Nipple shields
and Sabine Schrör, medical journalist Updated onNicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.
More about the expertsSabine Schrör is a freelance writer for the medical team. She studied business administration and public relations in Cologne. As a freelance editor, she has been at home in a wide variety of industries for more than 15 years. Health is one of her favorite subjects.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.A nipple shield, placed over the nipple before breastfeeding, can improve breastfeeding problems. Opinions on the benefit, however, differ. Nevertheless, it seems better to breastfeed with a cone for a short time than not at all. Read here how to put on the nipple shield correctly, the disadvantages of using a nipple shield and how to wean the baby off the nipple shield again.
Breastfeeding with a cone
The thin, transparent and odorless nipple shields made of silicone or latex can be placed over the nipple (nipple) and should help with some breastfeeding problems:
They are supposed to protect heavily used nipples. Since they are modeled on the shape of a nipple, they can make it easier for the baby to suckle the breast if the maternal nipple is not shaped well. In addition, they support the vacuum that the child creates when putting on it, so that it is easier for him to drink.
However, before you resort to the aid, you should first find out the cause of the breastfeeding problem. A lactation consultant or midwife can help with this. The silicone attachment is not always the best and only solution.
It is worth trying to get a grip on breastfeeding problems without a nipple shield. Incorrect use also leads to breastfeeding problems.
Nipple shields - when are they useful?
In most cases, an incorrect application technique leads women to buy nipple shields right at the beginning of the breastfeeding period. As a rule, however, these errors can be easily corrected, so that the aids are not necessary or only necessary for a short time. A nipple shield is only advisable if there is really no other way and the woman might otherwise be forced to stop breastfeeding.
Nipple shields can help with
- badly drawn, sore, bloody nipples
- special nipple shape: flat or inverted nipples
- children with weak suckers, premature babies, sick children
Nipple shields: size and shape
When buying nipple shields, it is important to select the size and shape precisely. If the two nipples are made differently, you will also need two different nipple shields.
Decisive in the choice are the shape and diameter of the nipple. The cones must not be too loose or too tight. The sizes S (small), M (medium) and L (large) with diameters between 18 and 22 millimeters are available. The size refers to the nipple itself, not the areola.
The baby's mouth also plays a role in the selection: small babies and premature babies need different shapes than older children. You can choose between conical and cherry-shaped nipple shields. The latter should make suckling easier for premature babies.
There are nipple shields in which a small recess is provided for the infant's nose. This means that the baby remains at least somewhat used to the skin contact and smells the scent of mom. Under no circumstances should you buy nipple shields that imitate a bottle teat: the long-term goal of the aid is breastfeeding without a cap and not drinking from a bottle!
Hygiene: clean nipple shields
Before you put on the nipple shields correctly for the first time after buying them and after each breastfeeding, you must clean the nipple shields: first clean them with a little washing-up liquid and then pour hot water over them and let them cool down.
In the case of sick children and premature babies, particular attention must be paid to hygiene in order to prevent infections. If the nipples are bloody, the nipple shields should be boiled (five to ten minutes) or sterilized.
It is best to keep cleaned nipple shields in a box with a lid. Nipple shields that you can buy together with a small storage box are practical and hygienic for on the go.
Put on nipple shields correctly
On the one hand, you should wash your hands before putting on the nipple shields. On the other hand, you should trigger the milk ejection reflex (manually or with the pump) and distribute some of the milk around the areola. As a result, the nipple shield adheres better, sores become a little more supple and the child sucks more calmly when the milk is already flowing. Warming the silicone with water can also encourage the baby to drink.
Putting on a nipple shield correctly works well if you first bend the edges outwards and press the tip of the cone inwards with your finger. After putting it on, the edges are folded back. The resulting vacuum pulls the nipple into the tip of the breastfeeding cap at best. Make sure that the nipple is centered in the nipple shield. It shouldn't sit too tight or too loosely in the funnel.
If the nipple shield is in place, the baby must be put on correctly. It is important that the child does not only suck at the tip of the cone. It has to enclose the entire cap of the nipple shield with its lips - just like the entire areola when breastfeeding without aids. This works if the baby opens its mouth wide when laying it on.
Nipple shields: disadvantages
Prolonged breastfeeding with an attachment can reduce the body's production of hormones that are important for milk production: prolactin and oxytocin. In the long term, this may reduce milk production and the baby will no longer get enough to drink. If you are unsure, you should check your baby's weight regularly. And if you express your milk in between, it stimulates a drowsy milk production again.
Other disadvantages of nipple shields are:
- Improper use can make symptoms such as sore nipples worse
- Time-consuming and cumbersome: spontaneous breastfeeding is not possible, cleaning nipple shields takes time
- The child's sucking reflexes atrophy
- Child's nipple mess
- Less skin contact between mother and child
- Getting rid of nipple shields can be difficult
Get rid of nipple shields
Sucking on the cone is much easier for babies, which is why they quickly get used to this condition and refuse to drink from the bare nipple. The longer the device has been used, the more difficult it is to wean the nipple shield. Some children protested for a long time to get the little drinking aid back.
To prevent this from happening, you should - at least if you do not experience excessive pain while breastfeeding (e.g. due to a breast infection) - carefully remove the nipple shield regularly towards the end of a breastfeeding meal.
Also, keep trying to start breastfeeding without a cap. It helps to trigger the milk donation reflex by expressing briefly before putting on the baby. This will make the nipple bigger - it will be easier for the baby to grasp. In addition, the milk flows immediately, so that the child is rewarded with the first sucking without much effort.
Conclusion: Every woman who decides to breastfeed with a nipple shield should try to use this device only for as long as necessary and to return to breastfeeding without a nipple shield as soon as possible.
Tags: baby toddler organ systems Baby Child
