# anyone used SNS AND nipple shield at the same time?



## Neldavi (Jun 28, 2005)

and if so did it end up with a babe nursing sans gadgets?

My baby has lots of latch/suck issues ... I've been working with her for over a month now. I'm pretty much just pumping and fingerfeeding now, and the SNS and shield is what the LC recommended to transition to the breast. Only one or the other and she either doesn't get any milk or isn't latched on well. It feels so artificial to me but it is a lot closer to nursing than fingerfeeding. I still have to fingerfeed a lot because it takes her 3X as long at the breast to get as much milk.

Anyone done this?


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## EmmasmomShana (Oct 20, 2006)

I have









My daughter did end up nursing sans gadgets a handful of times but not without much trying. I EP'd mostly and would offer the breast about once a day since she was an aggressive non-nurser. I got mastitis and quit using the SNS after that. It was all too much for me.

I totally know what you mean by it being really foreign by using both, but like you said at least it's closer to nursing than anything else and if I could have forced myself to use it longer I would have been happy with that (looking back, not at the time). At the time all I could focus on was getting her to nurse "normally".

I wish I had more of a success story for you. She did nurse without them but not a lot and in the end I was an EP'er anyway. I sincerely hope and pray it goes better for you!


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## TurboClaudia (Nov 18, 2003)

i have a friend whose daughter had a partial cleft palate and nursed her with an SNS and nipple shields for close to a year. she had reconstructive surgery at age 9 months. i don't know if she ever fully degadgeted her nursing, though, as i've lost touch with her since she moved away.

~c


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## LowFlyingAnimals (Nov 30, 2003)

Briefly. It was really hard. Like you, it was for latch and suck issues.

I ended up giving up the SNS, using just the nipple shield, and supplementing with bottles of ebm. Fortunately, that worked out fine for us.

Have you tried doing things like pumping a little before latching her with just the nipple shield, so she gets an immediate letdown? Or putting a little milk in and on the shield?

We gave up the bottles after a month or two.

We gave up the nipple shield (FINALLY) at 6 months.

We were gadgetfree for 16 months before she gave it up altogether.

It's possible. Babies do learn. You are doing a great thing!


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