Question:

I have been using nipple shields for the past 4 months to breastfeed my son due to problems with sore, cracked, bleeding and scabbed nipples. They worked great and my nipples are now cleared up. I would like to take the nipple shields away now, but my baby does not seem to want to give them up and will not nurse without them. Please advise!

Answer:

Your baby is probably going through a nipple confusion issue, but it is quite fixable. The process will take approximately one week to complete and since you have had previous problems with your nipples, the gradual process will be good for your nipples as well!  

Start the feeding with your nipple shield on. When you are ¾ of the way through the feeding or 5 minutes from the end of the feeding, remove the nipple shield and allow your child to nurse without the shield. Squeeze a little breast milk onto his lips first so that he knows he is still getting the same thing. Each day, work backwards and gradually reduce the time he is using the nipple shield. Eventually he will not want it anymore. This does work, but you will need to be patient.

A sleepy baby is a little easier to “fool” than a hungry, crying baby so keep that in mind!

If your baby has been receiving bottles as well, be sure the nipple hole size is similar work to sucking on the breast. He is going to want to go for the easiest meal!

Do not force feed your baby. This is never an option.

1. Choice to have “rooming in” or not, meaning Nurses would look after your baby in the Nursery unless you preferred to have them with you in room.

2.The Le Boyer technique was a popular method of childbirth to enhance bonding of mother and child and avoid a harsh, shocking entry into the world .The lights in the delivery room were dimmed and music would be playing softly in the background as baby arrived into the world. Sometimes baby would be placed in a warm water bath.

3. Stay in hospital was up to a week.

4. Epidurals were available but so was laughing gas for pain control during delivery.

5. Fathers had to gown to participate in delivery of baby (this was very new 30 yrs ago)

6. Babies were generally born in a delivery room (preferred by Docs in case there was a problem) to which mom was transferred to from her labor room.

7. Babies were placed on their tummies to sleep and turned from side to side using a rolled up receiving blanket to hold them in place.

8. Mom could not leave hospital until she had watched and demonstrated her ability to bathe her baby for the Nurse

9. Babies who were bottle fed were allowed rice cereal in their before bedtime bottle to encourage them to sleep through the night at one mth of age.

10. Enemas and shaving of the genitalia were practices commonly used prior to birth of baby

11. Fathers were not permitted in the delivery room if baby was born by C-section.

12. Walkers were allowed for baby to scoot around the house in by 6 mths of age.

13. Car seats were not lawfully enforced. Baby could be transported on parents’ knees in car or in car bed in back seat of vehicle.

14. Nipple shields were available but usually only offered to women with inverted nipples.

15. Circumcision of little boys was still performed at request of mother but was not encouraged. A form had to be signed by mother agreeing circumcision was not required before baby left hospital.

INDICATORS:

1. Do you have sore, cracked nipples that may even bleed or bring tears to your eyes when you breastfeed your baby?

2. Do you have inverted nipples?

3. Are you ready to give up on breast feeding your baby due to the pain it creates for you when you attempt to breastfeed your baby?

4. Does your baby refuse to take a bottle even when you have pumped breast milk to put into a bottle- making you a 24/7 source of nutrition while leaving you tired and discouraged?

5. Does your husband feel left out of the bonding process with baby? Perhaps he wants to assist with night feedings to allow you to get some much needed rest?

6. Are you unable to go out and leave baby due to having to be available to nurse?

If you are experiencing any of the problems above, you are not alone and there is a simple solution to the problems listed above: NIPPLE SHIELDS. This could be the answer for you and the problems you are encountering. Many women are unaware of the existence of these simple, handy devices.

Breastfeeding is considered the best source of nutrition for your baby because of the natural properties found in Mothers’ milk and the added benefit of the mothers’ immunity being found in breast milk. BUT, breastfeeding is a choice. Formulas today are designed to give your baby the nutrients they need and are as close to breast milk as possible. The one thing formula cannot offer is the natural immunities passed from Mother to Baby. The choice to breast feed or to bottle feed is the mother’s to make and breast feeding may not be the choice for every mother.

Some Moms are just plain turned off by the idea of breastfeeding. They choose to bottle feed and there is nothing wrong with that decision. Some Moms are not able to take the time off work that they need to establish a workable routine. Some Moms run into complications that force them to stop breastfeeding. Whatever the reason, it is your choice to breast feed or bottle feed your baby. Do not develop a guilt complex or feel that you are not providing your baby with the best if you are not able to breast feed!

Other mothers want to breastfeed their babies but are forced to stop breast feeding due to the challenges described above.

There is a solution to help you with the problems listed above. The answer is a thin, plastic protective device called a Nipple Shield.

Nipple Shields have actually been around for years, but many women are not aware of their existence and are amazed at the positive results they obtain once they try them out! The nipple shield comes in different sizes, designed to fit over the nipple and aureole to protect the nipple from harm and reduce further damage to the nipple while breast feeding. Some are even cut in at the top to allow your baby a breathing space for their tiny little noses while they nurse, but this is not a big problem, as often Mom will use her finger to depress the breast slightly if she tends to have large milk filled breasts. Every baby is different. The shields are available at the Hospital Pharmacy and at Specialty Baby stores, such as Bonnie Togs. Usually, the problem with cracked, sore and bleeding nipples occurs when the baby does not latch on to the nipple properly while attempting to breast feed. It also occurs due to the fact that breast fed babies nurse more frequently than bottle fed babies, especially in the beginning. The nipples get very frequent use, approximately every 2 hours. Nipple problems are common in first time Moms but occur in second time Moms as well, especially if Mom has fair skin. It is always a good idea to prepare your nipples for breast feeding before the baby is born by using a wash cloth or towel on them rather vigorously to toughen them up and there are creams on the market available at the Pharmacy to use ahead of time to help toughen the nipples and prevent the pain and problems caused once your baby begins to suckle. There are other advantages to the Nipple Shield as well! A baby is far more likely to accept the nipple from a bottle in the event you want to go out and pump your milk into a bottle. Many babies absolutely refuse a bottle nipple if they are breast fed infants. Women with inverted nipples have a much easier time of breast feeding their baby with a nipple shield as there is an actual nipple for the baby to latch on to and create a suction to move the milk from the breast. Dads can be involved with feeding a baby if the baby will accept a bottle nipple and this allows Mom to get some much needed rest, or allows her to go out and not have to rush home to a screaming, hungry infant with Dad pacing the floor, helpless until she returns. It is important to remember, however, that your milk supply depends on the sucking action to produce milk and you will need to use a breast pump, manual or electric, to pump milk into the bottles you save for your baby for times you will be using a bottle. The milk can be frozen. If you fail to do this, your milk supply will reduce. Later, when you need to wean your baby from the breast, a bottle is easier to replace the breast for as baby has experienced this different taste and texture on a regular basis. There are different sizes of nipple holes on nipples. Read the information on nipple sizes to get one that most imitates sucking on a breast. This is not a concern with nipple shields as the baby will only be able to suck the same amount available during normal nursing.

I gave up on breastfeeding my first baby after developing a painful abscess on one nipple. I did not know there were nipple shields available. With my second baby, I used a nipple shield from the very beginning and I had no problems with breast feeding at all. My baby also took a bottle with no problem from the very beginning with breast milk I had pumped into the bottle.

My daughter experienced very painful, cracked, sore nipples with her first child. She tearfully told me that she didn’t know if she could continue with breastfeeding but wanted to. She had a nipple shield within the hour and successfully nursed her baby! Nipple Shield care and maintenance is easy. Just wash it in soap and water and dry. They are reusable and only one shield is necessary to use for both breasts. Nipple Shields make a great Baby Shower gift! Approximate cost is $7 – $10 per shield, Cdn.

Baby Showers can be held either before or after the birth of a baby. This is a totally independent choice on the part of the Hostess. Some “moms to be” are superstitious and prefer to have their shower after the birth of the baby but this is rare. Check with the “Dad to be.” In past times, it was considered bad luck to have a shower prior to the birth of a baby, but this superstition is hardly healthy thinking and times have changed!

If you are planning to have a baby shower, consider the points below in your planning.

• Anyone can hold a baby shower for the mom to be, including family members.

• Plan the baby shower approximately 6 weeks prior to the birth of the baby. The ‘mom to be” will surely be nesting and setting up the baby’s room and this is an uncomfortable time for her as she groooows! The distraction will be good for her!
• Due to the expense of a couple having their first baby, a baby shower prior to the birth is most helpful to the expectant parents. Family and friends may wish to get together to buy a more expensive necessity such as a crib or a stroller or car seat.
• Do include a gift receipt with the baby gift in the event that the parents receive duplicate gifts.
• Do encourage the parents to be to set up a gift registry at a store that is convenient for everyone to get to. Some people will use it and others will not and this is great as some guests may wish to be more creative in their gifts.
• In this day and age, the parents may have chosen to ask the sex of their baby through an Ultrasound. Shopping for that special gift is certainly much easier, but remember that Ultrasounds have been misread! Include a gift receipt.
• Gift cards are certainly acceptable gifts and can be wrapped in receiving blankets or small gift boxes with a decorative baby rattle or baby washcloth on top of the parcel. Most parents are thrilled to receive a gift card to buy necessities they may not receive.
• At some showers, diapers are requested as well as the baby gift, so that you can be entered into a draw for a prize. This is acceptable, but guests should never feel forced to “enter the draw”. It is simply a way to include a game into the shower fun as well as to provide new parents with a known necessity. DO include a gift receipt with the diapers as babies outgrow sizes quickly should you participate.   
• When the sex of the baby is not known, sleepers, clothes etc may all be white, mint green or yellow. This is a good time to look at unisex clothing such as jean jackets, unisex jeans, the color red or the gift of a toy. Gift cards again fit the need in this case as do many baby needs such as lotions, creams, towels and blankets.
• If the baby shower is held after the birth of baby, it is fun and a free for all! The baby is also present at the shower which is fun!
• A baby shower is not usually held for a second baby, but that is entirely up to the hostess. If the sex of the baby is different than the sex of the first, it can be a fun time and a chance for the guests to see the new infant once Mom is feeling well.
• A Shower lasting 2-3 hrs on a weekend with tasty snacks and non alcoholic beverages is perfect. Wine can be offered should you wish. Don’t forget the cake!