Re: [ozmidwifery] Are nipple shields increasing rates of bottlefeeding???

[Dierdre Bowman]

We seem to be obsessed with flat nipples these days.  Who said they are not normal or are going to cause problems?  Recently I spoke with Ruth Cantrill. For those of you who don't she has recently done quite a lot of research into breastfeeding and is in charge of the Baby friendly initiative at the Redlands hospital in Brisbane.  Much of her recent research has looked at the babies ability to crawl up the abdomen and attach itself to the nipple.. What she has found is amazing.  During her study rarely did she find a baby who had problems even with "flat nipples" if the baby was allowed to find it's own way to the nipple and attach. She says if left alone the majority of babies will attach withing 1 hour of birth and even babies peth affected etc will attach within 6 hours.  The babies as they crawl up the abdomen smell and lick their fists which has amniotic fluid on it. The same protein is in breast milk so baby gets a taste and smell for what it can get from mum. It will if left alone find it's own way and attach itself with out assistance even on so called flat nipples.  Babies dont suck nipples the attach to aerola's. Dierdre