The topic of flat nipples, as well as the possibility of breastfeeding in this case, always comes under discussion. It is understandable - young mothers who first encounter this problem are worried: will they be able to give their child full breastfeeding? There are a lot of options for preparing flat nipples for the feeding process - this is massage, special shapers. What should young mothers do in this case, we will find out right now.
A flat nipple is not a sentence
Most experts are sure that there is nothing wrong with inverted or flat nipples. You can determine how urgent the problem is in a simple way. It is necessary to gently squeeze the areola with the thumb and forefinger. A normal-shaped nipple will squeeze forward, a flat one will remain unchanged. It often happens that the nipples on different breasts are also dissimilar. One can be perfectnormal, the second - retracted or flat. Inverted nipples are the biggest problem with breastfeeding. But they are extremely rare in women. And yet - do not confuse the appearance of the nipple and its real shape when feeding. That is why it is recommended with the help of fingers (comparable to the lips of a baby sucking milk) to establish its real type.
How is baby feeding?
Consider an example of a non-standard breast - a flat nipple. How to feed the baby in this case? First, it is worth disassembling the process itself on the shelves. Every mother must know this - the child eats from the areola. And the nipple itself only makes it easier to grab the breast with your lips.
During sucking, the baby pulls the nipple - it takes the correct size and shape. Do not panic if the little one could not take the breast the first time. For this, a whole system of feeding techniques has been developed, with the help of which the baby will figure out how and what he should do. And further. In no case should you lose heart: flat, inverted nipples are not a reason to tune in to the fact that nothing will work out. It all depends on the right attitude. If you look for a way out of the current problematic situation, you will definitely find it.
Prenatal practice
Today, there are many methods to help change the shape of this part of the body, preparing it for breastfeeding. For example, not so long ago, a practice that helped to stretch a flat nipple before childbirth was very popular. However, over time it became clear that such a technique does not bring muchresult. As noted by experts involved in prenatal nipple reshaping, the time that expectant mothers spent in the classroom worked directly against them. If physiological changes were noted for the better, then the psychological state of women worsened with each session. And even after giving birth, some of the women immediately resorted to the services of bottles, without even trying to feed their baby at least once.
After giving birth, every second mother was sure that she was not able to breastfeed her baby because of the existing pathology. And even if everything worked out at the first attempt, the woman was afraid to breastfeed the second time, expecting that failure was about to come.
First feeding
So what should a woman do if she has a flat nipple? How to feed a baby for the first time? The main thing is to carefully monitor how the baby captures it with his lips. Even if the chest is flat or retracted, he himself will stretch it out with the help of a reflex. As the doctors say: a well-sucking, sensitive baby is the best remedy for an irregular nipple shape. It is necessary to teach the baby to take the breast immediately after childbirth. With swelling from colostrum (and after milk), the flatness of the nipple increases. And this, of course, makes the process of feeding even more difficult. You can seek help from birth counselors. Preparation for the first feeding is carried out with each woman individually. During it, experts not only tell you what to do, but also teach you how to work with nipples correctly: massage, stretch, applyareola.
It is important to know that the correct position of the baby himself is of great importance. If he is comfortable in his arms, then he will be able to grab the nipple much faster.
Cooking the nipples ourselves
You can help your baby to breastfeed for the first time on your own. Flat nipples should be pulled out a little while feeding. To do this, fingers wrap around the chest behind the areola circle: from below - four, and from above - with the thumb. The chest should be strongly squeezed and at the same time taken away towards the chest. This technique will push the nipple far forward. And this will help the little one a lot when getting acquainted with breastfeeding. You can also use a special silicone pad that will help you master the sucking reflex.
However, the first time to apply it is still under the guidance of a generic consultant. Breast pumps have become another common and already gaining popularity method of feeding.
How good is a breast pump?
And it is good because a high-quality electric breast pump quickly helps to stretch the nipple, giving it the desired shape. And most importantly, it does not injure him at all. A flat nipple can also be pulled out with improvised means. For this, a syringe with a volume of 10 cubic centimeters is taken. A part is cut off from the side of the needle: about 1 centimeter. A piston is inserted into the resulting tube. It is also cut to the resulting length of the syringe. The plunger must be inserted from the cut side, and the uncut part of the syringepress firmly against the areola. You need to pull the nipple smoothly, without jerking, very carefully.
This procedure is carried out right before feeding, because the nipple extended in this way does not hold its new shape for a long time.
Using breast pads
So the woman has a flat nipple. What to do if you can not buy a breast pump? You can use special pads for the chest. They are made of high quality plastic, and consist of two main parts. The back is made with a hole into which the nipple is inserted. The front part of the lining has a semicircular shape. It fits perfectly with any bra. The areola, as it were, sticks to the lining, and the bra, with its pressure on the breast, helps to gradually stretch the nipples. Overlays must be carefully monitored. After each feeding, rinse well with warm water and soap and be sure to check for the presence of remaining drops of milk. When buying, pay attention to the size of the pad - they are large (for damaged nipples) and small (for flat and inverted nipples).
Big breasts
Another problem for expectant mothers is a large flat chest. The nipples of such a breast are developed in the ways described above, but when feeding, a few more nuances should be taken into account. When a mother is about to feed her baby, she should put a diaper or towel under her breasts to lift them up, making it as easy as possible to grip.
You canhold the chest with your hand, because a lot of weight will pull it down, complicating the child’s already hard work. Do not lean towards the baby. It is better, on the contrary, to lean back, straightening your back as much as possible. And of course, it is recommended to constantly use bras for nursing mothers, which will help the breasts not to sag after a period of breastfeeding. Many breastfeeding women noted that too large a bust took on completely new forms after the lactation period - it became much smaller.
And finally
A flat nipple is not a sentence. The most important step is to teach the baby to properly latch onto the breast. After a week of feeding with the help of techniques, pads, breast pumps and exercises, a woman will notice that she no longer needs any of this.
A child who is used to taking a nipple already pulls it out on his own to the desired size and shape. You need to know that if a woman does her part of the job of accustoming a baby to a non-standard breast correctly, the child will do everything possible in response. And yet - very often inattentive nurses are afraid that the nipple is flat or inverted. And feeding is bound to be difficult. Do not believe the words without trying in practice. Only the mother herself can determine what shape her nipple is, how much it can be stretched out as much as possible, whether it will be comfortable for the baby to “aim”, wrapping her lips around the areola mugs with the cherished mother's milk. Never stop breastfeeding. Remember that any problem can be solved - there would be a desire.
