Random BFing ? - breast shells, inverted nipples blah

[noodleoo]

I don't have much advice, but I do have a Lansinoh nipple everter thing that I never used that you can have if you want. If you PM me your address, I can send it to you. Good luck!

[pooh8402]

A coworker told me she has inverted nipples on both sides, and started wearing shells a few weeks before her due date, per the advice of the LCs we work with. She was able to directly breastfeed, and went on to nurse her daughter for a year, I think.

[meltoine]

My nipples were inverted pre-kids. I used a nipple shield with DS1 for approx. 4 months, by which time they had un-inverted (?) and I was able to nurse directly.

[meltoine]

Dec 12, 2015 18:51:29 GMT -5 @simpledog said:

meltoine I was thinking that would happen w DS1 but it didn't! Maybe it's a pump vs baby thing.

No idea! Hopefully things go easier for you this time. 

[Deleted]

Good luck. I think flat nipples were part of our problem. Not sure why DS never latched welll. So sympathy but no advice.

[mae141]

Both my nipples were inverted when DD was born. I read about the shells and it seemed like they didn't really help much so I didn't try them. I used a nipple shield for the first five weeks or so, until DD's mouth got a little bigger. She had a bit of a tongue tie, but by the time it was diagnosed she was nursing fine. At first I could not get things to work even with the shield, but then the LC gave me a different size shield and showed me how to flip it inside out a little before putting it on my nip so that it would suck the nip up into it. Once I was able to use the shield correctly, I was able to get bfing to work. I nursed DD for 19 months, and now one of my nipples is not inverted anymore but the other still is.

Good luck!

[AmyRI]

I have no experience using shells, so I'm no help with that. My nipple situation was similar to meltoine in that they were inverted pre-LO1, and have gotten less so as time has gone on. It didn't really improve until after 6 months of nursing, though, so I'm not terribly surprised that you didn't have the same. They stand more erect and are longer when erect now than before kids, although still small in diameter (I need very small flanges and nipple shields).

You don't need them to stay erect very long - just long enough to latch. Once baby has enough nipple in the mouth to "get" that it's a boob, you should be good to go. Keep a manual pump handy and use the nipple shields as necessary - if you can use the shield at the beginning of the feed only to get initial latch, then unlatch, remove shield, and re-latch quickly - it will help avoid milk transfer issues that sometimes come with shields.

I will keep my fingers crossed you don't have to deal with another tongue tie! I was so freaking happy when my DD stuck her tongue out at me in the delivery room. Still haven't forgotten that moment almost 3 years later!

(And FTR, I never mind being tagged. Happy to help when I can and I miss a lot of threads with BFing questions!)

[Muddled]

The shells made me leak.

[Deleted]

Mine are inverted. I have no experience with shells but can tell you the first 6 weeks sucked. I am going to look into this more closely with my midwife this time. I didn't use nipple shield. I just kind of powered through. It was painful and my nipples were a wreck. Now though they seem to have popped out a little more. They retracted when I was not pregnant and now seem to be slightly protruding. I never had trouble producing. It was more the latch that sucked. I think I may over produce and that's why it didn't cause feeding issues.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I have flat nipples. I used a nipple shield the whole time I nursed DD1 (almost 3 years). I am a huge fan of nipple shields -- there is no way I could have nursed DD1 without them.

Both my girls were tongue tied and had it clipped the day after we left the hospital. Even with that, DD1 needed the shield.

My advice is to try the shield and see if it works for you. If it does, then just use it with no angst. I had zero supply issues -- it's a supply and demand system, so if the baby is able to transfer milk using the shield then he'll be getting good enough and your body will produce what he needs.

[runblondie26]

Dec 12, 2015 18:17:30 GMT -5 meltoine said:

My nipples were inverted pre-kids. I used a nipple shield with DS1 for approx. 4 months, by which time they had un-inverted (?) and I was able to nurse directly.

Similar here. I EP'd for DC one, and that was enough to draw them out (for lack of a better term, lol). No problems with the next two being able to latch.

I do have to make sure all my bras are padded now for modesty, even when not nursing ;(

[MamaMaui24]

Dec 12, 2015 17:03:37 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

I don't have much advice, but I do have a Lansinoh nipple everter thing that I never used that you can have if you want. If you PM me your address, I can send it to you. Good luck!

Lansing latch assist? That was going to be my first suggestion!

Lansinoh Latchassist Nipple Everter www.amazon.com/dp/B00112EIWW/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_7OzBwbQSF2CVT