How long did you use your nipple shield?

[SeekerMage]

I have a feeling I wont be able to get rid of it! How long did you use it? And how long did it last? does it tear at all? Should I look into getting a supply as I only have one? Im sure Im worried for nothing...but still cant hurt to ask. Thanks :)

[Puddy73]

I used one for three months. Every day I would try to get DD to nurse without it at least once - usually unsuccessfully. I had pretty much resigned myself to using one for the duration of our nursing relationship. Then at three months she just started nursing without it and I never needed one again. Eventually I had several shields because when I just had one I was always worried about losing it. I kept one in the diaper bag and several by my bed so that I wouldn't have to get out of bed and wash them during the night. I sterilized my shields every day and they never wore out.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle Mae 9/8/03

[jd11365]

I think it was like 10 days. I would offer her your nipple first each time before you use the shield in case she goes for it. I kept mine in an old retainer case when I travelled outside the house. I had 2 during this period...one for home and one for the diaper bag. I put it in a cup of boiling water after each use. (I microwaved a cup of water until boiling and dropped it in...) They did get cloudy, but I called Ameda and they said that's normal.

Good luck! It WILL get easier!


Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
5-1-03

[papal]

Kathyrn,
I used mine just once because the LC recomended one since i had an overactive letdown (that was cured by cabbage leaves). I have the Ameda (or was it Avent? lost the packaging..got it at BRU)... one a smaller one and one a larger one. I used it for like 10 seconds and got frustrated cos it would not stay on so tried the other one.. same thing... anyway.. if you want them you are welcome to them.. just email me.

[drsweetie]

Oh, man, I used mine for about 30 seconds and then it hurt so bad I had to discontinue. DD couldn't get a good latch with the shields on and was "chewing" me in an effort to get to the milk. I suspect that if you have (ahem) nipples/breasts that are on the small side, it might be difficult to use these, because that was certainly my experience. Never again.

Ellen
Mom to Laura 6/9/03

[houseof3boys]

about 2 weeks if my hazy memory serves. I kept trying almost every feeding to do it without and one day, he latched without it. The next time was still difficult and I used it for a few minutes then he had extracted my nipple enough to get a good latch without it. I did this for maybe 2 days and then we never had to use it again.

I had one, always sterilized it after I used it and it never tore. DH did go to Target to get me another one but we never opened the package and eventually returned it.

I felt so bad about using one since the LC's kept saying that was a huge no no and these boards helped me get over that. If that is the only way your baby can eat for right now, then that's what you need to do. Lori (momof3labs) was my BF consultant (that's what I told DH) during those extremely stressful times and she said it was okay to use it! :)

[C99]

6-8 weeks, I think. Yes, get more! I had 6 in the small size and 3 in the larger size.

[sntm]

We used ours for about a month, with the last week or so using it intermittently (like at night, when I didn't feel like working hard to get the good latch.) We did the whole time with one shield (though I did have to drive back to the peds office after forgetting it). It still was in perfect condition. You are welcome to it, if you like. Just PM me with your address. I can't seem to throw it away. BTW, I stored mine in a urine speciman cup. Was the perfect size and kept it protected!
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[Momof3Labs]

15.5 months and counting. Yep, I'm crazy. I was just too lazy to wean him off of it (and still have nightmares of our first 6 days trying to nurse without it) so tried a few times half-heartedly with no success. It hasn't slowed us down one bit though!

I am still using my original one, and bought three extras. I have two that I rotate in the house, and two in the diaper bag (in case I'm trying to NIP and drop one on the floor or something - I can switch to the clean one and worry about washing it later).

[klinney]

I used mine for about 2 weeks. My son wouldn't latch at all and finally did with the shield. I would offer him the breast without it and he would scream. What worked for me was having my husband hold him at my breast while I worked on getting him positioned. It allowed me to relax a little more with his help. He helped us nurse like that for about a week or two until we both got the hang of it. Might work for you?

[macassi]

I used one for about three or four weeks, and remember that it seemed like an eternity. I thought DH would never wean from it. I had inverted nipples, and it definitely pulled them out for me. After about two weeks, I would start DS with the shield and remove it several minutes into nursing. That way the nipples were already a bit stretched (lovely way to describe your body, eh?) and he could latch easier. Eventually, he got used the the switcheroo and we started working on getting him to start "naturally"

An awesome nurse at the hospital gave me the shield. One thing I liked about mine was that there was a cut out where his nose would go. I think it helped that his nose was against my skin, so that was a bit closer to the feeling of nursing without a shield. In fact, I did get a second shield so that I would have one upstairs and one downstairs, and I cut out the cut-out myself.

For what it's worth, no subsequest child ever had an issue latching on. I heard that if the first one is difficult, you're blessed with an easy nurser the second time. I personally believe that nursing for 9+ months gave my breasts such a workout that it was pretty easy for the subsequent babes to latch on.

[amyinNC]

We're still using it - it's been just over 6 months. I tried at about 6 weeks to wean him off and ended up with a terrible case of thrush and very hurt nipples. I guess I've been really lazy since then - it's just easier to keep going as we are. Maybe this thread will get me motivated to wean him off it. It would be a little easier with one less thing to worry about (and nursing in public would be easier too).

I had 3 of them to start - two from the lactation consultant and then a contact shield (the one with the nose cut out). I kept one upstairs, one downstairs and one in the diaper bag. But, in the end, I liked the contact shield so much it's all I use now. I always nurse him in the same place, so it's not too much trouble.

HTH,
Amy

[jubilee]

I have been using the nipple shield for 9 months. Although I have 3, I am still using the first one I bought. I got a one for the diaper bag that was a contact shield (with the nose cutout) and hated it, so I wound up getting another one like my original. I prefer the Medela brand over the Avent shield. I only have one for the house because I always nurse on the couch. I made a little nursing basket, with a small tupperware container for the shield, a burp rag, baby finger nail clippers, lotion, and other odds and ends- which I keep on the couch next to the boppy. I also tried to wean from the shield, but Logan would refuse the breast. Now at 9 months, I'm sure there is no way he'd try to nurse without it! Lori (momof3labs) was very supportive and really helped me thru that time of frustration. I now know there is NO SHAME in using a nipple shield! In fact, congrats on nursing through difficulty!

[peanut4us]

I used one for about 7 weeks??? I think. I had one for home and one for the diaper bag. If you have one of those bottle parts racks thingies for your dishwasher, you can just throw it in their periodically too. Shouldn't tear at all. I found that after about a month of use with the one... it didn't stick as well to me. So I switched the new one to be the at home one and the old one for the diaper bag.

I started to offer her the breast without the shield every feeding and considered it a victory if I could get her to nurse without it once every few days... then all of a sudden it clicked for her and me. And I threw those #@$@%^ plastic things away with glee. Good luck HTH.

[Momof3Labs]

I feel like such a nipple shield enabler!! LOL! But IMO, nursing is nursing. And if you need a shield to do it, so be it. Your baby is getting the exact same benefits of nursing whether you use a shield or not, as long as your supply is holding up. Yes, it's much easier to not use one (and I wish that I had worked to that point), but I'd rather use one than not be nursing at all!

[deborah_r]

We stopped needing it when DS was 17 days old. I would get him started on the shield, then quickly break the suction by sliding my finger in his mouth, whip off the shield and try to get him to latch real quick. After doing that for about a week he finally started to latch on without the shield.

I also wore the breast cups that allow are to flow on your nipples and helps draw your nipples out in between nursing sessions. it was a pain but I think it helped. Also kept my sore nipples from rubbing against my bra/clothing. I think those are called breast shields? There are some for drawing out flat/inverted nipples (the one I am referring too) and some for sore nipples (needed those after got him to latch without the nipple shield, because then the soreness really kicked in!)

[Debtex]

We used them for 3 months...it just sort of "clicked" for us around then. I can't say I did much to encourage him off them, I was just caught with a hungry baby and no shield at one point and put him on and EUREKA! Of course, by then my supply was completely compromised, and we spent another month trying to get the supply back up.

Never fear, if you want to get off them, you will. It's a lot easier without them, I can tell you - when they're latched on to you rather than the plastic thing, they stay on your breast so much better for NIP...

Good luck!

Deb