Customer Reviews

Medela SoftShells Breast Shell Soothers - Inverted Nipples

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was really not looking forward to wearing the hard plastic shells I'd gotten from La Leche League to help correct my inverted nipples during my last pregnancy. Knowing I was in for a world of trouble if I didn't wear them, I dug them out and just couldn't bring myself to put them on. Then I discovered these soft shells at Babies R Us, and decided to give them a try. They have a soft backing against the breast/nipple instead of rigid plastic, so comfort is key here. Instead of being small and highly domed, these are more shallow and larger, so that they are more discreet when you wear them. There are washable inserts to absorb milk, rather than having to deal with dried pooled milk. And best of all, they do indeed draw the nipple out to prepare for nursing. I'm wearing them now, and I can't even see them through my t-shirt or feel that they are there (I actually lifted the shirt up to make sure they were properly positioned, and they were!). If you have inverted or flat nipples, these are clearly the shells to get!

I purchased these for my second pregnancy, and began wearing them about four days a week at 35 weeks. They really do work to draw out inverted/flattened nipples. I would recommend wearing a looser-fitting shirt because the shape will be visible if you wear a tight shirt.

If you are on your first pregnancy and have questions about shells, check with your doctor, especially because they may begin to draw out colostrum or even induce premature labor.

I had no idea the first time I was pregnant that I might have problems with breastfeeding! By the time my first child was five days old, I was so exhausted and frustrated that I was ready to switch to the pump & bottle method. I'm hoping with these that I'll be able to breastfeed my second child. So far, I've seen a definite improvement, and these are comfortable enough that I can forget I'm wearing them.

Nice side note: these are dishwasher safe. Try putting them in a dishwasher basket with a top so they don't go flying around the machine and melt... the baskets used to wash baby bottles will work just fine.

You might want to get two sets -- one to wear and one to wash. Good luck!

These really do work. I recommend using them before you have the baby though. I waited, and it was quite an ordeal. You will save yourself considerable misery if you wear them in advance (but not too far in advance, or you can induce premature labor--talk to your obgyn).

Before breastfeeding, I had inverted nipples. My midwife suggested these. I started wearing them a few weeks before my due date. They didn't work at all. First of all, having the silicone surface against my breast, trapping sweat all day made my breasts get red and irritated, so I could only wear them every other day. Second, as soon as I took them off, my nipples would go back as flat as pancakes in a matter of a few seconds (far shorter than it takes to achieve latch-on). As far as I can tell, these shells have made no permanent change in my nipples at all.

I still use these guys but not for their intended purpose: when I nurse on one side, milk leaks profusely from the other side. So I use the breast shells to collect milk from the other side (without the absorption pads and after sterilizing them). I collect this milk all day and bottle feed it to my baby right before bedtime to help him fill up and sleep a bit longer. It is much less involved than pumping, but doesn't work very well on the go. It also saves me from going through tons of nursing pads.

Breastfeeding was a huge challenge at first, but after a couple of weeks we were doing fine. I would make several recommendations if you have inverted nipples... First of all, the only useful thing you can do before the baby is born is pumping on a regular basis. When I first started breastfeeding, I pumped in the hospital. It was incredibly painful and made my nipples red at first. The lactation consultant said that it was because my nipples were inverted and they were coming out, so raw skin was getting exposed. This made feeding and pumping considerably more painful than it needed to be during the learning phase. When you pump at first, you draw out the nipple and get that raw skin exposed. Hopefully by the time your baby comes, your nipple already has some experience being drawn out (although likely it will still be flat/inverted when you're not pumping). Pumping may cause your colostrum to come out or leak more than it did before. If your nipples get really sore during pumping, use lanolin creme on them afterwards.

Second, buy a nipple shield! I have no idea why people don't know about nipple shields, but it helped my baby latch on when nothing else worked. We would probably be on formula now if it weren't for nipple shields. My first lactation consultant frowned upon full-time use of the nipple shield because she said it wouldn't allow the baby to stimulate my milk supply enough to keep it going. This assertion is controversial at best (see LLL's article on the supposed evils of nipple shields) and was simply not true for me! I used it full time for 6 weeks and my baby gained plenty of weight. Now I'm just starting to "wean" him off of the nipple shield since he is more coordinated and able to draw out my nipples on his own. Furthermore, the nipple shield actually helps draw out your nipples (you will find that when you're done nursing, they are sticking out). After prolonged use, I found that my nipples stayed sticking out to the extent that I could at least grab them and help my baby latch on. The nipple shields that I used were both made by Medela and one was "contact" (had a piece cut out for more contact between baby and breast). The regular one worked better for times when feeding was frustrating because it would stay on my breast more easily than the "contact" one.

Third, see a lactation consultant if your baby doesn't latch right away. Many hospitals have one on staff. I had to insist on seeing one the first day I was in the hospital because it was protocol to send the lactation consultant on the day that you leave (so my baby is supposed to starve in the meantime?).

Good luck with breastfeeding and don't give up!

I didn't use them until I had the baby and was home for a week or so. I was having problems with the baby latching on and the doctor said it could be because my nipples were inverted. I tried these shells and they really worked great. The only thing is that you have to make sure you check them from time to time because they do collect a good amount of milk. If you leave them too long, you'll wind up leaking through. Definitely wear a loose shirt because you can tell that you are wearing something underneath if you have a tight shirt on. Also, watch how you hold the baby with them on. They are a bit hard so you don't want to lean the baby over them in a bad position. It would be uncomfortable for him.

Our son was born in the middle of September. During the first day we definitely had problems. The day after having him my lactation consultant suggested these and hubby ran to babysrus to buy these. I wore them for an hr before feeding time and our son truly fed for the 1st time and was able to stay latched for the entire 40mins that he took. They were effective immediately and these were such a godsend. You dont have to worry about the nipple confusion etc that you might have with a shield, and previous review is right, most of the time I would easily forget they were there and would have to check to make sure. Also they are not noticeable under clothing so you can wear these anywhere.
I also wore these when I had leakage problems and I never had to worry about leaking through my clothes in public or something.
Our son is now 4mnths old and I havent had to use these since he was 2mnths old.
I'm saving these for any future kids of ours and I recommend them to anyone with inverted or flat nipples.

My wife has been trying to breastfeed our fisrt child. As many women, she has problems with her nipples: not really inverted but still not good enough for the baby to latch.
We looked in the web and found this product (Soft Shells), went to the store and found something even better. It's from Medela too, the product name is "Contact nipple shield". The results were immediate and baby latched on in the first attempt. Easy to use, easy to clean and also with no flavor or odor for the baby. The product also helps to form the nipple in the long term so later on the shield will not be required. Frustration and tears are gone and now we are enjoying the breastfeeding experience.

These shells, although completely comfortable, simply don't have enough suction if you have large/extremely large breasts. I wore them for several hours the day I got them - at least six hours - and my nipples were not even potruding right when I took them out of my bra.

Also, as a word of warning, if you are pregnant and attempting use of this product, PLEASE consult your OB/GYN before purchasing. I was unaware that stimulation of the nipples can cause uterine contractions, and in some cases, premature labor. So, you want to be certain to clear it with your doctor first. I spoke to a certified lactation consultant that said anything of the sort should only be used after 36 weeks, but even then, you must have your doctor's approval to ensure everything is safe.

My daughter was born almost three months ago on August 27. I have inverted nipples and I tried desperately to breastfeed her, but she just wouldn't latch on. She just cried and cried. Plus my milk didn't come in till several days later (this is my first child). I have not tried this product, but a week or so after she was born I intended to buy breast shells, but accidently bought a nipple shield from medela at Target ( I guess Babies R Us doesn't carry it -at least online). Anyway, the nipple shield is made of soft plastic that is worn over the nipple and areola and your nipple fits in a sort of tube that has holes in it (it almost looks like a bottle nipple). There is even an indentation so that the baby's nose won't be on the plastic. There are two sizes to choose from. This product costs $7. If I hadn't gotten this nipple shield, I never would have been able to breastfeed. I am so glad I purchased this product because of the bonding experience that occurs when you breastfeed. I am no longer frustrated and she latches on fine and I have no problems.

these works wondres. I have flat nipples and was getting very frustrated with breastfeeding. This was my last resort before I was going to give up. They have worked great with drawing out the nipple. I noticed a different within the first day of wearing them. They also help sore nipples too.