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Nipple shield.
Ali has been breastfeeding using a nipple shield since she was born. the first or second time she tried to latch on one of the nurses went and got one and told me to use it with her. When we met with the lactation consultant before leaving the hospital she said we should discontinue it’s use within the first week. The first week came…and went. The nipple shield firmly sandwiched between my boob and the baby’s mouth. Every feed I told myself I’d try her without it on the next one. It seemed so cruel to mess with a hungry newborn if she was doing fine. I researched long term effects of just saying "F*$% it" and nursing with the device. They weren’t much, mostly the possibility of a lowered milk supply but I didn’t have a problem with that. I tried sometimes to get Ali to nurse au naturel but no luck.
And then yesterday. I have no idea what changed but all day yesterday, last night, and today she’s been nursing fine on the boob alone! It’s kind of a relief, for a long time that was what I’d failed to do "right" as a mom. Also, it’s so much cleaner! No more little cup-thing filled with milk to spill all over me when she’s done. No more hunting for the device in the middle of the night. No more worrying about leaving the house without it and being stranded with a hungry baby. No more embarrassment when nursing in front of people. On the other hand, it’s as if she’s two days old again, as far as sore nipples in concerned. The next few days will be painful, but in a good way. Tony and I are SO PROUD of Ali. I don’t know how she did it…the difference between the shield and the real thing is immense and we’d basically given up. She’s such a little troooper.
Right now Tony and Ali are watching the Iowa vs. Penn State game. Go Hawkeyes! Ali is wearing her Hawkeye hat from her Grandpa and Grandma Carroll, and aunties Martha and Georgia. And yes, she’s soooo tired in this pic and is now sleeping in her daddy’s arms.
Katy responds:
Posted: October 6th, 2007 at 8:41 pm →
I’m so excited for you! This will be so much more convenient. SUPER! Oh yea, and you were a good Mom while you were using a sheild too. I just wanted to make sure you knew. Love.
Billie Swalla responds:
Posted: October 7th, 2007 at 11:18 am →
I love the photo of Tony and Ali watching Iowa vs. Penn State! Go Hawkeyes!
Ashley, you are a terrific mother and the only thing about nipple shields is what you know - they are messay and a hassle and you don’t really get to feel the baby nursing. That is just so strange how Ali figured it out now, but she also has learned to get her hands in her mouth the first time and I think it’s allowed her to suck as much as she wants, which seems to be all the time! She reminds me of the sweetpea cartoon character who sucks her paficier all the time. My guess is that once she is able to move about on her own accord, she be doing less sucking and more pulling books off of book shelves, which is what she probably has on her mind right now.
Good luck with the sore nipples, but they’ll toughen up in a while.
Hang in there.
P.S. I don’t believe how good that you got me!
lisa - nate's wife! responds:
Posted: October 11th, 2007 at 10:31 am →
ashley, tony and ali - i feel sort of sneaky that i read your blog, and nate and i aren’t publicly posting any parent/baby information that you can read whenver you feel like it. maybe we’ll have to change that. it is really nice to have your blog as a little check against what is with us.
raffaella would only eat on the right side, so i ended up getting a nipple shield for the left 4 days after she was born. she stopped using it at about 5 weeks, reading your post made me remember just how exciting that was. i was so proud of her that i cried a little, and, it made me feel like a better mom - which is completely ridiculous - that she could eat without it.
ali is adorable!
lisa