The best nipple shields? Your opinion wanted :)

There seem to be so many out there to choose from.

Which do YOU think are the best ones? Why?

How do you know what "size" to pick? If you are getting them from a chemist or something, I cant see them letting you try before you buy IYKWIM.

I breastfed my DS to 22 months using nipple shields. We always used the Avent ones - just the normal (not small) size. They worked well for us (obviously).

Luckily I haven't needed them feeding DD though :).

So I can just assume I have "normal" nipples? lol Is it measured on how far the nipple comes out when being nursed?

Yay for not needing them for your DD :)

I have seen lots of Avent ones in the chemists, pretty cheap too :)

I *think* maybe the size is more about the baby? Like a prem baby with a smaller mouth might need the smaller sized shield? You could always give both sizes a try. I think the 'normal' size is better as more areola is taken in and stimulated by baby sucking.

I used Nipple shields with my eldest and youngest. I'm not huge in the nipple department. I really hated the Avent ones found them to be way to big. I used the pidgeon and like those as the had a cut out in one side which is where bubs nose is so that they are still smelling you.

I have also heard good things about the Medala ones, unfortunately the chemist in my area didn't stock those.

I have avent cause i got cracks on my nipples and couldnt feed without them. But i know that medela and think avent no longer comply with the WHO standards anymore so if i need them again i will get different ones ... There was a thread on here somewhere about the companies that are WHO accredited companies...


Sent from my iPhone so sorry for the spelling and punctuation!!

I didn't think that in general bub size would influence the nipple shield size... as I would think they have to fit your nipple comfortably regardless. With my DS I was fitted into a small medela nipple shield by my IBCLC. He didn't feed successfully & never attached without a shield. With my DD, my new IBCLC actually said that while my nipples "appeared" to be quite small (they are also flat) the actual base is very wide (kinda more a physiological component and certainly not visible) and put me in a large medela shield. While attachment was still initially excruciatingly painful, DD has drawn the nipples out much better than DS (and 11 months of pumping) ever did. I would say in our case getting properly sized definitely helped our feeding. She is still feeding with the shields (have had very little joy when trying to remove them). I would recommend meeting with an LC prior to birth and getting assistance to work out what size is best & to help you to have the best chance to feed successfully this time around. Personally I couldn't imagine trying to work out the size from looking at the packet in the pharmacy. And depending on your reasons for wanting to use shields, that might make the sizing more complicated. If you don't mind my asking, do you have a particular reason for thinking about using shields?

Also i did have more trouble on one side than the other, and was on the verge of trying a different brand to see if it was more comfortable, but in the end we persevered through it and have stuck with the same brand. I've lost 2 shields (in nearly 9 months) so have had to buy more (guess I coulda tried a different brand then).

I used an unusual brand from capers bookstore (yes a bookstore!). I hated the avent and the other brand ones at the chemist. These ones had the perfect shape and didnt fall off and were only a few dollars. I originally got a sample in hospital and a friend also tracked them down as she was given one as well.

I used the ones I got from hospital, I'm assuming medela??. Dh bought me some tommee tippee ones I think and I didn't like them at all, they were too flimsy in my opinion and would constantly fall off if bub moved. When he bought them, he asked about the size and they said if they were the wrong size to take them back, they would exchange them for different size, and send them back to the manufacturer as they can't resell them.
I only ended up using them for about a week in the beginning to help ds latch with my engorgement

hmm, really good question. I used whatever one they gave me in the hospital ... it was a very thin silicone one, and I used it for about a month, I reckon.

the Lactation Consultant took one look at my knockers, and pulled one out.

Do you have a LC you can ask?

I tried every brand under the sun, but kept coming back to the medella one they gave me in hospital. I think it is better to have a bigger one because more of the aereola (sp?) gets drawn out so it is a bit easier for bubs to feed. Also in my case I had inverted nipples, so this helped to draw them out so I could eventually wean DS from the shields at around the 12 week mark. HTH