Breastfeeding

[mommyb]

Has anyone tried to breastfeed with one inverted nipple? Is it really possible to do it without using all sorts of "contraptions" and making the first few weeks of the baby's life miserable for both mom and baby? Thanks.

[Melanie]

I would suggest contacting your local La Leche League and asking for a recommendation for a Lactation Consultant. They are worth their weight in gold (and whatever they cost, it's not as much as you'd spend on formula & sick baby doctor visits in a year!).

Contraption Alert: I have heard people use nipple shields for a few minutes then take off of the baby & the shield and put the baby back on b/c the sucking and the shield will draw it out. I had flat nipples, so don't take my word for it.

Have you checked out http://www.breastfeeding.com/ ?

Congrats & Best of Luck - it is worth it.

Mommy to Jonah

[laura_winckler]

My nipples weren't inverted, but they were flat which gives you the same problems. The hospital gave me a nipple shield to use, which allowed the baby to latch-on. Once we had the latch-on and let down established, I could pull off the nipple shield for the rest of that nursing session. It was a real pain because you have to wash the shield between feedings and it's harder to hold the baby, your breast, and the shield all at the same time, but fortunately it is temporary and you get to stop using it in a couple of weeks. I would definitely recommend using some sort of nursing pillow like a Boppy to help you. Otherwise, you'll feel like you need 3 hands to do this! Don't leave the shield on for the whole feeding because it will gradually reduce your milk supply. You can also wear plastic shells that will pull your nipple out, but I never tried that so I'm not very knowledgeable about it.

This is very do-able, so don't give up. I nursed my son for a year and am planning to nurse baby #2 as well. It doesn't seem like I'm going to have to repeat the nipple shield saga. The "fix" seems to be permanent.

[Rachels]

I completely agree! I used nipple shields at first, too, on the advice of my lactation consultant. For the first four weeks, my daughter wasn't able to latch on without them, but then we weaned off and now nurse easily and comfortably without any props. I had no trouble at all with milk supply, nor did I find it particularly cumbersome to work with the nipple shields once I got used to them. Shields come in different sizes, so get some help from a lactation consultant in figuring out whether you need them and which size to try. The importance of talking to a LC CANNOT be underestimated if you have any concerns about breastfeeding. It was the best money I've spent. With help and support, you can almost certainly breastfeed, and within a few weeks, you'll probably find that you can do it easily. My daughter is 12 weeks old, and I'm so glad I hung in there through those early weeks. I couldn't have done it alone, though, so do get yourself some support. Also, don't be scared off by books which tell you that shields are awful. They're a prop, and temporary, and for some people they're vital. We are nursing beautifully now, and I'm so grateful to have had some help. Good luck! You're in for a treat.

[Shirale]

I don't knwo about inverted nipples, but the nurse in the hospital had me pumping a lot to try and pull mine out (flatish) and that seemed to help. Plus, the baby is not only sucking on the nipple itself, but on a larger area. Definitly talk to La Leche and a lactation consultant they helped me SO much, I don't think I could have successfully breastfed with out their help.

[Melanie]

Good point Shira! I forgot about that. The other suggestion I got was to pump a tiny bit first to pull them out.

Mommy to Jonah