Nipple Shield Nursing – Courtnee and Asher

I have been very blessed to have a fairly smooth nursing experience.  I think part of the reason I have had such a smooth experience is because the #1 thing I thought about throughout my pregnancy was breastfeeding.  I didn't touch my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book, but rather spent hours researching breastfeeding and common issues and how to overcome them.  I was determined to breastfeed and wanted to be prepared! None of the women in my family had breastfed but one of my closest friends did and that was really my only exposure to it. It was from that point (which was several years before I had my little guy) that I knew I wanted to nurse.  As prepared as I felt with her wisdom and all my research, I was still very nervous about how breastfeeding would go after learning I was going to have to have a C-section because my son was breech.  Fortunately, the hospital where I delivered is very nursing-friendly and made sure to have Asher to me as soon as possible so that we could begin breastfeeding.  He latched on great and I was so relieved!!  We did run into one issue while still in the hospital - one of my nipples was flat - so the nursery nurse brought me a nipple shield and problem solved! 

 

That nipple shield, however, began to taint my nursing experience as the weeks went on.  We became dependent on it. The shield made nursing easier for him, but less enjoyable for me.  I had to bring that darn thing with me if I was going anywhere, and I tried to plan everything around avoiding that.  Breastfeeding was supposed to be convenient, and with the dependence on the shield it wasn't.  I nearly gave it up, but instead contacted a lactation consultant that I know through my job and she gave me some tips for trying to wean Asher off of the shield.  Persistence was key and Asher's gift to me on my very first Mother's Day was his first day of not using the shield at all.  I was so relieved! Now we are six months strong, which was my first goal, and we are well on our way to a year (my second goal). Originally I thought I'd wean him after a year, but now I just want to go with the flow and let him wean when he is ready.  Asher deserves the very best for as long as he wants it!