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I recently wrote an article about nipple shields – What they are, why I used them, and the risks and benefits of using them. You can go check it out for yourself, but the most important point is that you should talk to a lactation consultant before using a shield. Nipple shields tend to be given out more often than is needed, and there are risks involved.
That being said, using nipple shields saved our ability to breastfeed. While I am thankful for the shields, by about two months I was really tired of depending on them all the time. So, I set out to stop using nipple shields. It took a month of hard work, but we kicked the habit! Here’s how we did it.
Start by pulling off the shield for the last minute of nursing on each side. You have to be pretty stealthy, but it is possible to break the latch, slide out the shield, and encourage the baby to re-latch. Toward the end of nursing, your nipples protrude more – and so it’s easier for baby to get a good latch. Babies are also pretty mellow toward the end of the nursing session. If baby seems resistant, try squeezing out a few drops of milk onto her lips. Sometimes, they need a little reminder about what they’re doing. It’s important to do this with both sides. If your baby had a tendency to nurse for 15 minutes on each side, you would follow this routine:
Left side: Nurse 14 minutes with shield, Nurse 1 minute without
Right side: Nurse 14 minutes with shield, Nurse 1 minute without
After your baby seems to have the hang of that, you can gradually decrease the time spent with the nipple shield, and increase the time spent without it. I actually had a pad of paper on the end table by our favorite nursing spot, so that I knew how long to use the nipple shield before taking it off. We went 14 minutes, then 13, then 12. . . and eventually, we were down to one minute! This was a really gradual process – It took us a month to wean, so we were dropping back about a minute every other day. There were times that I tried to drop back, and Charlotte was not ready. In that case, I had to go back and give her a little more time.
Eventually, you will be down to one minute per side. When you think you’re ready, try getting a latch without the shields. It helps to start with the second side – So, you might nurse:
Left side: Nurse 1 minute with shield, Nurse 14 minutes without
Right side: Nurse without the shield
If your little one seems resistant to latch without the shield, you might want to try:
- Hand expressing some milk to get things flowing, so that baby is rewarded immediately for latching
- Pumping for a minute before nursing also gets the milk flowing, and makes the nipples protrude
- Putting a drop or two of breast milk on your little one’s lips
- Touching your nipple to the side of his cheek, near the corner of his mouth
- Switching sides
Make sure that you have a good latch, so that you don’t get sore and baby gets what he needs. I discuss latching about ½ way down in my Early Weeks article.
Weaning from a nipple shield takes patience and hard work. However, being able to nurse without the shield – and the worries that come with using it – is totally worth it! Don’t give up!
For more information, check out Kellymom and the La Leche League.
