Breastfeeding Mothers: Have you ever used nipple shields?

Did it work for you and your baby? How long do you use those?

What are the pros/cons?

Tell me your personal experiences.

Yes, i wouldn't have been able to breastfeed with out them. My sons mouth was too small. I had too work with a lactation counselor for hours and he just wouldn't or couldn't latch without one. I used one for 3 months.I wouldn't recommend using one unless you had to because they are a pain to wash and reuse with every feeding and a bigger pain to wean baby off of. But, it you have latching problems they are a life saver.

EDIT - I wanted to add I emailed you, please reply when you get a chance, thank you.

I saw your question on babe not opening her mouth wide enough, My babe was almost two months old before her mouth was big enough for a good latch. Now at four months she's a nursing champ. It takes time, but it gets easier every week!
Try squirting some into her mouth, touch your nipple to her nose, so when she opens her mouth, her lower lip rubs against your areola and pulls your nipple into her mouth.

An article I really enjoyed, it talks a lot about how nipple shields really aren't as good as people think.

Excerpt from
'Nipple Shields . . . Friend or Foe?'

"One of the most common rationales for the use of nipple shields is a maternal flat nipple but there are ways to assist the infant to latch on even to flat nipples. The "breast (or nipple) sandwich" technique involves the gentle compression of breast tissue to provide the appropriate filling of the infant's mouth with breast tissue to elicit the sucking reflex. This technique has been likened to an adult who is trying to take a bite out of a large sandwich or hamburger on a bun; the height of the sandwich is too big for the mouth, so the sandwich is compressed to help it fit into the mouth. Page 53 of the BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK details this technique. When using this procedure to assist mothers, be sure to emphasize the following:

Compression should not cause the mother pain.
The mother's fingers and thumb should be well behind the milk sinuses where the infant's jaws and lips will be.
The mother may need to maintain support of the "sandwich" through out the feeding until the infant learns how to achieve this on his own.
The shape of the "sandwich" needs to match the position of the infant's mouth.
For example, in the clutch (football) position, the use of a C-hold on the breast could produce the appropriate shaping to match the width of the infant's mouth and thus achieve a good latch-on. But using a C-hold in the cradle position would put the longest portion of the "sandwich" running from the infant's nose to his chin, making latch-on very difficult. In this position, a U-hold might be more effective."
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJun...

After giving birth to a pro breast feeder who intended to feed 20 hours a day LOL. I decided to give it a try with a shield. I purchased the avent shields and it did help a little but my son fought with the shield (since it was a new object) I also felt the flow was slower. What helps alot is applying a little bit of expressed milk on your breast allowing them to air dry under a cotton shirt (if your considering them to ease pain and not for inverted nipples)

never had to use them, it looked like more of a hassel than it was worth to me and one more thing to remember to bring with you.

yes but didn't like it made nipple hurt sooner. express milk on nipple and let air dry helps nipples not hurt so much.

I never used them; I don't plan on my nipples going to War anytime soon!

never used them better off without them

Nope, i never tried it. I just use lansinoh lanolin once in a while.

I just read your other question and this one. I am going to help you out with both questions. As for opening your baby's mouth more for feedings. cup your breast and make your breast and nipple kinda like a cone and open your daughters mouth wide by putting your finger on her chin and opening her mouth and then place you entire nipple in her mouth.

If you have inverted or flat nipples this maybe something that is hard for her to latch on. To tell if you have inverted or flat nipple is look at them if they dimple inward or don't poke out hardley when you try to stimulate them then you have inverted or flat nipples. I had a slight inverted nipple on my left and a flat nipple on my right when I started to breastfeed. What my lactation consultant told me to do is where breast shells to help bring out the nipple to make the latch easier. Until then I had to use the nipple sheild. I had to use it with my daughter and my son. Not as long with my son since I had breastfed before. but anyway they are a bit of a pain to use but they don't hurt the nipple as much and they do make the baby open their mouths more to latch on and they are still getting breast milk. The best thing to do is if you use one is to have a little bowl of water near by to dip the shield in to help it stick to your breast that will make it a little easier. also have a cloth diaper under your breast kinda tucked in your bra because sometimes the nipple shield comes off and then the milk that collected in it pours all over you if you have the cloth diaper there that will collect the milk and save a mess to clean. The main problem with a nipple shield is when they do get the hang of breastfeeding then you have to wean them from the nipple shield to your breast. that takes a week or two and a lot of patience from the both of you. To wean from it make sure you start the feeding before your baby is really hungry because when they are really hungry they want the milk now not later so if you start the feeding a little before they are starving you will have better chances of getting your daughter to latch on. I am going to post the link to the breast shells and the nipple sheild that I used. I don't know if they are better then the other ones out there but they are the ones that the hospital gave me and it did help with breastfeeding in the beginning. which made it easier for me to get the hang of it and breastfed my daughter for 14 months and still breastfeeding my son at 16 months so it does help to start the process and when you get the hang of it then you can loose both of those items and do it right from the breast.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

Good Luck.