amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

AngelaJ · 03-17-2004, 10:46 AM

I really need some BTDT info. I stopped nursing my first 2 kids after a week or so when my nipples got raw and bloody. Now, mind you, the hospital where they were born had no LCs, only the nurses (who had probably never breastfed before) were there to help. Anyway, everyone said that my positioning was fine, yada, yada. I do believe we had good positioning, but now that I am preggo again, and I really want to nurse, I have been doing serious research and my midwife and I believe that I have inverted nipples. They do get slightly erect when I am cold, but as soon as any pressure is put on them, they withdraw into their nests. I now believe that is the reason for all the pain I had when I was trying to nurse my girls. I want to prevent this problem agian. Like I said, I have done tons of research, read lots of books, and have joined LLL, who assures me that they will be there to help. I am currently wearing breast shell things that are for inverted nipples, but I really haven't seen any difference yet. Has anyone used a breastpump for bringing the nipples out prior to nursing and how did that work? I know it is sometimes suggested after the baby is born, but what about before the baby gets here, in the last few weeks? Would a manual pump like the Avent Isis work for this purpose?

If anyone has any ideas or personal experience, I really need to hear it. I will be devestated if I cannot nurse this time around because of this issue.

Melissa · 03-17-2004, 11:20 AM

I had one inverted nipple and one "normal" nipple. The best cure for inverted nipples is a nursing baby. IMO, nipple pain and rawness is more likely to be caused by a bad latch than an inverted nipple. It may be a little harder for the baby to get a good latch on an inverted nipple, but if the latch is good, it ought to work just like a regular nipple. My son (the first child I nursed) was an excellent nurser. He knew what he was doing from the moment of birth and I never felt even a twinge of pain. And of course, after his expert work

, I didn't have an inverted nipple anymore.

The breast pump *might* work, but I'd discuss it with your doctor before you attempt it. That kind of nipple stimulation could cause you to have contractions.

Good luck!
Melissa

TipToe Fairy · 03-17-2004, 11:21 AM

I don't have inverted nipples, I do have very flat nipple so my story might help. Prior to nursing my dd, I had no idea I had flat nipples, as they do erect just slightly, but I'd never got up close and personal with anyone else's nipples, so I had no idea what was "normal" lol. But the lactation consultant immediately discovered this when I attempted to nurse my dd and she couldn't latch on. The lc described it like trying to grab onto a wet balloon. Anyway, I did those god awful breast shells (which did nothing but annoy me) and I pumped religiously in the beginning, hoping to pull them out and it did work somewhat, but my dd had nipple confusion and sleepiness thanks to the nursery nurses who gave her formula

. Nothing worked, plus she was a sleepy baby from the drugs I had in my system for labor, but I successfully breastfed her with the help of nipple shields, it was something large enough to latch onto and it significantly pulled out my nipples. We nursed for 2 1/2 yrs with those things.

So fast forward to now, I was really worried my ds would have the same problem, but from nursing my dd for 2 1/2 yrs, she was able to pull out my nipples significantly and now they are somewhat larger and he is able to nurse without problems. Plus this was a new hospital which is extremely friendly to breastfeeding, no one gave him a bottle, I outlawed all pacifiers at the hospital for him, and unlike with my dd, I was able to nurse him immediately in the recovery room when he was awake and alert (had a c/s). I was absolutely thrilled he was such a strong nurser, it was one of my biggest fears.

Anyway, I wouldn't bother with those stupid breast shells, but I would definitely try pumping with a hospital grade pump, though since nipple stimulation causes contractions you might should wait til about 36-37 weeks to start.

Good luck!!

APmommyCarrie · 03-17-2004, 12:08 PM

I had majorly inverted nipples. With dd, I gained so much weight and my skin was so taught she just could not latch on. By the time I had lost a bit of it and she could latch, there was no milk left and I had no resources to make it come back. I was crushed. With ds, I did not gain as much weight so it was easier. He latched right on 5 minutes after birth and just kept going, lol! I had raw bloody cracked nipples that hurt like hell, add in thrush and OMGoodness it was torture but I refused to give up tho0ugh I did give him a bottle a few times in the first 2 weeks esp at night because it would hurt. But it cleared up quickly. Once he was latched on and actively nursing it would not hurt so bad. I even saw an LC and she said there was no latching or position problems then she asked me if I had inverted nipples.

My nipples are no longer inverted, he just weaned when I was about 7 weeks pregnant so that was like 3 months ago or something. Becasue your nipples are inverted, it may hurt and get cracked and even bloody at first becasue they are not used to outside exposure, KWIM? They are always in so they are not exposed to rubbing against your shirt or anything like that and therefore are more tender--this is what the LC told me and it does make sense if oyu think about it.

You can do it Mama, you really can, it just may be a bit painful for the first couple weeks but for me it was only REALLY painful for a few days and at night was the worst. I know, not very encouraging, I'm sorry. That was my experience though and I would go through it all over again without hesitation. I may not have the same problems with this baby though since my nipples are still out (I actually have nipples, lol, it's weird for me!).

Good luck Mama and only you can decide what is right fo ryou and your babe.

lamade · 03-17-2004, 12:19 PM

Like Stephanie, I found the shells (like you are wearing now) did nothing to help. I wore them before my first was born, I had little to no guidance, and was unsuccessful at nursing my DD. When DD was born 7 years later, the LC gave me the shield (worn during nursing) to use until the nipples were drawn out enough not to need them (at about 2-3 months for me).

I've heard various people post on this issue and the shells did seem to work for some and the shields didn't. I think it is just something you will have to try for yourself to see what works for you and your baby

beanandpumpkin · 03-17-2004, 01:56 PM

I stopped nursing ds after 3 weeks because the LC I saw gave me nipple shields (not shells, sheilds!) for my inverted nipples. She didn't tell me that they woudl decrease my milk supply, and also cause him to experiecne nipple confusion and never learn to latch properly.

(I know Lisha had a good experience with them, but I know that in the hospital I delivered in, the nurses are not even allowed to mention the words to a mom without the LC's approval...they can really hinder milk supply and cause all sorts of problems.)

With dd, we are still going strong after 11 months! I found another LC who said "we are not going to do nipple shields!" and I got through the very hard first few days. Rebecca had a great latch and I tried all sorts of different positions, but my nipples did get very bloody and cracked and excruciatingly painful at first. I did have the LC evaluate all of those things, and she said that in her experience, moms iwth inverted nipples do have more pain because everything has to stretch. It was so painful that I literally cried when the baby cried, because I knew that I had to nurse her and it hurt worse than childbirth. But it was fine after a few days, and now I'm SOOOO glad I stuck it out...ds was plagued with ear infectrions, eczema, RSV, breathing problems, etc, and Rebecca, at almost a year old, has just suffered her second mild cold. No eczema, no ear infections, no RSV. She is also a healthier weight and yada, yada, you know all of the benefits!

I know telling you that it hurt a LOT doesn't make you feel any better, but you CAN get through it if it's important to you. Now my nipples are very extroverted...by looking, you'd never know they used to be shy.

Michelle