn't get her to the breast. She wouldn't latch, she'd scream and cry when I tried. I totally know the sleep deprovation and dishearted feelings you are having! But today my DD is 14mo. old and she nurses like a champ! The struggles that you go through now will pay off in the end more than you can imagine.

Oh and not feeling that emotional, all warm and fussy inside feelings when you nurse is normal momma!! For most moms that bond does form in the end but our main focus is doing this because we know its the best thing for our LO's!

Hang in there!

[juliekathleen2]

I am so sorry with everything you're going through, I just want to say that I've BTDT. I wasn't able to nurse my son until he was 4 months, I had supply issues, I was told I had flat nipples & my son had severe dehydration. It will get better.

When I was told my nipples were flat, I actually didn't think that they were - it seemed like there was enough for a baby to latch onto. Has your daughter been able to latch on more than once w/out the shield? Maybe you could try stimulating your nipples right before you nurse her? It sounds weird but it kind of helps.

I was also told to try & take the shield off while nursing - I never got how to do that but maybe you can be better at it. You can find nipple shields at Target, Babies R US, buy a bunch so you always have them laying around. Also, make sure you have the right size shield.

What really helped me was just to keep offering my breast without the shield. I know it's so hard to listen to them cry but it was the only way I could actually get my son to nurse. (He's 14 months & still nursing)

Sorry this is so scattered but hope it helps! Feel free to msg me

[Nipple_nectar]

I have weaned from a shield but it was difficult. Are you still using bottles? This is crucial, in order to avoid nipple confusion (www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_confusion.html), you must use a BFing friendly feeding alternative (www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html). This will preserve the quality of your baby's latch which can be greatly affected by those two things. My baby did get nipple confused from the shield.

We started every session by me priming my nipples for five minutes, I would use a pump and it would become very pointy and easy to grab onto. Start every session WITHOUT the shield. Fuss with baby just long enough to give it a good go, just short of baby becoming hysterical, it is a fine line.

I always had better luck with the second breast, it seemed that my baby would develop a good rhythm and not notice that we didn't have it on the second breast. It took about four weeks to ditch it completely! Hang in there, nursin momma~ it can be a very tough go.

What I recommend while you are not nursing, in between feedings, is wearing breast shells. These will help your nipples protrude, which will also aide baby on the latch.

[sunnystars]

o honey do i ever know what youre going through! im on my 2nd lo and ive used a nipple shield both times. (were still using the shield now) i know it seems like a pain, but actually theyre a blessing in disguise!with my 1st lo we used the shield until she was 3mos old. i stressed over how long we would use it and wondered if it was messing up my supply. heres the conclusion i have came too:

i thought it was a pain too to have to situate the shield 1st every time we nursed instead of just sticking her on there! and boy did i ever freak out the 1st time i lost it and wondered great, now how am i supposed to feed my baby?! heres what helped me...
1st- i keep my shield in a little bowl. like the little bowls meant to hold formula. any kind of small tuperware bowl will do the trick though. this way, i always knew where it was and also that it was clean.
2nd- i bought 3 shields. 1 stays at our nursing station downstaris, 1 stays on the headboard of my bed and the next stays in the diaper bag, so no matter where we are, i have a shield in that spot and dont have to keep up with where i left it!!
3rd-i am actually grateful for the shield b/c w/o it i dont think i wouldve been able to nurse. the shield got our bf relationship established . i didnt have to worry about sore, cracked nipples. we always had a perfect latch, therefore i knew she was getting the nutrtion she needed. so it brought alot of peace of mind!
4th-try not to stress over how long you will use it. once the baby gets a litle older, they will become a bf champ and they will know what to do at the breast w/o the shield.

right now, everything is still so new to them. i promise...it gets better. you just have to make it through the 1st 6-8wks and after that, you will be so proud of yourself. so dont give up, i know how hard and frustrating it is. but believe me, its all worth it when you look down @ your happy little nursling!

so dont worry about weaning from the shield yet. just get used to each other and get your bf established. everything will work itself out when the time is right!

[BrandiJR]

I know EXACTLY what you are going through! We were on a nipple shield for the first month! I also have a flat nipple and large breast. I am a DD and I have a flat nipple on the left only. It takes tons of work! Keep working on it tho! I was at the LC about twice a week. I am not sure how your LC works, but mine works at the hospital on the L&D floor and so I do get charged for her services. I just call and ask if she is available for xx time and xx day and she says yes or tells me when would be better.

My dd was the same way. She would latch on amazingly when the LC helped! She would be on so well that I did not even hurt! But, as soon as we were home, she wanted nothing to do with the bare breast. I worked on it and worked on it! Every feeding I would try and try and if she started to get mad and crying I would just put the shield on because it was not worth it to me to have her upset and then want to eat because then she would just puke it up.

Just try at every nursing, but do not give up! I had cracked blistered nipples! Now, at 6 months old, she is a nursing pro! It is so funny to watch her! She knows how to latch on by herself and as she is laying there while I am undoing my bra she is wide mouthed and waiting! LOL

So don't give up...oh, and not all babies get nipple confusion. I have used the playtex dropins and my baby does fine. As long and booba juice is coming from it, she is fine! LOL Although she would rather have mommy then the bottle!

[mckenziesmom]

i have used shields with both my little ones. when my daughter was born i didnt use one the first week she was born but after i got cracked and bleeding nipples and BAD mastitis from her not latching on correctly i got one and never looked back! she nursed with them until she weaned herself at 10 1/2 months. (also i was especially glad to use one when she got teeth! i never felt her bite me!) then when my son was born i took one with me to the hospital and he has used one ever since. i have tried to not use on and he will not take it like that. my advice is get lots of shields. i think i have 8. that way you have one at where you normally nurse, by your bed, in the diaper bag and then some extra so you will not have to worry about a clean one. dont give up i never had that ooy gooy feeling about nursing. i still dont. i do it cause i know it is best. good luck! dont give up!

[BrandiJR]

I have heard a lot of moms are able to nurse the entire time with a shield! Just like mckenziesmom said she does!

I am with you though! It is a pita to have to worry about remember to take it places with you, remembering where it is, washing it out, and she was so much messier with it then she is now!

I just recommend tons of trying and getting help! Like I said, I had blisters and cracks bad but Lanolin was my best friend! LOL

[debsmooth]

My first DD had this. It was frustrating. You poor mama! The secret? I got very good at sneaking the shield out from under her nose. I waited until she was good and hungry and when she had latched on and was feeding well, I snuck it out of her mouth. It hurt a bit to do because they can adhere quite solidly to your nipple but just keep at it. At first my dd would nurse, her tempo would change, she would start to get annoyed and then she would cry but she had to literally be trained to take a boob. Each time I did this at a feeding, she would go a little longer with it out and I would praise her. One day she forgot to protest. Took about 3-4 days. That was at the 2 month mark and we never looked back. My second had no issues with latching on other than doing so painfully hard. If your nips get sore, try those Medela gel pads. Keep them in the fridge for after feedings. Feels so good. Good luck.