Weaning off nipple shields - HELP!

Ethan was born 3.5 weeks early and was jaundice. He spent a week in Special Care and the midwives there got him onto 4 hourly feeds (which was great). I also started using a nipple shield because he was so on/off and kept falling asleep. I have tried to get him to feed without the shield but he just pulls off all the time so I went an saw a lactation consultant. She tweaked a few technicial issues and off we went. I have tried to do it since but when he gets hysterical he just won't latch on and I can't settle him so I go back to using the shield and he latches on fine. I am just upset that I can't feed without the shield and it upsets me that I have to use it. It makes it alot harder to feed in public and I am just getting frustrated by it. I tried again last night when he wasn't hysterical but still he just pushes off and I can't keep him on. Now not only am I back using the shield I have sore nipples! Am I just one of those people that will have to use the shields forever??????? He has been very unsettled the past few days and will cry unless he is in my arms. I don't think it is related to the feeding because this started before I started ditching the shield. I just think it is bad timing.

HI! I know exactly what you're going through! DS was on a shield for 10 weeks before he weaned off it! I"m not sure what advice you've been given but I was told to begin the feed with the shield on and when he's happy to quickly remove the shield and attach to the breast. It took weeks before he would go on without it and when he did he'd take a few sucks then come off, but one day he just went without altogether! Also try sneaking the shield away at night feeds, they're usually not as alert so it can be easier.
You'll get there it just takes a bit of perserverance! You could also try contacting the ABA counsellors, I found their advice invaluable in those early weeks (if you go to the aba website they have online counselling as well). Good luck, and enjoy your bubba!

hi lynn, i used nipple shields for a few weeks when i first started bfing. i know they are not highly recommended, but they really helped me and got me through a real rough patch in my bfing journey. i hated having to take them out in public too and found them really annoying in the middle of the night. i used them for about 3 weeks, and then one night i had a nice, long, hot, relaxing bath with ds. he was just floating around me (i was holding him near my chest) when he decided to latch on without the shield. i have never used a shield since then.
maybe you need to get yourself in a really relaxed, warm situation...and just take your time...and let him latch on without it. i love to just lay in bed with ds some afternoons and let him snuggle up and feed freely. it is so relaxing to have an arvo nap together.
i'm sure barb will be able to help you out with this, but it sounds like you are doing a great job with your son and will be able to get rid of the shields soon.

Hugs honey :hug: This baby business is a challenge sometimes hey? As always the advice given is wise.
I used nipple shields with my oldest child. I had an epidural headache and I couldn't latch her on so the shields were introduced. I did both the above - deep warm relaxing baths so she could find the nipple and "do what comes naturally" and also whipping it out mid feed when she was less frantic.

It takes time and perserverence but you WILL get there in the end.
Big hugs... :hug:
I too endured what you are.

The advice you have already received is really good advice and I totally agree. I just wanted to let you know that I too have been there, and we also were able to wean off the nipple shields once Jack was a bit bigger. We were totally shield free by around 6 - 8 weeks. So most likely you will be able to feed without them in time. GL.

Thank you so much for your posts and suggestions. I was starting to think I was the only person using shields! I have tried a few more times, starting with the shield and then ditching it but he is still pulling off - maybe I have to hold him on a bit stronger????

Thanks again everyone, I'll see how I go.

keep trying lynn, you'll get there eventually :)

Thanks for the support Gracie! I hope so. :pray:

Hi Lynn

Just wanted to let you know that I am someone using a nipple shield. My daughter is 6 weeks old and in hospital I was told that I had short nipples. I was put on a nipple shield as I was in tears each time DD was put on the breast as they had been cut and lascerated. I then got mastitis and was on antibiotics for 3weeks. DD has been gaining weight well on the shield. I went to the b/f clinic at the hospital last week to try and wean her off them and although we got her attached, since doing so I have found that I have been engorged, blisters and cracked nipples again. I am finding it hard to go off them as at least I am not in pain.

Please keep me posted with you progress.

Hey Milson, it is great to meet a fellow nipple shielder! It sounds like you have been through it all. I hope they are getting better and you aren't in too much pain :hug:

Well it hasn't been going too good. Yesterday and last night I tried to feed starting with the shield and then removing it. While the shield is on he sucks beautifully but as soon as I take it off and latch him on he just wants to pull off all the time. I try to persist at every feed as I think he may be used to the shield because they are easier for him. I just hope it gets easier because right now it doesn't feel like it will.

How are you going? Do you find it frustrating?

Lynn, just take your time hun. Ethan is of course used to the shields, and he might not feel ready to give them up yet LOL. Try feeding without them when you feel up to it, but try not to stress if it's not successful. One day it will be, and you'll be in here posting with great joy :D Maybe try just once or twice a day, to take some of the pressure off.

I second the idea of hopping in the bath. Ethan will be relaxed, you will be relaxed, don't try to attach him, he will likely just jump on when he realises your boobs are just there. And if he doesn't, that's okay, you've had a lovely bath together and you can try again another time. My DS was 5 weeks prem, and when we had BFing problems, I hopped in the bath with him, expecting it to solve everything instantly. But he was so blissed out being in the bath, that he wasn't interested in feeding! I was disappointed, but as he's grown older, he loves to feed in the bath :)

I saw your query wondering if you need to hold him stronger........I'm not an expert with shields, but I do know that most babies hate being held too firmly when being fed. I know if I ever tried it with my DS it would make him arch back even further and scream louder LOL. I would suggest that the more relaxed you are, the more relaxed Ethan will be. That's easier said than done, I know!

Good luck Lynn, and keep us updated :)

Well I now have my second bout of mastitis. Was feeling ordinary last night and by 11pm absolutely freezing. Teeth chattering and in bed wearing winter PJ's, dressing gown, duna and two blankets. Didnt sleep much and then when it was feeding time was dripping in sweat. Not nice. I had been trying to get off the shields but now I am not so sure as feeling miserable. At least it was working and she has been gaining weight well.

I am having terrible trouble with my wrists. They are so sore because of all of her fussing and picking up. It really hurts now when I am trying to attach her. We are 6 weeks now and I thought that it would be easier now. I have been told I have short nipples so that is why I am probably getting into trouble.

How have feeds been going today?

I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time Milson. I had two bouts of mastitis in 3 weeks with DS1 so I know how awful it is (and I also needed shields to begin with). The thing is that it does get easier, and you are probably nearly there. It could be at 8 weeks, or 12 weeks, or sooner or later, but sometime soon, you will notice a difference. Your bub will be able to attach more easily, you will feel more confident, and things will start to look up. You really are through the hardest part now, well done for perserving past it. Now you've done that you can do anything!! Just give things time, and it will work out for you. My thoughts are with you, I don't miss those early feeding problems. But I am forever grateful that I perserved past them because I gotta tell you, a good bfing relationship is very rewarding. GL hun and take care.

Yep, used a shield with DS - it was the only thing that stopped me switching to Formula & then we went onto feed for 15 months!
I would give the same advice as all the others - perserverance is the name of the game & one day it will just click for him & away you will go.... Good luck - I hope that day is soon ;)

Hi,

You are having your ups and downs, aren't you? You will get off the nippleshield, soon. But there is no burning imperitive to get off them *now*. IMO the best reason to get off them is that one day you are going to be sitting in a cafe, sippling your latte, and it will just be a nuisance. but right now it;s a useful tool that is helping you breastfeed.

have you considered using a private Lactation Consultant. I think you will find it very useful

Warm Regards
barv

Well I haven't even tried today feeding without the shields - it just seems all too hard at the moment. I have a feeling that Ethan has reflux so I need to get that sorted out first. I might try again next week after I have seen the dr about his reflux. I have had many thoughts about giving it all up and going onto bottles but reading all your posts I think I will stick it out for a bit and see how we go. There must be a light at the end of the tunnel soon................ :lol:

Milson, I am sorry to hear that you have mastitis again. I have the same feeling, trying to get off the shields at the moment is just making me frustrated so I have decided to stick them out for a while longer. Hopefully one day we won't be using the shields and we will be celebrating together!

Hi Lynn, just wanted to share a little of the place of nipple shields so far in my bf journey... I had trouble with attachment when DS (now 10 weeks) was born, even though he was full term - I also had bleeding nipples and serious engorgement. My nipples were flat and his mouth was too small to take a decent mouthful compared to my enormous boobs. I used the shields for a number of weeks, at first trying like you to take them off early into a feed. In the end I found it better to only try without part way through the second side, once he wasn't starving and screaming for it... he's a guzzler who wants it yesterday... I found one side healed quicker and adapted to the supply-demand thing better, so gradually didn't need the shield on that side at all anymore. On the other side I've only stopped using it in the last 3 weeks or so. I found they didn't affect my supply, despite all I'd read about them doing that... I still had/have far more milk than my boy can take on the one side. Nipple shields got me through some of the toughest weeks so far in this motherhood thing, and meant I kept going with breastfeeding when I might otherwise have given up. Don't worry about it - you'll get there - and in the meantime, relax and go with it. Your baby will grow, his mouth will get bigger, your boobs will get smaller (in a weird kind of way... :lol:) and things will become much easier. GL

Lynn, you're doing an excellent job hun. Just a note, (from someone who has to comp feed with formula) bottles and formula are not necessarily easier, although they seem like a quick fix. Bottle feeding, although pain free for you, comes with it's own stresses and worries, and formula can make things like reflux worse (it definitely did in our case). Never mind all the sterilising, and having to take it all with you when you go out! Trust me, once established, BFing is so much easier.

Tackle the shields again when you've had a break, and sorted out your concerns about reflux. Remember, there's no rush. Good luck :)

Sorry for jumping into your post Lynn but I have found it really interesting to read everyones responses. I have noticed that one breast is easier to attach without the nipple shield but I just find the shield easier. My DD is the same age as your son. At the clinic the other day I was told that her tongue was always up and that she didn't open her mouth wide - which may be because of using the shield. The next day at home I found that she had already learnt somewhat to open her mouth wider. Now that I have mastitis again I am just using the shield. Like some of the other ladies have said I have friends who FF and they seem to have their own lot of problems.

Lewis's mum - I have had serious engorgement too. In hospital when the milk came in I was told I was producing for twins and required physio on them. from some one who was a 12C to go to the size that I did was quite a shock. i also have flat nipples which is contributing to the problem.

I really want to continue b/f and will for the moment with the shields but if I am honest I don't know if I really like b/f Everyone says that you bond with the baby by doing this but I don't really feel as if I am. Did/does anyone else feel like this?

Milson, I think it's normal, when you're having problems, to feel as though you are not bonding with your baby while feeding. You can't relax, you're concentrating on attachment etc, maybe it's painful. It's not easy to enjoy yourself! But trust me, once your breastfeeding relationship becomes easy (and it will!) the bonding experience is beautiful :D One day your baby will smile up at you whilst feeding and your heart will melt.

You are doing a wonderful job. I think if you keep plugging away at it, you will one day find it all worthwhile :)

Milson, I think it is quite common to not enjoy bfing in the first few, difficult weeks. I know I found the first few weeks very challenging and stressful and I honestly couldn't say that I felt I was bonding by bfing or even really enjoying it. But that definitely changed. Once you are settled and bub is feeding well, it does become enjoyable and the time with them at your breast is very special. I can honestly say there is nothing like it, and it is definitely one of the most rewarding parts of motherhood. You will get there, just give it time and don't put pressure on yourself.

Lynne, I am glad you are comfortable with how you are going, and want to perservere. I am really sure that you will stop needing the shields and you will be glad you continued bfing. Just hang in there hun and take it slow and easy. GL.

HI Lyn,

My DS had a similar introduction to the world as yours, 4 weeks early, jaundice and a weak suck reflex. We used nipple shields until he was 9mths when he spontaneously latched on and went on to BF for 2yrs.

I know how frustrating it is! How hard it is to feed discretely not to mention all the people telling you that your milk will dry up and how you need to wean off the shields.

I had about 4 pairs of shields one I kept always in the nappy bag, one beside the bed for night feeds (2 pairs in the early days when we were feeding frequently at night) and one in my little feeding stash (water bottle, mag, shields) When we went out I would keep a sheild in the clevage of my bra so when I was feeding I could just slip it out of there and pop it on.

When my DD was born I was determined not to use sheilds but we did end up using them but only for about 9-12wks! Hoping that is of some help to you

My daughter had jaundice too & was also in special care. I used nipple shields for a couple of weeks (As per the nurses) & then one day, she just got the hang of feeding with out them. It took a while but we got there in the end. Just keep trying. I found that the Breast Feeding Ass were so supportive throughout my very tough but rewarding experience. We had so many problems & were told to give up BF but I perservered with it & it was so worth while. Just to add... Try listening to some music that you really like & try to relax while feeding. I hated it at first but after a while, I looked forward to the feeds. It is an amazing experience, one you & your baby share exclusively.
BF is such a beautiful thing. Just do your best. Try not to stress about it. Just try to enjoy!
Good Luck!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is so great to get these responses and make me think about continuing. I was at the shops today and walked past the formula and said to Ethan, we could be buying that soon but hearing these stories encourage me to continue. I have decided that I need to tackle his reflux and sleeping problems at the moment but will try again next week without the shield. B/f for me is not painful it is just frustrating because he is so on/off, so I will try to continue.

Lewis's Mummy - the shield's have definitely not affected my supply. I have plenty of milk, sometimes the poor little guy is drowning in it!

Janie - thank you, I appreciate your support. I need the encouragement!

Milson - don't apologise at all. I'm glad that this thread can help you and others too. I am exactly like you and to be honest was embarassed at first to admit it but I don't like b/f either. It isn't the feeling because that doesn't bother me, but talking about it with my mum today I think the reason I don't like it is because it hasn't come easy to me so I am finding it frustrating and therefore not enjoying it. I am just hoping that over time as I work through the problems and it gets easier that I do enjoy it. Although I don't like b/f at the moment, I am and have bonded with my son so I don't think you have to enjoy b/f to bond. I think what Janie said is perfect.

Saram - thank you, you have helped. Just hearing others stories and knowing that I am not alone on this journey.

Thank you liss_jay and MantaRay - I appreciate your support

Hi Lynn

Just thought I would pop in to see if you are still using the nipple shield or did you end up going to formula?

I am still using the shield- well sometimes I can get a reasonable attachment with the right nipple without it but on the whole I am using them.

I had problems getting DD to attach (flat nipples and she had ABO which made her jaundice). I ended up using nipple sheilds and ended up using them for 6 months. I'd tried and tried to get ther off them with no luck. Then one day she just handed it to me and latched on. It still took a lot of work to kep going after that - I got mastitis (again) but taking her to a chiro REALLY helped. We are still going and it's nearly been a year.

Hey Milson,

Yes unfortunately I am! I have tried and tried but he just won't take the breast without it (or he is just so on/off and it hurts!). I always thought my supply was ok but it turns out that it isn't and I'm not feeding Ethan enough. He has been so unsettled but since I have been topping him up he has been much happier. I was topping him up with EBM but I'm just not getting enough for him so I am topping him up with formula. I can only do what I can do and this is the best at the moment.

Are you going to continue using it or try more to get rid of it? It is hard isn't it?!?!

Yes it is hard. Harder than the labour I think as that is well and truely over (well for me it is).

I am going to continue. I would like to b/f for 6 months. Then I would like to get my cycle back as by the end of the year we would like to try again for number 2. Gosh thinking about this frightens me but because of age (35) and the time it took to conceive I think we should start again.

I think what you are doing is great. I do have a lot of milk so feel I should use it although still can't say I love b/f.

Jule thanks for letting me know your success story.

Well without getting too excited too soon - I did a b/f this afternoon with no shield and he needed no top up!! I think he must have been having a growth spurt the past 2 weeks because he isn't taking as much for the top ups and seems a bit more content with the b/f....................let's just see how it goes before getting too excited.I am like you too - I can't say I love b/f, maybe because it hasn't come easy. Good luck with #2. We too took a while to conceive and needed medical help too (Cooper was concieved on Clomid and Ethan on FSH/IUI) so we don't want to wait too long either. So many challenges and hurdles aren't there..............but we will get there :hug:

well done lynn, that's great! :)

Woohoo! Another b/f with no shield and no top up! Too early to do a happy dance?????????? Nah :dance:

WTG Lynn and Ethan

Time for some of these green guys

:happyforyou:

Thanks Spring - I wasn't going to bring those guys out just yet!! Maybe give it a few more feeds without the shield, then we can definitely bring them out!

Lynn, I am so proud of you and Ethan :D Well done to you both :dance:

Re. top ups, just breastfeed him as much as you can stand, like 8-12 times a day. I bet you find that after doing that for a week or so, you won't need to give him any top ups at all! It's amazing how well the supply = demand thing works.

Oh man, I'm so happy for you!

Thanks Janie! We have done a few extra feeds today so we will see how things go. We had to do a top up this morning but other than he was ok just with b/f.

Woo hoo Lynn, that is sounding very promising. Well done - you have done an amazing job. It can only get easier for you now. I am so happy for you.