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inverted nipples???

Melissa - posted on 03/02/2009 ( 2 moms have responded )

272

42

When I "practice" breastfeeding like they showed me in class and I hold my breast I notice my nipple goes back into the areola a bit but it does not look like the drawings in my breastfeeding book of inverted nipples. I guess I am confused as to what exactly makes a nipple inverted. If they are does it mean I have to use nipple shields when I breastfeed?? It is bizarre because my nipples look huge until I hold my breast like I am about to feed a baby then they try to go hide on me lol.

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Nicole - posted on 03/02/2009

637

0

I have an inverted nipple on one side... it would fold itself in essentially and almost go flat like. However, I could kind of like compress it on the sides and make it pop back out myself. Well since nursing it no longer goes in, it stays out now. However, the flow of the nipple is different than the other too. So at first my son really didn't like it as it was faster and made him choke. Now he doesn't really mind, although does still have a preference for the other side. He hasn't choke in ages though.

So I would say, talk w/your obgyn about it now, see what they think. Mine didn't think it would be an issue at all and she was right. Then maybe request to work with a lactation consultant right away at the hospital, but likely it won't be an issue and they'll pop out once your little one latches on.

Rosanne - posted on 03/02/2009

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8

One of my nipples was similar before I had my daughter, it was flatter than the other and when I tested it, it did go inward a bit which is a weird sight! I read that it's not uncommon to have nipples that are slightly flat or inverted but true ones are rare. I worried too that it would make breastfeeding difficult or that I'd have to use a shield or try to drew it out before hand. The best piece of reassurance I got was from the prenatal classes I went to and that was that babies don't 'nipple feed' they 'BREASTfeed' . And after 8 months I can assure you it's true. I never used a shield but she managed to drew the nipple out on her own just fine and now you'd never know that didn't stick out once. The one thing I'd tell you to watch out for is engorgement, due to an unrelated problem I had a terrible case of engorgement when my milk came in and it made the breast so tight she couldn't get the slightly flatter nipple in her mouth until the swelling went down.

Good luck with everything.

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