You know, I do find it amazing that there is such an emphasis on inverted nipples and all the breastfeeding difficulties you are likely to face. As I point out to my clients though, it is only a problem if your baby is not able to manage to latch on. As your baby is more reliant on getting the breast tissue into his/her mouth rather than the nipple, I do feel that we are getting into a sweat about this unnecessarily.

Your baby has not been chilling in the womb for the last 9 months, dreaming up ideas of what your nipples will look like, or the size and shape of your breast, so when he/she is presented with an inverted nipple, he/she is neither going to be impressed or annoyed, babies just get on with the job to hand – breastfeeding.

But what if you were unable to feed your first baby because you had inverted nipples, what can I tell you to do in preparation for the next little friend?

Well, if you wanted help your nipples protrude more, you could use a little tool called the Nipplette. You would use this when you were neither breastfeeding nor pregnant. To use properly, you will apply the little device to your nipple for roughly 6 hours a day, on the days in between your period. This will help to pull the nipple out, stretching the little filaments that pull the nipple back into the breast. Using in the first or third trimester can induce an early labour – be sure to read the instructions carefully.

If you are trying to manage breastfeeding with inverted nipples, expressing for a few minutes just before a feed will help to pull the nipple out, as well as rolling the nipple between your thumb and fore finger. Overtime you should start to see that the pain dissipates during/after feeds and the nipples remain ‘out’ in between feeds.

Let’s Breastfeed is dedicated to making your breastfeeding dreams become a reality. If I can’t see you in person, you can still have me in your living room with my Let’s Breastfeed Program! www.letsbreastfeed.com/blog