Hi,
my 1 month son was given bottle in the hospital. He is not latching now.
With much difficulty I was able to bring him from bottle to breast shield ( silicon breast shield by medela). He started taking with breast shield...but he isnt stable on it now. He cries while feeding and feeds for minutes from breast shild.
I rented a hospital grade medela pump for the 1st month , so that the milk supply remains steady.
I startted trying the shield almost after 6 days of birth.

Any opinion on breast shield is it ok if I continue with the breast shield.....??

I dont know how can I bring him from shield to breast....please help.
I am very much worried.
MSD replied. Hi,
First of all, dont worry and hang in there....see if your pediatrician or nurse pediatrician can advise you (our nurse peditrician was pretty good). I was in a similar situation 5 months back. But the lactation consultants at the hospital never gave me the shield. I used it anyway coz that was the only way my baby could drink my breastmilk (besides pumped milk). I pumped and used the shield for about 3 months and pumped only for another month after that. Women say that have success with latching after they have used the shield (just get the baby used to drinking from teh shield and then slowly try without the shield). I was told that pumping for a minute before feeding also helps in latching.
I suggest strongly that you talk to a lac. consultant and dont give up on trying to feed directly, then by shield and then pumping.
Good luck to you and your little one!