quick clicks

babies today articles

babies today q&a

toddlers today articles

toddlers today q&a

breastfeed.com articles

breastfeed.com q&a

community & groups

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Nipple Shields

Breastfeeding Moms and Nipple Shields

By Tamar Krantman Weiss

Remember rubbing (or more likely scratching) your tummy, daydreaming about what life would be like when the baby finally arrived? First-time mothers planning to breastfeed probably spend a good deal of time wondering what sort of an experience breastfeeding will be and whether it will go smoothly, and hoping that it will result in a special bond between mother and child. Breastfeeding often does go very smoothly, but sometimes there are unforeseen difficulties, most of which can be worked out. Any woman faced with sore or inverted nipples or a baby having a hard time latching on can attest to some challenging periods. When faced with such situations, some women may opt to use what are known as nipple shields.

Nipple shields are synthetic nipples generally made of silicon, similar in appearance to bottle nipples. A women places them directly upon her own nipple in order to theoretically facilitate an easier time breastfeeding. The shields have protruding nipples so that they make latching on relatively easy, and because they are superimposed upon the natural nipple, they may relieve some of the pain from sore nipples. Frequently, though, the nipple shields are used for problems that can be corrected without them.

Dr. Deena Zimmerman, a pediatrician and international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), points out that although the use of nipple shields is warranted in certain circumstances, these are "few and far between." They may be recommended for a woman with terribly sore and cracked nipples, but should be used for a short period of time. In such a case, the shields act as a Band-Aid, "they are not a panacea," and do not correct the root of the problem which is most likely, she says, a problem of positioning with the baby.