Customer Reviews

SoftShells Breast Shell Soothers - Sore Nipples

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have large breasts - DD normally without the added bonus of the milk. My son latched on great at first, but then got a cold and could not latch properly. He got lazy with my milk supply being very good and refused to open his mouth wide enough. Needless to say breastfeeding became torture. I was almost to the point of considering formula when I came across these.

Within just a few hours of wearing them, the pain decreased. The shells helped shape my nipples a little better and made it easier for my son to latch with little effort. After a full day of use, the pain has become almost non-existant.

I wish I had bought these for my daughter because I might have been able to breastfeed her longer than just 9 months. These shells have made breastfeeding the wondeful bonding experience it was meant to be. My son is still a little lazy with the latch, but he is getting better and opening his mouth wider now.

At first I was discouraged by the thought of needing to sanitize them every night, but I bought a microwave bottle sanitizer which makes sanitizing them a breeze. I am a very satisfied customer.

These shields do work very well. I have large breasts and large nipples (E cup when I came home from the hospital) my son lacthed on great at first, but then he seemed like he couldn't handle their size and when a baby latches on wrong your nipples get even more abuse. I could not stand for a towel, or my bra to touch them, I cried every time he tried to nurse. My husband bought me these shields and an adjustable nursing bra (so I could have more room for the shields). Instead of using the inserts included I used cheap disposable nursing pads (save the nice ones for using directly on your breast). With in days I was healing and feeling sooooo much relief. But when you are nursing, take the shield off the other breast too. I wasn't thinking about let down on the side not being nursed (I had pain on my mind) and the shield filled up with milk completely. The poor nursing pad inside tried to absorb, but with the shield preesing on my breast ang having let down, it got messy. I learned quick.
Overall, the shields work great. Your only choices with sore nipples like I had are these shields or go bra-less. And go bra-less and leak milk all over your house.

My nipples were extremely painful in the first few weeks. My breasts were too large for my daughter to handle for the first 2-3 weeks, so I was pumping every two hours. Needless to say this wore my nipples out very quickly. These shells - which my mother (a lactation consultant) suggested - were a lifesaver. Allowing my nipples to air dry helped them heal and provided relief from the friction of a bra or nursing pad. HOWEVER, they also encourage excretion from the nipples and, thus, would fill up pretty quickly. If you didn't feed/pump frequently and/or check on them often, there was often a good chance that they would overflow, or be so full that the slightest leaning forward would cause them to spill. I think they would work better if you could find a material more absorbant than the foam inserts provided. Once you are aware of the problem, though, it's easily managed. Overall, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

I highly recommend purchasing these shells even before the baby is born...if you plan on breastfeeding. I was very sore in the first few weeks. The shells allowed me to apply lanolin cream on my nipples and let them air out and heal in between feedings. I did only use them until my nipples were no longer sore which mentioned before was only a few weeks. But they got me through those weeks when I don't know if I'd have made it otherwise! They were a wonderful product for me!

My son was in the NICU when he was born and had grown accustomed to the bottle, and didn't want to take the time to latch on properly. I was extremely sore, and experienced cracking and bleeding. My dear, sweet husband bought these, and almost immediately I felt relief from the soreness because of the nursing bra . These allowed my nipples to heal and also drew them out which helped my son to latch on properly. I can honestly say these (and my being stubborn) saved me from stopping breastfeeding. The only drawback to these is that I cannot find additional inserts, and the pack only comes with two sets. I don't think the inserts last me through future children should I need these again.

I had sore, cracked nipples from excessive pumping, but I found instant relief once I used these. However if you have heavy flow, you'll find that the inserts are not absorbant enough and you will leak through the breastshell holes when you bend over. I compensate for this by inserting a nursing pad between the breastshell and my bra.

If I didn't have these I would have quit nursing weeks ago! I was so sore the first 4 weeks, I almost quit...these are a must-have if you are sore. They are very comfortable and look pretty natural through clothing. They do cause a little leaking, but just change the foam inserts regularly, or wear a breast pad over them. They are easily worth the $15, if not much more!

To be brief I will say these are SUPER for sore, cracked nipples! And I agree 100% with the other good reviewers. A suggestion though about the foam inserts...they do not hold a lot of milk and once your milk comes in you WILL leak if you are wearing these. What I did was take a nursing pad and fold it in half and put it in the bottom of the shell, where the insert would go. Depending on how much you leak, esp. at night, you might have to change them more frequently. You can use the disposables (Lansinoh makes great disposables) or the washable pads.

I started wearing these in the hospital with my third baby and they completely eliminated that painful engorging that happens. And no more leaking at the grocery store every time my baby fusses. I hated those yukky pads in my bras and always felt like I needed a shower. No more!!

I was very sore with cracked and bleeding nipples during my second week of nursing. I tried these shells, and did get some relief. It was nice to have something that let my nipples air dry and did not flatten them within my nursing bra. They do provide a nice contour under clothing. The silicone backing was not as flexible as I hoped it would be, and they put too much pressure on the areola around the nipple, which was equally uncomfortable. Because of this pressure, I also tended to leak more and the foam inserts were soaked in no time. Since there are holes in the top of the shells, you run the risk of having milk leak out the top anytime you bend over. I ended up returning them to the store due to discomfort wearing them for periods longer than 2 hours, and I simply toughed it out instead.