How does a nipple shield work and are they helpful?

Question

FTM here wanting to EBF. Thanks!

Answer

Nipple shield is like a last resort when your baby doesn’t latch onto your nipple, or if their latch is really bad and you need to heal your sore/ bleeding nipples. It basically suctions around the base of your nipple and works like a milk bottle in a way. 
Babies don’t get as much milk when you use a nipple shield. And their saliva can’t communicate with your body system to tailor the milk specifically to their needs. It is also REALLY hard to get them to nurse without it, takes a lot of work to wean them off of it and onto your real nipple, and some babies won’t. But the shields are great if you absolutely need them. I used one for about 2 months with my first. I recommend them only if absolutely necessary!

Answer

My baby wouldn’t latch because my nipples are flat and we’ve used a nipple shield since day 1. She is now almost 13 weeks. She is chunky as hell and has no problem getting milk. I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there about nipple shields and whether they’re bad/good. I wish I didn’t have to use one but if it means I can breastfeed then so be it. My pediatrician said that we can use it our whole breastfeeding journey if she never decides to go without it. You do what’s best for you and your baby. Obviously try to latch first thing in the hospital but don’t be ashamed if it doesn’t work out. Your breastfeeding journey isn’t somehow “less than” because you use a shield.

Answer

I hated using one. It made a mess and she didn’t like it either. But I needed it to allow the open wounds from her tongue tie to heal. Once her tie was corrected and I had healed, we stopped using it.

Answer

I used one for the first few weeks. He definitely wasn’t missing out on any milk while using it. Also we weaned off of it after a few weeks without a problem. Don’t be afraid of using one! It was helpful