Nipple Shields

By Tamar Krantman Weiss

Remember rubbing (or more likely scratching) your tummy, daydreaming about what life would be like when the baby finally arrived? First-time mothers planning to breastfeed probably spend a good deal of time wondering what sort of an experience breastfeeding will be and whether it will go smoothly, and hoping that it will result in a special bond between mother and child. Breastfeeding often does go very smoothly, but sometimes there are unforeseen difficulties, most of which can be worked out. Any woman faced with sore or inverted nipples or a baby having a hard time latching on can attest to some challenging periods. When faced with such situations, some women may opt to use what are known as nipple shields.

Nipple shields are synthetic nipples generally made of silicon, similar in appearance to bottle nipples. A women places them directly upon her own nipple in order to theoretically facilitate an easier time breastfeeding. The shields have protruding nipples so that they make latching on relatively easy, and because they are superimposed upon the natural nipple, they may relieve some of the pain from sore nipples. Frequently, though, the nipple shields are used for problems that can be corrected without them.

Dr. Deena Zimmerman, a pediatrician and international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), points out that although the use of nipple shields is warranted in certain circumstances, these are "few and far between." They may be recommended for a woman with terribly sore and cracked nipples, but should be used for a short period of time. In such a case, the shields act as a Band-Aid, "they are not a panacea," and do not correct the root of the problem which is most likely, she says, a problem of positioning with the baby.

Dr. Zimmerman finds that nipple shields are also frequently suggested to women who have flat or inverted nipples and this is likely inappropriate; in her experience, most babies can latch on without the use of such devices. "After all" she notes, nursing "is called breastfeeding, not nipple feeding." According to Dr. Zimmerman, it's possible for a woman with flat or inverted nipples to have a very positive and natural breastfeeding experience. If nursing alone does not draw the nipple out, Dr. Zimmerman suggests that a woman can use a breast pump or other alternative suggested by a lactation consultant. As a general rule, "nipple shields should only be used in concert with aid from a lactation consultant or other professional who can correct the underlying difficulty."