What are Nipple Shields?

A Nipple shield is a thin silicone (flexible plastic) cone with a base to cover the nipple while breastfeeding.

Medela makes nipple shields in the following sizes: 16 mm, 20mm, and 24 mm. You can find some sizes in stores such as Babies R US or Target, but can purchase all sizes online at sites like Amazon. There are also other bottle brands that make shields. I have tried the Tommee Tippee, and other than the case it came with, I prefer the Medela.

Reasons for using a nipple shield:

1. To help baby obtain a better and deeper latch due to the mother’s nipple not protruding enough or the baby not having the ability to get enough of the mother’s nipple in its mouth.
2. To help relieve pain and discomfort of sore nipples due to breastfeeding by creating a barrier to the babies mouth rubbing on the nipple.

Some people try to scare women away from using a nipple shield, but I will just come out and say it, nipple shields save way more breastfeeding relationships than it harms. It can be a true lifesaver.

A nipple shield can be helpful in the early days or weeks of breastfeeding. Most mother’s have tender nipples, and they are still learning how to get the baby latched on correctly. A nipple shield can help both! Some women’s nipples get so sore that they have blisters, and any contact is painful. (!!!) The nipple shield creates a barrier, but is thin enough to still have all the same sensations as breastfeeding without one.

For women that have flat or inverted nipples (when the breast is squeezed, the nipple goes flat instead of protruding) a nipple shield may be essential to breastfeeding, and may help draw out the nipple as well. Inverted nipples are caused by adhesion in the tissues that make nipple not able to stretch out.  The nipple cannot stretch out far enough to hit the part of the baby’s mouth that triggers the sucking reflex. The shield sticks out enough to hit this spot in the baby’s mouth. And when the baby gets a taste of the milk, it is encouraged to keep going as well. Ideally, after  a while (or after pumping) the adhesions will stretch out, and the mother will be able to continue breastfeeding without the shield.

Even without inverted or flat nipples, a baby may have trouble latching. For the same reasons described above, the nipple shield helps baby latch and they can take breaks and go back to sucking more easily. Getting some milk into the shield will help encourage baby to keep sucking. Breastfeeding is a learning process, and the baby will learn that milk comes out when they suck.

Types of Nipple Shields

There are two types of shields. One is kind of a half shield, called a contact shield. Theoretically it allows more of the baby’s face to come in contact with the mother’s breast. I personally had more success with a regular shield. I felt like the contact shield wouldn’t stay put, and kept wanting to peel off. Of course this probably is different for every woman and every breast.

How to apply the nipple shield:

Flip the edges of the shield up (like a sombrero hat). Place it over the nipple, and flip the edges back down and smooth them out around the nipple. Some women find it helpful to moisten the edges of the shield to help it stick to the skin. You may find a smaller or larger size shield fits your nipple or your baby’s mouth better.

Clean the nipple shield:

One of the biggest hassles of using the nipple shield is keeping it clean. It does need to be cleaned between every feeding. Hot soapy water should do.  It may be helpful to have two nipple shield so one is always clean and you can rotate them. I also used the medela wipes (for pump parts) in a pinch.

Weaning from the nipple shield:

A nipple shield can solve some very specific problems that are most common during early breastfeeding. Most women can wean their baby off of using the shield once they are a little older.  This time varies for each baby depending on why they are using the shield. Try latching the baby without the shield, and see what happens. If that doesn’t work, start the feeding with the shield, and try to slip it off at some point when the baby may take a break. Or use it on one side, and then try the other without it, when maybe the baby is not quite as hungry and not going after the nipple so voraciously.