You have done the most amazing job, despite the tough start you had.
I bet there's a story behind the story. How did things go with your baby's birth?
Babies "imprint" feeding in the first hours after birth. Under normal circumstances they are born alert and ready to suck - on whatever nature supplies them with. They don't know about "flat nipples". All babies will shape the nipple and breast tissue into a teat with their mouth. But if a baby is born affected by a difficult birth, or drugs taken in labour, then it becomes a much harder task. Likewise if mother and baby are separated during those early hours. As you have seen, patience and determination can overcome these problems.
Do you see yourself tandem feeding?
I dont have any advice for you but I do want to tell you this hun,
You had the most incredibly challenging bf journey with DD1. Look at the two of you now! You are just so inspiring and I am completely certain that you are going to make bf work with Baby 2.
ETA- I think you are going have a girl because I automatically wrote DD2 instead of DS2. Had to change it to baby 2!
Barb - thank you for your post DD's birth was a 9.5hr labour, vaginal, no drugs (not even gas), DD put on my chest immediately skin to skin and not taken off... HOWEVER she was posterior, perhaps that was traumatic for her??? I know it didn't make labour easy for me LOL!!!! AND....I tore badly 3rd degree internal which needed quite a bit of stitching and therefore an hour after DD's birth was spent with 3 people in the room stitching me up (student dr ) besides that, I really had a great experience and can't complain. I do however look back quite often on DD's first breastfeed and how that occurred. My stitches were done and the room emptied so DH and I could spend time alone with DD. Just before that though a midwife asked me if DD had fed yet, I said 'no' but wasn't worried. Before I knew it (i was in a deliriously spaced out state at this stage due to all those lovely hormones circulating !!) the midwife helped DD latch on to my R side and she had a bit of a suck but then came off.... it wasn't baby led at all... she was gentle yes, but I felt it was kinda 'rushed'..... I don't think DD was quite ready ya know?
DD and I were never separated from each other until day 3 when she had a hearing test and I badly needed sleep.
I would be interested in tandem feeding, however at this stage, my milk supply is very quickly dwindling. I feel sad about it but DD doesn't really seem interested in sucking much out anymore anyway. She goes on 3 times a day for her usual feeds (morning, lunch, bedtime) but most of the time only has short feeds and doesnt have that strong suction she once had....if that makes sense? And she doesn't gulp milk anymore either.
I know that if we're tandem feeding later she will be able to draw that nipple out for me for the newborn.....that would help wouldnt it?
At the moment I think DD is doing a lot of "dry feeding" as I've read about it.... its tender when she feeds as there isnt as much milk there anymore.
First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy! I had a very similar BF journey, with both my nipples being inverted, so I also share some of your concerns about how it will go next time around (mind you that's a little ways off for us for now). In the end, the only way that DS and I could establish BF was with a nipple shield. I know some people are anti them, but TBH in my case there is no way we would have been able to BF. The midwife at the hospital gave me one on day 3 after we still hadn't been able to get a successful attachment. I kept persisting without them for the first couple of weeks, but DS wasn't gaining enough wait and my nipples were horribly cracked, so I re-introduced it. We kept using them till around 9 weeks when I gradually started to wean him from them because his suck was stronger. I started just doing one feed a day on each breast without it, until about a month later when we were able to get rid of them completely. And, 16 months on we're still BF'ing, which I find amazing because there was a time when I thought it would never happen or that we'd have to use the shields permanently.
They are a bit of PITA, but the allow bubs to draw the nipple out into the shield and feed effectively. Over time, your nipple gets used to being drawn out and by the time bubs is sucking well it's easy for them to draw it out themselves.
Anyway, that's just my experience and what worked for me. TBH I would invest in one before the birth (I tried many different kinds, but found the medella ones best because they were bigger and the nipple could be drawn out more) and give it a go if you have problems. ALso, it probably wouldn't hurt to meet with an LC before bubs arrives so you can devise some strategies beforehand and also get their help from day 1 if you are having difficulties.
Miss E - well done on successfully feeding your DS after your initial BF challenges also. You have done so well!! Well done on weaning your son off the shields. I feel shields definitely have their place that's for sure. We did try to use one at one stage (early weeks) on the L side (flat side) but DD never took to it very well, she hated it and so did I (which didn't help!) so we gave up on the shield (medela one) pretty quickly and just kept trying her on my nipple until eventually (weeks later) she could coordinate her suck efficiently and could work out the flat nipple. I'm sure I have kept the shields and if not, will make sure I have some in hospital just in case. I'm prepared to have to use it on the L side if that is what it will take for this next bub.... whatever keeps us BF'ing is worth it!!!! also will be taking my medela swing into hospital with me too, as I will not be letting this bub starve that's for sure!!! AND, my LC will be visiting me on day 2 of our stay! I haven't asked her yet but will do she's an IBCLC and also my local mchn which I see! she helped last time!!
PrincessXanthe - thanks for your lovely post, I appreciate it. Nice to have you back
I'm not concerned that I won't be able to BF this time around, as I know, first hand, that I can overcome any challenges thrown at me as I did last time..... I am just concerned it's going to be just as hard on this flat nipple side, as it was last time.... it was just so much work to get DD onto it that's all. With some luck this next baby will know what to do and feed like a trouper and draw out the nipple no worries!
I don't have any specific advice, but I think the way you managed things first time bodes very well for your next experience, however it may start out. Good luck!
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DD's birth was a 9.5hr labour, vaginal, no drugs (not even gas), DD put on my chest immediately skin to skin and not taken off... HOWEVER she was posterior, perhaps that was traumatic for her??? I know it didn't make labour easy for me LOL!!!! AND....I tore badly 3rd degree internal which needed quite a bit of stitching and therefore an hour after DD's birth was spent with 3 people in the room stitching me up (student dr 
) besides that, I really had a great experience and can't complain. I do however look back quite often on DD's first breastfeed and how that occurred. My stitches were done and the room emptied so DH and I could spend time alone with DD. Just before that though a midwife asked me if DD had fed yet, I said 'no' but wasn't worried. Before I knew it (i was in a deliriously spaced out state at this stage due to all those lovely hormones circulating !!) the midwife helped DD latch on to my R side and she had a bit of a suck but then came off.... it wasn't baby led at all... she was gentle yes, but I felt it was kinda 'rushed'..... I don't think DD was quite ready ya know? 
I feel sad about it but DD doesn't really seem interested in sucking much out anymore anyway. She goes on 3 times a day for her usual feeds (morning, lunch, bedtime) but most of the time only has short feeds and doesnt have that strong suction she once had....if that makes sense? And she doesn't gulp milk anymore either. 
so nice of you!
also will be taking my medela swing into hospital with me too, as I will not be letting this bub starve that's for sure!!! AND, my LC will be visiting me on day 2 of our stay! I haven't asked her yet but will do 
she's an IBCLC and also my local mchn which I see! she helped last time!!
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