Breast milk is the most nutritious thing that you can give your baby, and breast-feeding has a myriad of benefits for mother and baby alike. Breast-fed babies have stronger immunity than their formula-fed counterparts, and mothers who breast-feed reduce their risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancers, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Breast-feeding comes with its challenges, and if you have inverted nipples, you may think you will not be able to breast-feed. However, there are ways to tackle this problem and provide the best nutrition for your little one.
Problem
Your inverted nipples can impact your baby's ability to latch onto the breast. If your nipple does not stick out, the baby might have trouble finding it. Your baby might root around the breast but struggle to properly latch onto your nipple and start sucking. The struggle to find a proper latch can be frustrating for both you and the baby, and it might leave you thinking that you aren't equipped for breast-feeding. This, however, is not true.
Facts
While a non-inverted nipple might help guide baby to a proper latch faster, the baby does not need non-inverted nipples to breast-feed successfully, the BabyCenter website explains. Your areola, the area around your nipple, is what baby uses to guide her latch, so she will eventually find your inverted nipple. It just might take longer. In addition, there are supplies and tricks that can help breast-feeding go more smoothly.
Aids
Invest in a breast pump, which you can use before you breast-feed to pull your inverted nipples out. Pump only until your nipples are more pronounced; then, guide the baby to your nipple so she can latch on. Plastic breast shells are also available, which have a similar purpose. You can wear them between feedings to draw out your nipple, much like the breast pump does.
Other Tricks
You can also draw out your nipples by putting ice on them before a feeding. Baby will have an easier time finding the nipple and latching on after this trick. In addition, you can squeeze your breast in a way to make your inverted nipple protrude more. Elongate and narrow your areola to allow your nipple to be more obvious.
