Medela SoftShells Breast Shell Soothers - Inverted Nipples
by Medela
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Our Price: $12.00
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Category: Baby Product
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: MedelaBrand: Medela
Model: 80220
Product features:
- Medela Soft Shell
Description of Medela SoftShells Breast Shell Soothers - Inverted Nipples
SoftShells Breast Shells were created with working mothers in mind. Offering the same care for sore, flat or inverted nipples as Medela s other shells, the SoftShells offer increased comfort and a more flattering appearance. Soft, silicone backs on the shells flex to match the contour of a woman s breast, creating a more snug, comfortable fit. The fronts of the shells are vented on the top to provide proper air circulation. Highly absorbent foam inserts protect against leaking.Baby Products Reviews of Medela SoftShells Breast Shell Soothers - Inverted Nipples
Customer Review: Not useful for intended purpose, other products better
Summary: 3 Stars
Before breastfeeding, I had inverted nipples. My midwife suggested these. I started wearing them a few weeks before my due date. They didn't work at all. First of all, having the silicone surface against my breast, trapping sweat all day made my breasts get red and irritated, so I could only wear them every other day. Second, as soon as I took them off, my nipples would go back as flat as pancakes in a matter of a few seconds (far shorter than it takes to achieve latch-on). As far as I can tell, these shells have made no permanent change in my nipples at all.
I still use these guys but not for their intended purpose: when I nurse on one side, milk leaks profusely from the other side. So I use the breast shells to collect milk from the other side (without the absorption pads and after sterilizing them). I collect this milk all day and bottle feed it to my baby right before bedtime to help him fill up and sleep a bit longer. It is much less involved than pumping, but doesn't work very well on the go. It also saves me from going through tons of nursing pads.
Breastfeeding was a huge challenge at first, but after a couple of weeks we were doing fine. I would make several recommendations if you have inverted nipples... First of all, the only useful thing you can do before the baby is born is pumping on a regular basis. When I first started breastfeeding, I pumped in the hospital. It was incredibly painful and made my nipples red at first. The lactation consultant said that it was because my nipples were inverted and they were coming out, so raw skin was getting exposed. This made feeding and pumping considerably more painful than it needed to be during the learning phase. When you pump at first, you draw out the nipple and get that raw skin exposed. Hopefully by the time your baby comes, your nipple already has some experience being drawn out (although likely it will still be flat/inverted when you're not pumping). Pumping may cause your colostrum to come out or leak more than it did before. If your nipples get really sore during pumping, use lanolin creme on them afterwards.
Second, buy a nipple shield! I have no idea why people don't know about nipple shields, but it helped my baby latch on when nothing else worked. We would probably be on formula now if it weren't for nipple shields. My first lactation consultant frowned upon full-time use of the nipple shield because she said it wouldn't allow the baby to stimulate my milk supply enough to keep it going. This assertion is controversial at best (see LLL's article on the supposed evils of nipple shields) and was simply not true for me! I used it full time for 6 weeks and my baby gained plenty of weight. Now I'm just starting to "wean" him off of the nipple shield since he is more coordinated and able to draw out my nipples on his own. Furthermore, the nipple shield actually helps draw out your nipples (you will find that when you're done nursing, they are sticking out). After prolonged use, I found that my nipples stayed sticking out to the extent that I could at least grab them and help my baby latch on. The nipple shields that I used were both made by Medela and one was "contact" (had a piece cut out for more contact between baby and breast). The regular one worked better for times when feeding was frustrating because it would stay on my breast more easily than the "contact" one.
Third, see a lactation consultant if your baby doesn't latch right away. Many hospitals have one on staff. I had to insist on seeing one the first day I was in the hospital because it was protocol to send the lactation consultant on the day that you leave (so my baby is supposed to starve in the meantime?).
Good luck with breastfeeding and don't give up!
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