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Expert Q&A

	By Melissa Clark Vickers International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Moms & Babies Huntingdon, Tenn.

I have an inverted nipple – can I still breastfeed?

First of all, it is wonderful that you are planning ahead like this – your baby will certainly benefit from all your early preparation. Inverted nipples are really pretty common, and are a result of the normal nipple developmental process that began when you were inside your mother's womb. Nipple tissue starts out "pointing" inward and then somewhere along the line, pushes outward. Most of the time this happens long before the nipple is needed for breastfeeding, but for many women, this doesn't happen until much later. The fact that your nipple is inverted now doesn't mean it will still be inverted by the time you deliver your baby.

It is also possible that your nipple is not truly inverted. In order to find out, use your index finger and thumb and grasp your breast about an inch behind the nipple. Gently squeeze. If your nipple pops out, then it shouldn't be an issue for you. If it is still inverted – and remains so throughout at least the first two trimesters of your pregnancy – then youmight consider wearing a breast shell especially designed to draw out inverted nipples. These are hard plastic rings that fit inside a rounded cup that you wear inside your bra. The ring exerts gentle pressure on the nipple, helping it to protrude. Start with just an hour or so a day and work up to longer periods.

A breast pump can be used to draw out the nipple right before you get ready to feed, as well as putting a cold cloth on the nipple to help make it erect.

Realize that babies "breast" feed, not "nipple" feed, so an inverted nipple may not even be an issue for your baby. It is important that you learn as much as you can ahead of time about proper positioning. A well-positioned baby can draw out an inverted nipple, and may not care either way!

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