Nipple Shields in General

At my baby shower we played a game with nipples shields. We were divided into two teams and had to come up with as many ideas about how they could be used, as possible. As far as I am concerned, this game is all they are good for. Nipple shields are suppose to protect your nipples whilst you breatfeed your baby. If you have funny shaped nipples then some midwives recommend that you use them as it gives you baby a better latch. A few of my friends have even had them recommended to them when they have been in pain at the start of breast feeding. The fact is ladies, breast feeding hurts in the beginning. Your nipples will be sore and they may crack or ...  Read the complete review

I was advised to buy nipple shields by a midwife in hospital (admittedly here in Roma where maybe things are different) as in her opinion my nipples were a little flat and this would draw them out. But having since compared them (with some embarrassment) to other breastfeeding friends, I think they are fine and the advice was bad. I wish that I had never bought them as I was actually feeding pretty well without, but as it hurt a little (which is fairly normal at first) I put them on to protect as feeding certainly seemed easier. Every so often I made sure I could still feed without them but if I was struggling or in pain I just popped them back ...  Read the complete review

What ever you do, do NOT buy nipple shields 'just in case'. The most ludicrous thing i've just heard, is that one company now call them 'nipple protectors'. Please be under no illusions, nipple shields do not protect - in any case what?? do they protect breastfeeding - no! They interfere with the supply and demand process, so reduce supply, making baby get frustrated. They can cause blocked ducts, mastitis and engorgement because the baby isn't draining the breast properly, and therefore could cause a breast abcess. So what do you end up with - antibiotics to help with the mastitis, then you get thrush ...  Read the complete review

When I saw these in my local Boots store I thought I had found salvation. I hadn't quite mastered this delicate art of breastfeeding and I was getting quite disheartened and sore. The intructions stated that you wet the inside of the shield with water or lubricant and - 'hey presto' it attaches to your breast to form a shield whilst baby is feeding. In reality you spend ages wetting the thing, getting it in the right position, getting your child in the right position and 'hey presto' the damn thing falls off. I tried and tried with these but in the end had to give up because my son wasn't prepared to wait while a ...  Read the complete review

Like the writers of other opinions about nipple shields, I was always determined to breast-feed, but I just wasn't prepared for the pain! My son was slow to get the hang of it, and I found it very difficult to get him and me into a comfortable position. I was terrified of squashing or dropping this precious little bundle. This led to cracked and bleeding nipples, and a feeling of dread and despair at the approach of each feeding time. My Health visitor suggested nipple shields when my son was four days old. The Good Points: They really did bring almost instant relief. My son took to them immediately, and the pain stopped. I was able to relax and start to ...  Read the complete review