I currently have a 3 year old and will be having another little one at the beginning of June. Due to my son being in the NICU for 6 days and preferring me over a bottle I only breastfed from me until 6 weeks. After that I pumped until he was 1 year.
My question is what can I do to "prep" for breastfeeding my new little one in June with the inverted/flat nipples? I used a shield with my son and because of the various problems he just preferred the bottle. (He didn't have to work as hard at that.)
I would really like to have my new little one close to me and experience the bond that breastfeeding brings.
Thoughts and Suggestions would be great! I would really like to feed our new little one from me and skip the pumping until I head back to work in the fall.
Thanks!
chippybug10
04-12-2010, 05:35 PM
I don't have any advice, since I just plodded through the pain of flat nipples until DS miraculously pulled them out fully at 4 months. The LC who visited me in the hospital recommended breast shells to help draw the nipples out from the flesh. Beyond that, all I can give is a lot of good vibes and I hope you are successful!
sjanea74
04-12-2010, 05:39 PM
I would highly suggest finding a lactation consultant now and finding out what you can do. The more resources you have lined up the better your chances of having success with bf. Try to find a mom's group in your area or find a La Leche League leader. If you need help finding one or want me to look up resources in your area pm me your zip :goodvibes:
THat's wonderful that you pumped so long for your first baby! Kudos to you for that :happyclap:
hollydlr
04-12-2010, 07:17 PM
I would highly suggest finding a lactation consultant now and finding out what you can do. The more resources you have lined up the better your chances of having success with bf. Try to find a mom's group in your area or find a La Leche League leader. If you need help finding one or want me to look up resources in your area pm me your zip :goodvibes:
THat's wonderful that you pumped so long for your first baby! Kudos to you for that :happyclap:
I second all of the above! And the breast shells. Way to go, super pumping mama! I hope your new LO doesn't have such a rough start, so you can have a better chance of an easy BF relationship. You might want to consider adding some things to your birth plan to try to help, such as immediate skin-to-skin contact, delayed bathing/procedures, rooming in, no pacifiers, etc. Not sure what kind of birth you are planning, but all of this should be able to happen, even with a c-section, if you plan ahead and advocate for yourself! Of course you can't control it if the baby has problems and needs special care, but even if that does happen, you can insist on no bottles or artificial nipples - they can feed by syringe or finger tube until nursing can start. Also do tons of kangaroo care.
Good luck! Wishing you all the best!
CherryPie
04-12-2010, 07:48 PM
I have a flat nipple on my left side. Each time has gotten better, but I will admit I do go through some pain in the beginning. The pain doesn't last any longer than 6 weeks (or less) for me. What I have found is using the lansinoh nipple cream/ointment is really helpful but I use it in a different way- it is sticky and tacky and I found if I rub it a little on my nipples in a circular motion it makes the nipple start to stick out so the baby can latch on better. An added bonus is it is soothing so it helps with soreness. Sounds kinda weird but it works :laugh: I never used a shield, I did look for one but the stores didn't carry any and by the time I found some I we got over our issues. There also is this little thing they sell (Latch Assist) (http://www.google.com/products?q=lansinoh+flat+nipple+tool&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=4szDS_yPAov88AbH-tSmCQ&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQzAMwAA)that pulls out your nipple too...I used that with my second BF baby. I FF (also was a NICU baby with SN, wouldn't latch, no support, etc) my first and went on to BF my next two for 2 years and my fourth is 4 months and still BFing.
vmomma
04-12-2010, 09:30 PM
My dd was in the NICU for over 3 months and my right nipple is inverted. It took a few months after she came home to get her suck strong enough, but eventually she got the hang of it and prefers the breast over bottles. I started pumping from day one and this is what helped get my nipple to pop out. She has not had a problem with the right side and actually prefers it. Just the act of her sucking is enough to bring it out. Good luck
spacetygrss
04-13-2010, 06:58 AM
I have a flat nipple on my left side. Each time has gotten better, but I will admit I do go through some pain in the beginning. The pain doesn't last any longer than 6 weeks (or less) for me. What I have found is using the lansinoh nipple cream/ointment is really helpful but I use it in a different way- it is sticky and tacky and I found if I rub it a little on my nipples in a circular motion it makes the nipple start to stick out so the baby can latch on better. An added bonus is it is soothing so it helps with soreness. Sounds kinda weird but it works :laugh: I never used a shield,.
I agree wtih this except that it's my right nipple that is flat. I had a lactation consultant visit me at my house for DS1 and essentially this is what I did as well. You can pump or just massage the nipple for a minute before nursing and it will typically pop right up. After a couple of weeks it was pulled out permanantly and I don't have any problems now with DS2.
