Answer # 2: Tips for Nursing With Flat Nipples

Hi MG!

First, congratulations on your new baby. I hope you are enjoying him. Now, on to your questions.

Flat nipples alone should not pose too great of an issue. There are things you can do to draw out the nipple. A tongue tie is slightly different. I do know one mother who worked very hard for 2 months, struggled with breastfeeding, but finally got her son to nurse at the breast. He nursed for almost 3 years.

However, this is the exception. Having your son’s tongue clipped is a minor procedure. You should be able to find a pediatrician, dentist, or ENT who will do it in the office with a local anesthetic cream. If you are not willing to have the tongue clipped, then there is still a great chance you can breastfeed.

As for the flat nipples, you can try to pump before nursing, for just a minute or two. This will help your nipples to become erect. The pumping will also begin to get your milk flowing which will make your let down come faster. This may help your son in that the milk will be there waiting and he will not have to work so hard to get a let down.

I am not sure about proper jaw development as the LC suggested. My expertise is not medical. I would consult with a pediatric dentist before I accepted something so far fetched. I would suggest, if you like, that you offer your pinky finger, nail side down, to your baby to suck on. This will also help to position his mouth correctly for latching on to the breast.

I would continue to offer the breast at every convenience. See if you can get him to latch on for comfort nursing as well as for meal times. You are clearly a dedicated mom and extraordinarily dedicated to breastfeeding. Offer the breast as often as you are able.

If you feel you need to supplement, check into getting a Supplementary Nursing Sytem or Lact-Aid. These are systems that have a small tube that is taped to the breast and runs alongside the nipple. When baby latches on, he will get milk from your breast as well as the tubing. You can fill the Lact-Aid with breastmilk, formula, or a goat’s milk which is much closer to human milk.

Also, I would suggest you find a La Leche League group in your area. There may be moms who have been in your situation and can offer you personal support. To find a group, you can go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/ and search for a group in your area.

Please feel free to ask anymore questions, and I offer you the best of luck!

This was another one of the answers I received to my question Help! My baby is still not latching at 6 weeks! I shall be posting more over the next few posts.

It was useful to receive many opinions and feedback especially at a time when I desperately needed help and support. However, it can also be confusing.

Pin It