How a nipple shield saved me!

This is baby number 4 for me & I've successfully BF the other 3 with zero problems so thought I was a BF pro by now... boy was I wrong. 

My baby nurses with EXCRUCIATING pain. Her latch is great, no tounge or lip tie, but she just sucks so dang hard it's like nursing a barracuda!! My nipples were cracked since about day 4 & recently even bleeding now. I have tried everything to heal them, lanolin, breast milk/air dry, coconut oil, pumping, feeding her before she's ravenous ..NOTHING was working. I felt like such a failure & was in tears at every feeding, finding myself dreading even the thought of it. Secondly, I was SO TIRED, of taking pain medicne! No , not for the pain of my C SECTION, but for my nipples?! This was getting ridiculous. I was reaching a breaking point where I told myself I was giving it about another week & if it's not better I was switching to formula. After all, breastfeeding is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, a bonding time, instead it had turned into something I was becoming to hate.

THEN...a friend of mine suggested I try a nipple shield before throwing in the towel, so I went and bought one....& baby took to it without any fuss at all, & best of all, with NO PAIN!! I wish I had bought one sooner & saved myself a lot of pain & tears. I'm hoping that my poor nipples can now heal & we can get back to not using the shield soon (*wish me luck*), but for now it is my saving grace! I even bought an extra one so I don't have to panic if this one gets somehow lost. I'm so happy I tried this & didn't give up on breastfeeding ❤️

Just thought I would share my story, maybe some of you can relate? 

💕 & if you are suffering as I was.. I just want to say: don't feel like a failure, & don't suffer through unnessacary pain. Try a shield before giving up & I promise you'll wish you had sooner! ❤️