Medela Contact Nipple Shield - Standard Size (24mm)

I bought this nipple shield to separate my bleeding and cracked nipples from the fabrics of my clothes, not realizing its true function at the time. Later I learned from my lactation consultant that clear plastic wrap (the thing you use to keep your vegetable fresh) serves as a barrier quite well, and the nipple shield is used for actual feeding. She taught me how to use it, as my nipples were in a terrible state due to poor latch-on, and that my baby refused to take anything but rubber nipples (we had to bottle-feed her from Day 3 to treat her jaundice; since then she had refused breasts). I used it almost exclusively until my baby was 6 weeks old, when one day she finally took the breast. Here are the pros and cons of this nipple shield based on my experience.

Pros:
(1) For my baby who has nipple confusion, it immediately "fixed" that problem. She latched onto the nipple shield and fed at my breast. Without it she screamed at my breasts. The nipple shield was a...Read more

Hallelujah! I had the hardest time in the beginning breastfeeding my daughter. She didn't latch correctly but yet had a very firm latch, so she literally took skin off of my nipples. Obviously it was extremely painful. I would wince in pain when she latched on, but once she was on it was ok. I freaked out after I saw blood near her head in her crib, but it was my blood from my nipples dripping out of her mouth! Aack! So I finally got a clue and saw a lactation consultant. Thank God for that profession. I showed her my nipples and she said that other women would have quit breastfeeding by then. But I was determined to breastfeed. She introduced me to these nipple shields, and I started using them right away. What a difference it has made! No more pain and baby and I are both happy as can be nursing! I now own 5 of these, I wash them periodically with soap and water and keep them in a Ziploc bag. It's handiest for me to wash them while I am showering. I keep two in a Ziploc bag in my...Read more

I pumped for the first 2 months because my baby wouldn't latch. I tried everything including many trips to a lactation consultant. She was a "tongue thruster" as they would say. After 2 months I was completely worn out from pumping and my dreams of breastfeeding seemed like they were gone. I had bought this shield at the beginning but was afraid to use it because of worries of decreased supply, etc. Well I was away from my husband for a week at my parents and pumping and feeding her by myself left me no time for sleeping during the night so I figured it was now or never. I tried the shield and since it was so similar to the bottles she had been using she did way better latching then normal. I tried removing it after 2 mins like it said and it never worked. She will be 9 months on Friday and I have been breastfeeding with the shield 100% of the time since then. I have bought an extra one as a backup but my original is still working. The best money I ever spent for her. Thank...Read more