This is the first of a number of posts dedicated to breast feeding!
I found out very early on in my breast feeding that I didn't have the ideal nipple size and shape. When this happens, it can be very hard for baby to latch and receive a feeding. This can cause for a very cranky baby.
Luckily, there are these lovely little contraptions called nipple guards! They stick to your breast and allow for a longer "nipple" area to be available for baby to latch on to. The latching process is the battle, f.y.i. Once your baby is latched to your nipple, the suckling will pull your nipple further into the nipple guard and baby will have an easier time receiving your milk!
I used the Medela brand nipple guard and it worked wonderfully. I received my first guard from my lactation nurse while I was still admitted in the hospital after giving birth to my son. It was a little big so I went to Babies "R" Us a week later and found that Medela offers different sized nipple guards! ( And rightly so! I mean, breasts are not 'one size fits all'.) I found my size (measure the area of your nipple if you'd prefer not to estimate once you are in the store.) and have been completely happy since.
These guards are super easy to clean and are reusable so the costs of investing in these things is low. And, trust me, they are worth the investment; not only does the guard assist baby in feeding but it lessens the pain associated with breast feeding by acting as a barrier between your naturally sensitive nipple and your over-zealous, hungry baby.
Give them a try.
ASHLY YOU SAVED MY NIPPLES' LIFE TODAY! So I'm a first time mommy to a 3 day old girl and while my hopes of a pleasant introduction to breastfeeding were high, reality had another plan. My babygirl had the HARDEST time latching on. I even saw a lactation consultant after I was discharged from the hospital because she was crying so hard when it was feeding time. I felt like such a failure because she was going through it just to eat. I had no idea that because my nipples are flatter than the ideal shape it would cause her and I a world of pain. The nipple guard has cut down latching attempt time from minutes and long cries to seconds! No more sore and cracked nipples! My new favorite product for bonding time :)Thanks!
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