MCHN just told me using a nipple shield will make my milk dry up...really?

[PumpkinZulu]

Just got back from a visit to the MCHN. She's generally a really nice lady, older, but not too old fashioned. She's pro-breastfeeding which makes this statement even more confusing...when she asked how BFing was going, I said great (it is!) and that we're still using the nipple shield, even though I offer without the shield, DD still doesn't take my boob without the shield. No biggie for me, I mean I do plan on making more of an effort with offering her just my boob, but on top of trying to sort out sone family issues atm, we're moving houses next week, so I figure we can keep going with the shield now while DD is feeding so brilliantly, and that's one stress I don't need to think about right now. Anywho, the MCHN said that really, I should be pushing the boob more, the sooner the better, because studies have shown that using a nipple shield for too long reduces milk supply and causes milk to dry up? Is that true or was she pulling it out of her bum? Like I said, she's pro BF so her comment took me by surprise. I figure, people long-term express with no issues, surely people use a shield for more than a few weeks too? Can someone help me out?

[toomanyshoes]

Not as far as I know, a friend from school was having a lot of trouble with breastfeeding and used shields for about a month until her bub would just take the boob.

He's now 6months and they are doing perfectly fine and BF is going strong!

The MCHN was the one that said to try the shields

[Just Me]

The ABA website says to use them under supervision.

I always thought they could cause attachment issues and the baby might struggle to drain your breast properly which could cause it to dry up. But I know people who have used them as an ongoing thing with no problems.

[trishalishous]

i used a shield for 4 months, and im still feeding great at 14 months!

[kiwimummy]

What MantaRay said! I think most of this school of thought is an overhang from people's concerns about the old thick ones.

I used one for 3 months, and went on to BF DS for 2.5yrs, always had great supply. I think you just be guided by the baby - some might take longer to feed with a shield for instance, but as long as you let them finish, and feed them on cue, then they should still be able to regulate your supply even with the nipple shield. Sounds like you are doing great!

[megs]

PZ, I used a shield with my first son for 5 months. My initial CHN was a bit like yours she made me scared that I was under feeding my child, I went to a LC who did get him to latch but my goodness it took forever (that was at 6 weeks) I went home still trying to not use the shield but my poor little man just couldn't latch for a variety of reasons, I'm flat, he had short tongue etc. By midnight he was beside himself I got the shield out and he was a happy little camper. I then started seeing another CHN and she was very supportive, and said the stress of me worrying about trying to get him off the shield was probably more likely to dry up my milk than the shield itself.

Anyway my supply didn't decrease he was putting on good amounts of weight, he probably took a bit longer to feed but being my firstborn that didn't worry me as I didn't have other children to tend to. I also used to offer a top up before he went to back to bed which he always took. At around 5 and a half months he started pulling the shield off whilst he was feeding that got a bit tiresome, especially out in public when this baby would be waving a shield around. So I decided it was time to try again and he started latching no problems and was breastfed til 14 months. I think being older his mouth was bigger and tongue had grown and he just attached better. If I hadn't used the shield he would have been FF from about 6 weeks of age, so for me the shield was the difference between breastfeeding and not.

[Beautiful Disaster]

The MCHN was the one that said to try the shields

Mine too

[feeb]

It can decrease supply but not always.

[KimmyF]

I've never hear that before but I did hear a LC tell someone out the local BF clinic that she didn't care if this particular lady BF with a shield forever if it kept her breast feeding so maybe it's not true as she never mentioned anything about milk drying up???
Anyway hope someone can give you a better answer soon, sounds like you're doing a great job

[AnyDream]

Yes there is a relationship between using nipple shields and supply problems. There is a fantastic article here that might help give some context for the MCHN's comments: Nipple shields...Friend or foe?

[nickle730]

I haven't read the article MD linked to, but my understanding is that the stimulation of bub's tongue on the nipple sends a a message to mum's brain to produce milk. Nipple shield = less stimulation = less milk. It's particularly an issue for women who struggle with supply, like me.

[onthefly]

I think the short answer is maybe. Though the shields these days are pretty thin, so many women are able to use them long term with no issues.
Is she getting plenty of milk? Watch the nappies. If it's working, it's working and all good

[Sterla]

They might... but they also might not. I breastfed my DS with nipple shields the whole time - all 22 months, until he self weaned when I was pregnant with DD.

[PumpkinZulu]

Thanks so much ladies. And thanks for that article MD, I'll read it now. I definitely don't want to decrease my supply It's really good at the moment. I do worry about her attachment, that has been an issue since day one, we were spoon feeding, then cup feeding, it was hard to get to this stage. I dunno, maybe I'm just a bit scared to go onto the next stage, because things are going so well right now.

[PumpkinZulu]

She eats heaps, gets 6-10 wet nappies a day, has 6-10 feeds a day. She's gained stacks of weight too.

[Sterla]

Sounds great .

I will say, the sooner you can wean her from the shields the better. With my DS he (and I) got used to them pretty quickly - so when I tried to wean him off them (at about 2 months after seeing a LC) he was already too used to the shields and wouldn't take my nipple.

[Saffy]

they can over the long term PZ but you're litle princess is only a few weeks old so if it is working for you stick wth it, just something to be mindful of later down the track. Hopefully she will graduate onto bare boob when she is a bit bigger, lots of babies do. Well done on getting her onto the breast with the shield!

[FabFiona]

I'm guessing we have the same nurse!

You have come so far - spoon, expressing and now shield. Nipple can't be far away. Isla will surely pick that up the same way she's picked up the rest.


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