Comments on Analytical Armadillo - The Booby Whisperer: Nipple Shields - Don't Throw The Baby Out With The...

Big hugs - you know I think you're amazing and...

2012-01-11T22:35:54.162Z

Big hugs - you know I think you're amazing and your situation later was very unique, sometimes the choice is taken from us. I think you should be super proud of what you DID achieve, because it was A LOT! xx

I'm crying all over again reading this, just s...

2012-01-11T22:21:40.604Z

I'm crying all over again reading this, just sad the story didn't end more happily, and gutted that for other (medical) reasons (to do with me this time) we didn't continue breastfeeding after my baby was 5 weeks old. I'm the Mum in the story above.

Thank you for this aticle, I had to use nipple she...

2012-01-08T23:33:20.211Z

Thank you for this aticle, I had to use nipple sheilds with my daughter for 24 week, I have no idea why still, she does not have tongue tie but looks like she may have a lip tie? I am not sure and do not know where to turn to get help.
I ended up with a long and traumatic birth, failed epidural 2nd degree tears and a ruptured uterous (fun eh, it was meant to be a natural home waterbirth haha) Baby would not latch on, fed once in the first 12 hours but would not latch after that, I had some midwives try to help with positioning but to be honest they were brutal throwing my baby about and making us both stressed. They told me to express I did not know how to and could only get about 10ml after around 14 hours postpartum they threatened me with giving dd a cup of formula if I did not get her to feed soon (!!!! I was horrified, a single mother on my own in tears and they were threatening me with formula !!!!) Eventually a kindly midwife presented me with some nipple sheilds, a smile and told me not to use them long term. I was over the moon when she fed & fed & fed no one looked at dd's tongue until recently and no one offered to help, my health visitor just shrugged when I told her! With the help of local peer support & bf groups & sheer determination, not to mention many tears. I eventualy ditched the sheilds 7 weeks ago, I am thankful to the kind midwife at the hospital for giving me shelids, angry that I got no real help from the hospital and was threatened with formula! (Everywhere in the hospital there are posters promoting unicef baby friendly & bf and they threatened me with formula?)Most of all I am happy that we can now feed sheild free and my 21 week old is thriving.
This really touched a nerve and bought tears to my eyes when I read it, I feel that mothers pain as I was there myself. Luckily I suffered no supply issues, I was aware of the risks though, my experience has inspired me to do peer support training. Sorry for the long comment.

As a breastfeeding practitioner who works in a hos...

2012-01-04T16:17:31.855Z

As a breastfeeding practitioner who works in a hospital I would like to say that breastfeeding is not perscriptive, one size does not fit all ! supporting a womens informed choice is so important.Guidelines are there for a reason but sometimes using a guideline as the only point of reference lets mums and their infants down. I enjoyed reading the article but was also saddened by some of your experiances with health professionals who think they are being helpful but failing to see a mothers point of view.

I agree with everything that has been said so far....

2012-01-02T09:28:16.893Z

I agree with everything that has been said so far.the only thing I would add is that "Guidelines" are exactly that,breastfeeding is nature not a science and one size does definatley not fit all.Sadley it is just another case of women and babies not being treated as individuals and rules prevailing rather than common sense.

Nipple shields kept me feeding when i developed se...

2012-01-01T22:16:38.097Z

Nipple shields kept me feeding when i developed severely cracked nipples 14 days after my 10lbs 14oz daughter was born (after a 19hour syntocin induced induction with four failed epidurals ending in an emcs with a pph). Had I not used shields I would have given up. Instead I continued feeding, ditched the shields after 10 days and had 12 months of happy breastfeeding AND because of that experience I had the confidence and determination to go and feed my next two children without being daunted by problems.

There is also the less profound psychological aspe...

2012-01-01T21:40:44.782Z

There is also the less profound psychological aspect of attempting to latch a baby onto shredded nipples, knowing full well how much it will hurt. Especially when you are told to take off and relatch again and again to get the "perfect" latch (advice that I ditched pretty darned quickly I'm afraid). Over time I found it harder and harder to beat the fear and found myself pulling away at the point of latching which made the problem even worse. The nipple shield provides a physical and psychological barrier - the psychological part of that is totally underestimated by the so-called professionals. I tell you, when you're in that dark dark place the potential effect on your supply is absolutely the least of your worries. Nipple shields saved my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter and bought another 4 months of breastmilk for my tongue tied son that he would never have had otherwise.

I cried reading that sstory, it was almost identic...

2012-01-01T17:28:30.732Z

I cried reading that sstory, it was almost identical to mine almost exactly a year ago.
The midwives eventually suggested them after the tongue tie that shouldn't affect feeding quite obviously was. And after a mini mental breakdown, the shields saved my sanity. It is heartbreaking to have a new tiny baby that you love so much screaming in pain and hunger everytime he is places in your arms because he is so hungry and can't do anything about it.

Thankfully the midwives referred us to the Rvi in Newcastle and we had the tie snipped on day 13 and the shields went that day, they were necessary, but I hated them.

We're still very happily feeding and he turns 1 on Thursday

Entirely agree AA! Ive suggested shields myself on...

2012-01-01T16:39:50.400Z

Entirely agree AA! Ive suggested shields myself on a number of occasions, similar to the one you describe - always with really positive results (both practically and psychologically)and I've never had a problem supporting the mum to transition back to 'bear-back' feeding once ready. My most recent case involved a baby who had never latched without until 6+ weeks. The first time mum tried, babe went on without a quibble!

One aspect you haven't covered is that sometimes a mum might have deep-seated psychological reasons against a baby latching directly to the breast. This might be for a number of reasons - a woman's relationship with her breasts can be complex, can't it? The rational wish to provide breastmilk and the urge to experience breastfeeding is at odds with a repulsion, fear or deep anxiety at the prospect of the baby's mouth on her breast. I have found shields to be a great tool in our tool kit for situations like this, too.

On the other side of the coin though...I would SO love to see at least ONE mum come home from our SCBU WITHOUT shields - it seems to be their default option!

I used nipple shields when my milk came in, as my ...

2012-01-01T16:04:09.066Z

I used nipple shields when my milk came in, as my daughter couldn't latch on because my breasts were so full. (I didn't realise how 'wrong' they were until I saw my midwife's expression when I told her.)

I only used them for a couple of days and off we went. I think they saved my breastfeeding experience. And I'm still feeding her now, and 25 months.

Agree agree agree! We had limited success with Ns&...

2012-01-01T14:39:01.413Z

Agree agree agree! We had limited success with Ns's got told to use them by mw's on the ward, then got told off for using them it was ridiculous if anyone had checked her mouth it was due to tt (lip tie didn't help matters too) but it was due to flat nipples we got told thank goodness this mum had great support from her OH and you.
We were in central London and my OH had to go to 5 boots stores before found them in stock but with some help from a lovely mw in the high dependency ward I was on we had our first feed with them - she told me they probably wont be happy with you using these on postnatal ward... Seriously there is so much wrong with our bf support god help the mw's when I have my next one I'll be more informed than most on bf and tt and will have an ibclc on call to come to hospital or home immediately after birth. So happy for that family.

Oh by the way, I posted that while feeding my 18 m...

2012-01-01T14:37:59.813Z

Oh by the way, I posted that while feeding my 18 month old daughter, with whom I used nipple shields for well over three months (having initially resisted temptation to the point of actually giving up b/f for 2 days due to the "guidelines"). My HV didn't have the heart to quote the guidelines at me herself but let me get on with dealing with things my own way, and thank God she did.

I'm sooo angry reading some of this. Pah to NH...

2012-01-01T14:28:31.573Z

I'm sooo angry reading some of this. Pah to NHS Guidelines. Do they want women to breastfeed for as long as they can or don't they? When every feed is pure exquisite agony, if indeed you can feed at all with a baby who struggles and refuses like the baby described here (and like mine), who are these people to say nipple shields "aren't recommended at all"? They are like CPR for a breastfeeding relationship that is about to be killed stone dead. They buy some time and more than a little sanity. They prevent women having to give up because they can't take it any more. So what's to disapprove of?