Emailed 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:
What you are experiencing is nipple confusion and you will need to work backwards in the sense of reintroducing bare-breast feeding. Feed your baby for the majority of the feed with the nipple shield, then 3/4 of the way through remove the nipple shield and continue feeding with the bare-breast. With each feeding decrease the length of time using the nipple shield until he no longer insists on using the nipple. This will take approximately one week.

Note: A sleepy baby is more likely to be fooled than a hungry baby, so offer the bare breast then.

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Breast Feeding is one of the apparently expected practices that new moms face today. It is not looked at as a decision; it appears to be an expectation and new mothers feel that they are doing their baby a serious disservice by not breastfeeding, even though it may not be something they really want to do.

This Article is to tell you that you do have a choice and discusses the pros and cons of breastfeeding versus bottle feeding your infant. Regardless of the expectations of your family, friends, society in general and Hospital personnel, it is your choice and yours alone to make. A mother who is not happy to be breast feeding her child will not benefit herself and her tense demeanor and dissatisfaction may be transferred to her baby.

The Pros and Cons of Breast feeding versus Bottle feeding will be discussed now. Make your own choice. Don’t feel pressured into allowing others to make your choice for you.

Pros of Breast Feeding

• Breast feeding has long been known to provide the perfect nutrition for your infant and is easy for the infant to digest, cutting down on colic problems and passing on your immune system benefits to your baby.

• Breast feeding is thought to increase bonding between mother and child.

• Breast feeding is cheap compared to the cost of infant formulas.

• Breast feeding is more portable and less time consuming than sterilizing bottles, preparing formula and warming up bottles.

• Breast feeding contracts the muscles in your abdomen due to the sucking action of your baby and helps your abdomen to firm up more quickly.

Cons of Breast Feeding

• Breast feeding is very time consuming. Only you can feed your baby and initially it will feel that all you do is feed. Breast fed babies are fed on an average every 2-3 hrs initially and count on 20-30 minutes per side.

• Breast feeding can be exhausting as you are up every few hours during the night. You must learn to nap during the day when your baby naps to get the sleep you need.

• Breast fed babies are reluctant to take a bottle as the taste of the nipple is very foreign to them, even when you are pumping breast milk into the bottle. Some Dads feel very left out during this time period as they cannot feed baby. Some infants however will take a particular nipple and accept bottle feeding.

• Many new Moms have problems with sore, cracked and bleeding nipples initially and longer when breastfeeding due to poor latching of the baby to the nipple and sometimes just because they have a sensitive skin type. No two women are the same. The condition is sometimes treatable with creams and air drying or nipple shields.

• Free time is limited with breast feeding. Moms must arrange their schedule around the babe’s feeding times, especially when they refuse to take a bottle.

• Some Moms become depressed after the initial excitement of breast feeding wears off due to fatigue, no time for themselves and feeling that their life revolves around the babe’s feeding schedule.

• Some Moms are uncomfortable feeding their infant in public and need to retire to a public washroom or other room in the home when people are around.

Pros of Bottle Feeding

• Today’s formulas mimic breast milk to such a degree that they are very similar. The one thing, however, that formula does not contain is the mom’s natural immunities.

• Mom and Dad are both able to share the responsibility of feeding their infant.

• Bottle fed babies will usually go 3-4 hrs between feedings.

• Mom is able to go out and baby will take a bottle for Daddy or a sitter.

• There is no reason why bonding cannot be as special as it is with breast feeding as long as you are holding your baby close during feeding and not offering the bottle while baby is in infant seat.

• Bottle feeding is comfortable for every mom to do anywhere in public. Portable baby bottle warmers are available and Restaurants are happy to warm a bottle for your baby.

• Mom is able to go to the Gym to get back in shape and not have to worry about being on a tight feeding schedule to the degree breast feeding moms do.

Cons of Bottle Feeding

• Formula does not contain the natural immunity from the mother that is found in breast milk. This natural immunity usually lasts for approximately 3 months.

• Formula is expensive.

• Bottles and nipples need to be sterilized, but can be done in the dishwasher as well as on top of the stove.

• Water to add to the powdered formula needs to be sterilized prior to storage in the fridge. Ready to Use formulas are available at a cost.

• Bottles are less portable than breast milk, but there are a number of products on the market to ease the burden of carrying bottles with you and warming prior to feeding. Powdered formula can be easily mixed when you are out or this may be a good time to use Ready to Use Formula.

• Some mothers attribute infant colic to the baby’s inability to digest formula. However, there are breast fed babies who are colicky too. Formulas can be changed. A Pediatrician will recommend the best formula for your baby should you run into trouble.

Bottle Feeding can be just as satisfying to a baby who is Breast Fed. It is all in the attitude that you, the parent, exhibit when feeding your child. The choice is up to you and you alone. There is no point in making a decision that will not fit into your lifestyle, job or comfort level. The most important consideration is the baby: offering nutrition and love together to insure the development of a healthy, happy child!

Always feel free to respond with questions or comments. 

‘Til Next Time,
Nurse Sue, RN.

Disclaimer: My responses are only based on my 35 years of nursing experience and are in no way meant to substitue the diagnoses of a trusted physician. I strongly recommend that you visit a doctor to recieve an accurate in-person diagnoses.

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PROBLEM:
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, alone, 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 for baby 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 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.

Always feel free to respond with questions or comments. 

‘Til Next Time,
Nurse Sue, RN.

Disclaimer: My responses are only based on my 35 years of nursing experience and are in no way meant to substitue the diagnoses of a trusted physician. I strongly recommend that you visit a doctor to recieve an accurate in-person diagnoses.

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