Help with Inverted & Flat nipples

There is a subtle difference between a "flat" nipple and an "inverted" nipple. A "flat" nipple is one that does not protrude or become erect through stimulation - it simply stays put. An "inverted" nipple actually retracts, rather than protrudes, when stimulated. Mothers - especially first-timers - with a doubt about their condition can try out this simple exercise - simply compress the areola (the darker portion surrounding the nipples) between the thumb and the forefinger. The degree of protrusion will tell you the difference. It is not unusual to discover that one of the two nipples only is flat or inverted, while the other is normal.

There used to be a time when medical opinion sought to mentally prepare moms with such issues at the prenatal stage itself. Exercises used to be suggested that would revert this condition, and / or devices - such as breast shells and bra cups - were worn throughout the day. However, it has been observed that the mothers, with all this attention being given to their breasts, started feeling inadequate, and rather than adjusting with their condition, set themselves up for breastfeeding failure.

The point that mothers should bear in mind when faced with this condition is that babies do not suckle at the nipples - they suckle at the areolas . Nipples simply act as props for drawing the milk out, and assist in nursing.

Whether your condition makes no difference to the baby's nursing, or it is indeed acting as an impediment, will only become known when you actually try to nurse the baby. In some cases, babies instinctively latch on to the areola - whether inverted / flat, or not. In cases where nursing "does" become difficult, tried and tested techniques can be deployed to help smoothen the process.

One such technique is to now deploy breast shells or bra cups - the ones that were made use of in the prenatal stage. These shells apply a gentle and continous pressure on the areola, with the objective of easing up the adhesions beneath the skin that are holding the nipple back. These shells can be worn for up to thirty minutes prior to each feeding to help draw out the nipple even more. It should be borne in mind, that these devices are not to be worn while sleeping. Further, it is possible that milk starts getting expressed in these shells, especially when the breasts are full. Such milk should be discarded, and not used.

Breastpumps are also an effective device that perform the same function of loosening the adhesions beneath the skin that are preventing the nipples from protruding. Since breastpumps are ergonomically designed, the loosening action is uniformly carried out around the areola. Hospital-grade breastpumps draw out milk from full and engorged breasts quite efficiently - which is their main function, incidentally - and help store them in clean and hygienic containers that can be later bottle-fed to the child. In extreme cases where the child is
simply not able to latch on to the breasts at all - a breastpump is an ideal solution. They are especially a boon for cases where the mother's breasts become engorged quite frequently, but an inverted or flat nipple prevents the child from having access to the milk stored in them.