Breastfeeding Product Reviews: Medela Nipple Shields
July 8, 2008 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breastfeeding, products
There are many breastfeeding products I have never tried. Over the next few weeks I will be featuring three different products in the hopes that readers will contribute their reviews in the comments section. So please do leave a comment — long, short, positive, negative — I want to hear your input on what worked and didn’t work for you. First up are Medela Standard Nipple Shields (16mm)
Did you use nipple shields? Were they helpful or a hindrance? How did you get the proper size? Did you try the Medela brand and would you use it again? Were you able to wean from the nipple shields to the breast?
As a mom who wanted to exclusively breastfeed, I was heartbroken when my baby refused the breast at 4 days old and I was forced to pump and bottlefeed until her appetite returned. Once I tried to return to the breast however, we had quite a time. I used the medela 24 mm nipple shield for approx 9 weeks (until my daugther was 10 weeks old) with great success. The medela shielfs have a cut out for more skin to skin contact but i found that i was turning mine to the side to use the edges for holding it on. It proved to be an invaluable tool because I can now say that my daughter is nursing exclusively. The shield assists babies in learning how to open their mouth and also gives them that chance for skin to skin contact when they may not be able to latch correctly to the bare breast. My only complaint is that I had a very overactive let down and if my daughter ever slipped off of the shield, milk would be all over the nursing pillow and me.
To add to my previous post, my daughter is now 17 weeks old and nurses without a shield. It was a lifesaver for us.
I had to use one here and there for a a very short time with my son. More because I had a forceful let down and I would just shower and drown him. I don’t think we used it all that much either.
I used a nipple shield (don’t remember what brand) with my first daughter, from her birth until about 1 month. Once she got hang of it off the shield, she nursed exclusively for 14 months! I get very frustrated when people are so aggressive about this – it’s a tool and it worked for me! I’m now five months into successful exclusive nursing with my son!
Aubrey, Emily and Amy, thank you very much for your comments — your feedback is just the kind for which I was hoping!
Angela,
I actually write a breastfeeding education site as well… I have your site on RSS because I like to see the headlines of your articles, and because you have my admiration for writing daily — my site is only weekly!!
In any case, this one drew me to click because over the last three weeks, I’ve actually written three articles on this very topic (the product you list is the one I used) — Breasfeeding with Nipple Shields, Weaning from Nipple Shields, and Using Nipple Shields — My Experience. They are all on my site at http://breastfeeding.bellaonline.com. Take a look and see if that is of any help to you… each one is linked to the other two at the bottom in related links.
Nicki
Ah, nipple shields. Yes, I used them, and had a love-hate relationship with them.
We used them because my daughter could not latch on completely in the hospital; I was fitted for a Medela shield by the IBCLC the night before we were sent home, and given strict instructions to follow up at my local bf’ing support group (South Shore Hospital, which has saved many a nursing relationship with its amazing free and open to all group!!).
We would have been sunk without that shield. I was exclusively pumping while my husband cup-fed our daughter. We would have gotten home and been unable to keep it up. The shield allowed me to exclusively breastfeed. I loved it for that.
I hated it for all the fuss. It was a hassle to pull it out, put it on properly, and forget nursing in public or even in someone’s living room. It was too awkward and stressful. And keeping track of it, and keeping it clean… oh god, if you put it down in the wrong spot and then it was time to nurse and the baby was getting frantic… I hated the shield for that.
It was eight weeks before I got my daughter to nurse without the shield. And we’re talking, full nursing session with the shield and then as she was drifting off I slipped it off and got a bare nipple into her mouth before she realized it, and she took a little sip. Eight long hard weeks for that moment. I cried. And I called my husband at work, and he cried.
It took another five weeks before we weaned totally from the shield.
We went on to nurse until my daughter was 3 1/2.
Where nipple shields get a bad rap – and where it’s entirely deserved – is when they’re used improperly. It would send me into fits to see them on sale in Babies R Us as cures for sore nipples. I don’t think they should be handed out like bandaids, and follow up should be required when they’re used.
But used in the correct circumstances, a nipple shield is a lifesaver.
My story is similar to that of previous commenters. My son would not latch on at the hospital, and I thank God that the LC tucked a few nipple shields in our take-home bag (which was already pre-filled with formula and bottles, of course *rolls eyes*). Those were an absolute lifesaver those first few days, and they were truly the only thing that allowed me to feel, on an emotional level, that breastfeeding was still possible, that it was something we could figure out in time, as opposed to something I had “failed” at.
Looking back, I can see that we were woefully underinformed in terms of the possible long-term effects of shield use on my son’s latch, my supply, etc. However, we were fortunate and my son transitioned easily to the breast at about 1.5 weeks (it also helped that my mom, who breastfed four babies to 1+ years, arrived around that time and was able to give me a lot of wonderful advice and support).
I used nipple shields for the first few days to help coax out an inverted nipple. They did the trick!
Holly, I’m glad they worked for you!
Readers, note that there are special shields for inverted nipples
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I used the medela nipple shield, standard, 24mm, I think from the time my son was a few days old in the hospital, with problems latching on, until he was four months old. He refused to take my breast without the shield until the day he turned four months. Now he will nurse with it or without it, and I am weaning myself off because without the shields nursing has become painful again. I found it slightly annoying to have to rely on the shields, but I’m so glad that I am able to nurse my son. He has not had any problem getting enough milk but his nursing sessions are much shorter when he nurses without the shield.
My son is 8 days old and I have been using a nipple shield the whole time. I HATE IT and cry every day because I cannot get him to latch on without it. I am not grateful in the slightest for it and am actually pissed off that it was recommended to me to use at the hospital. I feel like it was given to me without a really good reason other than the lactation consultant had other patients and couldn’t spend a lot of time with me. It was also given to me without much instruction on weaning or any warnings about how difficult it would be to wean.
Love and hate the Medela Shield. I use the 16mm shield because of my forceful letdown. I love the shield because I feel my son, now 10 weeks old gets less frustrated with my letdown therefore a better uninterrupted feeding each session. I dislike the shield because I become all frantic when I can’t find it in the middle of the night or when in the car when I have to pull over to feed him. I bought several shields (I think I have
and I have a few in special places just in case I cannot find one when in a pinch. I have been able to get my son to latch onto my nipple bare but pulling off the shield after a few minutes of my initial letdown, he will latch, but won’t be able to stay latched. I plan on breastfeeding him for 2 years, that is the committment I have made to myself and him, however I am a little discouraged that I may need the shield for the duration of the whole 2 years. All in all, the shield has made it possible for me to breastfeed my son and the fact that he is getting breast milk is the most important thing to me.
Chill out, it is just a tool… you use it if you want. It will work for some and not for everybody… and more importantly, this is better than nothing at all.
I have used the shields for nursing both of my kids, and they were truly a lifesaver!! I used the Medela ones, and I preferred the regular ones (as opposed to the contact ones, which I had a problem with keeping attached). I was given whichever size is the mid-range one, and it was a good fit. I was offered one in the hospital with my first son, because he couldn’t latch due to flat nipples. My story was the same for both kids- they could not latch, so I tried a shield, and it worked wonderfully. I had no problems with it hindering my milk supply. I was able to wean my kids from the shield to the breast at 2 months of age. They didn’t really like latching without it, but over time (maybe a 1-2 week transition period) they would be willing to latch for longer periods of time without it. After the 2 month mark, they were both able to nurse successfully without it. I ended up nursing them each for a year! I am due in December with #3, and will have some of these shields packed in my hospital bag. I am so very grateful for them.
Hi,
I am finding all these sites 4 wks after my sons birth. We had a very hard time with latch on at first and was given the Medela 24mm shield at the hospital. LIFESAVER!! Helps my baby eat well. Also my nipples don’t get sore when using it. It does leak milk when he let’s go. At one month we are able to do half of the feedings with the shield half without. Still have latch issues. I only find it a hinderance when we go on outings cause I have to “get ready” to feed which is annoying. Other then that, love it!
Hello! I’m a newcomer to your site (found it on google doing a search for how to make a nursing cover). I’m really enjoying it.
I’ve been using the Medela shields since my son’s birth in August. He was born with an EXTREMELY shortened frenulum (when he cried his tongue looked like a little heart because it would pull the center back down). As a result, my son was not able to correctly latch.
Also, I have flat nipples. Between the two problems, he would wail in the hospital because he wasn’t getting any colostrum. A LC introduced me to the shield the next day and it’s been a lifesaver.
We had his frenulum clipped right around 8 weeks, and he’s able to eat much more efficiently now (before it would take him at least 30 minutes on one side and I was getting clogged ducts/mastitis from not being drained). Unfortunately, my supply has been very low. We’re working on that.
But I’m also working to wean him from the shield. My LC never mentioned that he should be weaned at all, and it was only when I read it on kellymom that I’ve been attempting it. My son is not very receptive yet.
As far as the product itself, it’s easy to use as long as a LC explains it to you. And it is very cumbersome to use in public or even in front of other people in your home. It also pops off easily if my baby is angry that I’m taking too long and manages to flail into it.
For us, the shield was a necessary tool to allow me to breastfeed at all. For that alone, I am a fan.
I am still using the Medela Standard 16mm nipple shield to nurse my daughter. It was given to my by the pediatrician’s Lactation Consultant when my daughter was four days old (after seeing three in the hospital, they gave me the small nipple shield, but it didn’t fit my nipple-I have large, flat nipples). I had a hard time trying to get her to latch on without the shield, everytime I tried, she cried and threw a fit! The hospital staff had me supplementing her with Alimentum by cup because she had lost almost a whole pound from her birth weight. Once I was given the Standard shield, she latched on without a problem.
Now she is going to be 12 weeks this Friday and is completely dependant on the shield. I hate the fact that due to my overactive let down the shield falls off and milk gets eveywhere! I had trouble trying to locate it all the time for feedings, and cleaning it constantly, so I went to Toys R’ Us and bought a few more Medela shields to save my sanity. I would rather her latch on without the shield, but at least I am able to nurse her, and she likes nursing with the shield because my milk is not spraying in her mouth, which irritates her GER. The Lactation Consultants from the hospital told me to wean her off of the shield by two months, but everytime I try she screams at me. I tried rebirthing, skin to skin, switching from shield to bare nipple after nursing for awhile, giving her a little of a bottle first and then switching to my bare nipple, and even offering her my bare nipple when she is half asleep at night. These are all failed attempts at trying to wean her off.
However, all in all I don’t mind using the shield for the most part, and it’s been a bumpy road with breastfeeding, but it is getting easier! I’m just lucky to get her on with the shield most days. It also helps with transitioning from breast to bottle due to me working full-time.
I had to use one because I was soooo sore the first few days (I think my daughter had undiagnosed tongue-tie). My nipples were also kind of flat and needed to be drawn out. I ended up with a low milk supply, although I don’t think the shield was the only reason. We sell the contact nipple shields at work, but there’s a warning on the rack stating that they should only be used under the supervision of an LC. It’s so tempting to use one at length, and I just think if you CAN do without something, it’s probably best. Kind of like birth, it seems that interventions in breastfeeding often result in more interventions.
I have been using the medella 24mm standards sin my daughter was 4 days. I was pumping and finger feeding until then. My daughter is now 3 months old. I tried to stop using them around 8 weeks. She would latch on, however my nipples were very sore and she struggled the whole time. After taking her to the dr. and a BF support group, we found out that the roof of her mouth is uneven (one side higher than the other). It is no problem, except in the area of breastfeeding! While it was very discouraging to find out that she wouldnt be able to BF without the assistance of a shield or pumping and feeding her through a bottle, I have come to terms with it and am thankful that i can BF at all!
The combo of expressed breast milk and feeding with nipple sheild is working great, as she is now almost 14lbs
These saved my BF relationship with my DD. I love them and would take this to formula feeding any day!
ps- getting a good nursing cover, like hooter hider/ baby au lait makes feeding in public with the NS much easier and less stress- as it has a convenient little pocket built into it!
My daughter has a very large nipple…it is not flat so I am not sure this would work and was wanting to know do they make a shield that would fit over hers and make the nipple smaller…like that of a bottle nipple…which he has no problem taking. She is convinced the pump is going to dry her up…is this true? He’s been getting pumped milk through a bottle for 12 days now,,,gained weight nicely but they tried for five days to get him to accept her breast and I feared he’d starve so insisted she pump and feed. Now it’s all my fault…please help.
I was told that I had flat nipples at the hospital and given the nipple shield to use (which we have used ever since). Although it has been a tough road breastfeeding, my 3 mo. old is a happy, healthy baby! Just recently our pediatrician told us that he was gaining weight (he weighs about 13 lbs), but not spectacularly. He went from 40th percentile at his 1st and 2nd mos appts to 25th percentile at his 3 mos appt. We have trouble with him falling asleep at the breast and try to keep him awake, but I never thought there was a weight gain problem. I’m wondering now if using the shield is responsible? and if so what is the best way to wean a 3 mo. old off of the shield?
Although I felt, at times in the beginning, desperate need for the sheild, because the pain in the nipple while breastfeeding my newborn was so great, my daughter would have nothing to do with it. She may have starved to death were it her only option. No bottle either, so it probably wasn’t the sheild’s fault. We toughed it out, and around 6 weeks after birth breastfeeding became more and more comfortable, and we now enjoy a fulfilling nursing relationship. She is a year old, and we have no immediate plans to wean.
I just started using a nipple shield at the suggestion of an LC because of cracked nipples that aren’t healing even though she was able to correct my latch. My daughter doesn’t balk at the nipple shield (she seems content to eat from anything!), but she doesn’t empty my breast with it very well. I think she has more trouble nursing from it than from the breast, but if I don’t heal these cracks, I’m not going to make it past these three weeks with nursing.
I’m confused about the fit of the shield and don’t see the LC again for a few days. Should the nipple be tight in the shield? the 16 mm one fits, and the 24 mm one seems to big for my baby’s mouth, but the nipple is definitely tight in there.
Here’s some info for you on using nipple shields:
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/112/nipple-shields
You could always try the next size up and see how your baby handles it, but it sounds like you have the right size. If your breasts are not getting emptied enough to keep up your milk supply and prevent engorgement, then be sure to pump or hand-express some milk after each feeding. Make sure to watch that your baby is getting enough (both by normal weight gain and wet and poopy diaper output).
I had no problems breastfeeding at the hospital but shortly after going home my son developed a bad case of jaundice. We had to supplement him with breastmilk in a syringe to help flush it out. The jaundice made him so sleepy it was near impossible to nurse him. One night the syringe broke and we were forced to give him a bottle. After his jaundice cleared up he still preferred the bottle because it was easier. For a week and a half I attempted to nurse him at every feeding until we both cried then ended up having to give him a bottle anyways and then pump to keep up my milk supply. The process has been exhausting and depressing. I have been working with a lactation consultant and today we finally resorted to the shield and it was the first time i was able to nurse without supplementing since leaving the hospital. It’s not the most convenient way to nurse but if it comes down to it i rather use the shield than resort to formula.
With my 2 week old, I had cracked and sore nipples that almost caused me to quit breastfeeding, despite help from a lactation consultant. The pain was excruciating. On my second visit with the consultant, she recommended these, and they made a world of difference. I was able to continue breastfeeding with very little discomfort, and allow my nipples to heal. Then I was able to quit using them.