Pacifier Use In a Breastfeeding Baby

Isaac is a paci baby.  There is always a pacifier in his mouth, or very nearby!

Breastfeeding experts recommend waiting to introduce a pacifier until nursing is well established (six weeks or so).  I avoided giving Isaac a pacifier as long as I could, but must admit that I sent Ross on an emergency pacifier run at 10pm one night.  Isaac was screaming and would only quiet if he was sucking on my finger.  My finger was getting raw and the options were:  let him scream, or give him a pacifier!

I nurse on demand and pretty frequently.  Even so, I am mindful of being sure to feed him if he is hungry and not just "hold him off" with the pacifier.  Nursing when the baby is hungry is the best way to keep up my milk supply.  There are times though when he definitely just wants the pacifier, not me.

Another one of the reasons experts advise against pacifier use in the beginning is because it is so different than breastfeeding.  When a baby nurses, their lips should be flanged out like a fish.  When a baby sucks on a pacifier, they do so with lips closed straight down.  Soothie pacifiers are a bit different:

You can see in the photo above that Isaac's lips are flanged out as he uses this pacifier.  I will sometimes even fiddle with his lips and flip them out a bit more.  This helps protect the breastfeeding relationship and not confuse his suck.  Because of this, Soothies are the only pacifiers we use.

My older girls gave up their pacifiers around 9 months.  They both seemed to not really need them much at that point, so I took them away.  We never had any battles over it.  I even tried to give Julia back her pacifier once out of desperation and she wouldn't take it!  Isaac sure loves his.  Hopefully its not a struggle to take it away someday.  For now his little paci face is pretty cute!

This is not a product review.  I just way over-think everything, including pacifiers.  ;)

Bamboobies Nursing Pads Review and Giveaway

Bamboobies... the name cracks me up.  They are washable nursing pads made with ultra soft bamboo.  I've been trying some out for the last few weeks.  Bamboobies come in two varieties- regular and overnight.

The regulars are very thin and leakproof.  Their cute heart shape allows them to bend and not be all wrinkly and lumpy under a shirt.  They have a waterproof backing on them to help prevent leaks.

The overnight nursing pads are much thicker, although still very soft and plush.  They do not have a waterproof back to them, their thickness stops leaks though.  These tend to get lumpy in the dryer, but can be smoothed out a bit.

Both have worked well for me.  They have leaked, but only after being completely saturated.  One thing to note is that these do not have a stay-dry layer.  If you leak alot, you will need to change them frequently as it is not a good idea to keep that wetness next to your skin for a long time.  I much prefer washable nursing pads over disposables.  (Although I don't like other cotton pads, they leak too easily.)  These are soft and comfortable, and of course save money.  

Have you tried reusable nursing pads?  Would you like to win a pair?

Bamboobies is giving one of you a $16.99 credit good toward any product in their store.  There are three different ways to enter.  Leave a separate comment for each one:
- Check out Bamboobies website and let me know what you would order if you win.
- Follow Bamboobies on Facebook and let me know that you do so.
- Follow or email subscribe to my blog and let me know that you do so.
You may do any or all of these entries.  Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.  The giveaway will close on Saturday May 5th at noon EST.

Can't wait?  Order now with the Bamboobies coupon code WORD20 for 20% off.
Thanks, Bamboobies!

I received Bamboobies for review.  All opinions are my own. 

Undercover Mama

When I nursed my first baby, I wore the nursing tanks from Target constantly.  They covered my tummy when I nursed, but there was not much support in them.  I ended up looking kind of really flat.  Since then I've tried various nursing tops, but I usually end up getting frustrated with the baggy look and all of the layers.  I've enjoyed wearing belly band type things under my normal shirts, but then I'm still fiddling a bit to be sure the band is pulled all the way up before I lift my shirt.  I tried a milkshirt, but felt dorky and the seam kind of showed through my shirts.

Enter: Undercover Mama!  I recently got to try one of these out and really liked it.  Undercover Mama is a nursing shirt that attaches to your normal nursing bra.  When you unhook the bra to nurse, the tank unhooks right along with it, keeping your tummy covered of course.  I enjoyed being able to wear my regular nursing bra with this.  The shirt is just a bit stretchy and a great length.  A size small fit me well.  The top of the Undercover Mama shirt did show at the neckline if I was wearing a V-neck top, but that's fine.  I was worried the back of the shirt might fall down since it only attached at the bra strap in front, but it actually stayed in place just fine.

I used the loop to attach to my bras, but there is also a hook option on each shirt, making it quite versatile.  Having a couple of Undercover Mama shirts allows me to continue wearing my normal tops and eliminates the need for an expensive nursing wardrobe.  I'll definitely be purchasing at least one more before the new baby comes.  I think I need a pink one!  ;)

Would you like to win one?  To enter, do any of the following and leave one comment for each, being sure to include your email address so that I can contact you:
- follow my blog or email subscribe
- like Undercover Mama on Facebook
- follow Undercover Mama on Twitter
That's a total of three possible entries.  The giveaway will close November 7 at midnight and the winner will be contacted by email.  Happy Nursing!  :)
*Giveaway closed.*

Nursing Break

Esther is done nursing.  Around 13 weeks into my pregnancy it was just really uncomfortable.  While I loved being able to nurse her, I knew that we were at the end of our nursing days.  I cried and was upset, not because I love breastfeeding (I was ready for a break.), but because I felt bad for Esther, she's still my baby!  She actually did really well with stopping, and just needed a few extra snuggles with Daddy in the evenings when she was used to nursing to sleep.

Although I do not fit in it anymore, one of my favorite tops is this V-neck from Boob Nursing Wear.  I absolutely love the opening, so easy and no extra layers of fabric to mess with.  I've ended up getting rid of most of my other nursing tops in favor of this simple style.  (Just lift up the overlap part and nurse.)  I enjoy feeling like I am wearing a normal fitted shirt instead of baggy layers that many other nursing tops have.  The length on this one is also great, just a bit long, which is nice.
                                   
I posted about my nursing hoodie last fall - it was probably worn several times a week and it still looks great.  The fabric has held up perfectly.  (I'm going to cry... Esther is so tiny in that post!)  Both the hoodie and the v-neck shirt are size small.  The shirt is more fitted than the hoodie, almost tight, even before my belly started growing, so you may want to choose a size up in that one.  I'm sure these tops will be getting tons of use once our new little one arrives in a few months.  :)  Boob Nursing Wear is a great, high quality, functional choice for a nursing wardrobe!

I received the nursing top pictured above for review.  All opinions expressed are my own of course.

Best Nursing Pads Ever!

I have tried many different nursing pads:

Cotton washable pads = a joke.  Ha.  Nice try being green, not in this area I guess.  I soaked through them in 5 minutes and had to change my bra, my shirt, and the baby.

I ended up using Avent disposable nursing pads and went through boxes and boxes of them.  They bunched up over a day and kind of stuck to me and were not nice, but I didn't leak through them.  Other disposable nursing pads weren't any better and many of them were too big for me.  Some crinkled and made me feel like I was wearing a disposable diaper in my shirt.

Towards the end of my nursing days with Julia I found LANA wool pads.  I think I actually breathed a sigh of relief putting them on.  They were so soft and I wore them constantly.  Until I had Esther and started leaking through them.

I may have found perfection in Knickernappies stay dry nursing pads.  I've been using them with great success since Esther was born.  They are soft fleece on the inside and waterproof PUL on the outside.  The inner layer is hemp, which is antimicrobial and super absorbent.  These are not bulky at all.  I'm thrilled to have a reusable, soft, stay dry nursing pad that I love!

I get mine from Abbys Lane (look here for more retailers).  At $3.25 a pair, with free shipping and 5% off for joining the yahoo group, you can buy one of each color.  :)  If its your first order from Abby's Lane, tell them I sent you (christy.vw@gmail.com).

I received one pair of nursing pads for the review.  I already loved them before that though.  ;)

Accomplishments

Several people have asked me recently how nursing is going and I realized I hadn't updated here about this. After Esther was born I shared some of my struggles - tongue tie, sore cracked bleeding nipples, extremely painful nursing sessions, mastitis, using a nipple shield, and wanting to give up. Continuing on with nursing during those first weeks was sooo hard. After sharing here that Esther had her tongue tie clipped and was using the shield, I didn't have much to update.

Using the nipple shield was frustrating because I didn't know how else to try and help her and I hated that we still weren't nursing right. Having her tongue tie clipped had made our sessions less painful and the shield was helping me start to heal. Esther struggled to nurse without the shield though and wasn't used to the milk flowing right into her mouth (the shield slowed the milk flow for her). Even with the shield she would make a clicking noise and loose the suction constantly, not using her tongue properly. I tried some tongue exercises with her, letting her suck on my finger for a minute and then pressing down on her tongue and slowly pulling my finger from her mouth. We tried without the shield from time to time, but it just didn't work.

I'm not really sure what happened other than tincture of time. Esther's little mouth grew bigger and she was able to latch on better. Eventually I decided we were ready and just committed myself to not using the shield for a whole day. She was struggling and not relaxing while she nursed, but we kept trying and made it all night and the next day without the shield. At one point she was fussy and I decided to put the shield back on, but she didn't like it. I didn't quite know what to do then! I had a baby who didn't want to nurse with the shield or without it. She ended up nursing without the shield.

An interesting note is that just before she finally weaned from the shield, we took her to a chiropractor/ kinesiologist. He adjusted her back and neck, to the point that she could visibly turn her head much better than before. Within a couple of days after her adjustment she also stopped projectile vomiting. She had been spitting up - a HUGE spit up at least once or twice a day allll over the place. I would have to change my clothes, her clothes, and wipe up the floor, the couch, and anything else in sight every time. She completely stopped. I think that the adjustment also may have helped our progress toward getting rid of the shield.

Just before she turned three months old, we were finally shield free. Its been a couple of weeks now and Esther nurses perfectly - well, except that she likes to turn her head to see what her sisters are doing while still trying to nurse. She also likes to smile at me while nursing and plays games with me, latching on for a second and then smiling. I love it. I love that we stuck it out. I told Ross that I needed a prize, this is such a huge hard difficult thing that I accomplished. I am definitely proud of myself and my prize is sleeping on the couch beside me while I type this. She is a sweet little baby, very content and easy going. She smiles easily and is great at snuggling. I love you baby Esther.

Motherwear Nursing Swimsuit

Isn't this place gorgeous? Our whole family got to go on a mini vacation this weekend to a La Leche League conference in Northern Michigan. We attended sessions, roasted marshmallows over a bonfire, and swam in an indoor pool. Even just sleeping in a hotel bed is super exciting to my girls so they had a blast. Lucy says her favorite part was swimming in the pool.

Motherwear graciously sent me a nursing swimsuit to try out and review! I definitely needed a new swimsuit. My others were two piece, and well, you don't want to see my post baby tummy right now. I was also looking for something I could comfortably nurse in. I searched everywhere online looking for nursing swimsuits. Some of them made me laugh. Overall there weren't many to choose from. The best selection I found was at Motherwear. They have a few different ones and three color choices. I got to try out the Goddess Tank Suit in Brown with Pink Dots.

I absolutely love the color. It doesn't show up well in these photos, but in person the pink dots are nice and bright. I really like the fit of this suit as well. The gathered tummy hides my post partum pouch a bit. I got a small and it is a tiny bit big in the cup size but still works fine. The swimsuit has a support bra built in with lightly padded cups. I was able to wear my nursing pads with this and I like that it gave me some shape instead of flattening me out. To nurse, just pull over the top layer to reveal openings. I like that I don't have to worry about how I will nurse my baby, its easily accessible.

I am sure this swimsuit will get lots of use over the summer and will last for several years. If you're looking for a nursing swimsuit, check out the options at Motherwear. I have a few pieces of clothing from them as well, including the dress I recently wore to a wedding. Their items are high quality and stylish. Sign up for a free catalog and check out their Facebook page for sales. Thanks Motherwear!

Expressiva Giveaway

Expressiva is one of my favorite places to shop for nursing clothing. I have several of their tops, and recently had a chance to review a nursing dress from them. Esther was born on January 8th and we had a wedding to attend on February 6th. Both Lucy and Julia were flower girls, so I needed something that I would feel comfortable and pretty in, yet still be able to nurse Esther. When I was shopping for the dress, I wasn't even sure when Esther was going to arrive and how far post partum I would be (ie how big my belly would be!). I searched the internet for a nursing dress that would look nice on me. Thankfully, Expressiva has a few flattering and versatile dresses to choose from. I was able to review the Fabulous Tie Dress in black.

Expressiva clothes are stylish and very functional for nursing. The Fabulous Tie Dress opens easily for nursing by pulling the front layer over to reveal an opening. There are several different nursing opening types that Expressiva uses. They are all clearly demonstrated by clicking on a link in the product description.

I really like that Expressiva posts customer reviews and ratings on each product. It can be very helpful to read that a certain shirt runs a bit big, etc. They also have a sale section with great deals on closeout styles. Across the top of the website they often run giveaways that you can enter by answering a question or sharing your email address.

I actually ended up wearing a different dress to the wedding. Esther's baby dedication is coming up soon and I may wear this one then. I like that I can wear this now and through the spring and early summer as well. If I have another baby, this would work through early pregnancy too because of the extra material in the tummy area. It can easily be dressy or casual. I enjoy other pieces I have from Expressiva and would recommend taking a look around their website to see what interests you.

Need something to get you started shopping? Expressiva is giving one of you a $35 gift certificate! To enter, you'll need to sign up for their email list. Their privacy policy is not to share your email with anyone, but you will receive occasional offers and emails from them. On the home page on the left side there is a section that says "sign up for email notices and special offers". Sign up with your email address and then come back and leave me a comment. When I choose the winner I will verify with Expressiva that you are actually signed up for their emails. You must do this first in order to be entered in the giveaway. For an extra entry leave a comment letting me know that you follow my blog. The giveaway will close on April 7th at midnight. Be sure to take a look around my blog and enter the other baby product giveaways I have going on this month. Thanks for stopping by!

*Giveaway closed. Congrats Rebekah!*

Momzelle Review

All month long I've been focusing on mom and baby products, bringing you some great reviews of helpful and unique products. Momzelle nursing tops are another great product for nursing moms. I was able to review one of their tops and purchased a second one. These tops are nice quality and comfortable to wear.

Momzelle tops have a specially designed easy access nursing opening. There are two different styles, a criss cross front and an empire opening. A video on their website demonstrates the openings. Both of the tops that I have are the empire opening type and I find it very easy to use. I like that I don't have to mess with layers of clothing, I just lift the material over the bust area and nurse. Other nursing tops that I've worn have two full layers and can get hot and feel cumbersome. With these tops I feel much more like I'm wearing a normal shirt.

Their sizing chart can be found here. I normally wear a small and even that can sometimes be big on me. I first chose an extra small because of the note under the sizing chart that says these clothes are designed with a postpartum figure in mind and they can run big in the cup size. I didn't find this to be true at all. The extra small was very tight and I had to exchange it. The small fits nicely but I would say its more of a 2/4 than a 4/6. If anything I think these run a bit small. I love the fit though, its usually hard to find nursing clothing that is flattering and slim fitting. The shirt is also a great length and comes down to my hips.

The styles Momzelle offers are great. They look nice with jeans or can easily be dressed up with a skirt and nice chunky necklace. I like having such versatile pieces in my wardrobe.

Momzelle was started by a breastfeeding mom who saw the need for functional stylish nursing clothes and her brother who jumped on board with the idea. They are supportive of breastfeeding (of course!) and have a section on the website with links to Dr Jack Newman's articles and information on how to get help with breastfeeding. If you're thinking of purchasing from them, they've given us a discount code. Use the code "LITTLE" for 10% off through the end of May. Thanks Momzelle!

Stay tuned, I have a few more baby product reviews and giveaways coming up!

Bravado Giveaway

Bravado Designs is running a great giveaway for a Nursing Essentials Prize Pack! Click here to enter the giveaway at Bravado's website. One of the great prizes you can win is the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra. Bravado sent me one to review and share my thoughts with you about. I also have a giveaway for one of my readers.

First of all, let me say that I'm sort of hard to fit when it comes to bras. I have a wide rib cage and small chest. I'm somewhere around a 36 A/ small B. Ordering a nursing bra online did not seem like a good idea to me, but this one has a large range of fit so I thought it might work. Bravado offers great information and help figuring out your size. I received the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra in a size small.

The band of the bra is a thick elastic. Its very supportive but also stretchy at the same time. I wear it on the last set of hooks which is okay because if it stretches out over time I can tighten it. The cups fit well despite being just a bit too big. The molded foam cups help give the bra some shape and hide nursing pads. The bra does not have underwire - underwire is not recommended because it can put pressure on milk ducts and cause plugs and discomfort. Even without underwire it is supportive. The bra seems like a great quality bra that will last. The clasps are easy to use and can be opened and closed underneath my shirt without looking or having to mess with them too much.

I didn't wear the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra much at first because of having mastitis. I was afraid that the band was a bit too tight and didn't want to cause any issues. Its comfortable now though and will get lots of use. If you're looking for a high quality reliable nursing bra, give the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra a try. This is also a great gift for new moms since the sizing is so versatile. Bravado is a great company to support. They are making an effort to be green (read this section, you might even get some ideas to green your own home further!) and are involved in giving back to their community through product donations.

Be sure you enter the giveaway in the link at the top of this post. You can also enter here on my blog to win a Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra. Leave a comment to enter, being sure to include your email address. Followers of my blog get an extra entry, just leave a second comment for that. For a third entry, you can blog about this giveaway linking back to Bravado and to my blog. Leave a comment with the link to your blog post. I'll close the giveaway on March 31 at midnight. Check back soon, there are a few more baby product giveaways yet to come... Click the Prizey button on the right to see current giveaways. Thanks for visiting!

*Giveaway closed. Random.org chose comment #7.*

Ecobuns Nursing Cover Giveaway

Since having three babies I've gotten pretty confident about nursing in public. Lucy and Julia were both persistent little ones and when they wanted to eat, there was no putting them off until later! I'm not sure if these nursing covers were around when I was nursing my other two, but I've been using one recently with Esther and its great. I don't have to search around for an out of the way corner to nurse in or worry about showing too much skin.

I received a nursing cover from Ecobuns.com to review. This is a new item to their store, made by a mom here locally. Ecobuns is a great little cloth diaper store run by a friend of mine right around the corner from my house. (Dangerous, I know!) I've been keeping the nursing cover in my diaper bag so that its handy when I'm out somewhere and need to nurse Esther. I've used it several times now, and I'm thankful to have it. The nursing cover has a stiff arch up at the neckline which is great. I like that I can see Esther and latch her on without trying to fumble with a blanket. The arch also helps Esther not get too hot under the blanket, and she can look up and see me. I love that I can nurse in public yet still have that connection of being able to see my baby.

Some nice features are a terry cloth pocket on one side, and the adjustable D ring strap. The pocket is great for wiping a bit of spit up (although Esther spits so much at a time I don't bother to use this). The strap holds the nursing cover in place nicely. If I have to sit Esther up to burp her, the cover can be sort of pushed aside and then pulled back into place - unlike a blanket that falls off if the baby moves. The covers are available from Ecobuns in a variety of prints for $24.99.

Would you like one? Ecobuns is giving away the nursing cover pictured at the top of this post! Here are some ways to win:

- visit Ecobuns and tell me something they carry that you are tempted to buy

- follow my blog

- post about this giveaway on your blog linking back to this post and to Ecobuns

- become a fan of Ecobuns on facebook

Leave a separate comment for each of the entries above, being sure to include an email address. Good luck! I'll close this giveaway on March 29 at midnight. If you're new to my blog, take a look around. I have several other great baby product giveaways running this month. You can also click on the purple Prizey button on the right to see what is current. Thanks for stopping by!

*Giveaway closed. Comment #11 won!*

Milk Saver Review and Giveaway

The Milk Saver is another great product for nursing moms! (If you're new to my blog, check out my review yesterday too.) It collects breastmilk from the non-nursing side while you feed your baby. Slip it into your bra before you nurse and as your milk lets down, the Milk Saver collects it. It saves milk that would otherwise just drip into a nursing pad and go to waste!

Milk Saver is BPA and phthalate free and is independently tested to ensure zero leaching. Its also recyclable. The Milk Saver comes with a handy carrying case that also acts as a stand. It can collect up to 2.1 ounces, or more if you attach a breastmilk storage bag as shown.

The first time I tried the Milk Saver, I collected 1/2 oz from both sides together. I used it again the next morning and got 1 1/2 oz just from one side. If I used it regularly I could collect quite a bit of milk - all without having to pump. Its very easy to pour milk out of the Milk Saver and wash it out for reuse. The Milk Saver is made of a soft pliable plastic, so its comfortable to wear. I do not think that its discrete like they advertise though. I'm fairly small, so the Milk Saver just seems huge and bulky on me, but maybe for a bigger chested person it would be discrete? On me, not so much. I put a small cup in the photo so you can get an idea of the size. I also don't think that it eliminates the need for nursing pads, I still leak even when I'm not feeding my baby.

The Milk Saver is a great product that any breastfeeding mom would find helpful. If you have an oversupply, the Milk Saver can help by allowing the milk to drip out freely. On the other hand, if you struggle with a low supply, you'll definitely find saving every drop of breastmilk to be useful. I like to have a bit of breastmilk stored in the freezer and this way I can save it up without pumping. I love how easy it is.

We are all a bit sick right now - even Esther has a stuffy nose. I used some of my saved milk to mix in with Julia's rice milk. She never knew the difference, but I was happy about giving her the benefits of the breastmilk to help her fight off being sick. If you end up with tons of extra milk, I've even heard of a recipe for breastmilk soap, although I've not tried it. Milkies (makers of the Milk Saver) also supports the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. To find out more about donating milk see their website.

Would you like to win a Milk Saver? Leave a comment on this post including your email address. If you follow my blog leave a second comment letting me know that for another entry. I'll close the giveaway on March 12th at midnight. Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out the other baby product giveaways I have going on this month.

*This giveaway is closed. Comment #35 is the winner!*

Blush Undershirt Review and Giveaway

Blush Topless Undershirts are absolutely wonderful for nursing! I received one for review and I think I'm going to have to buy another one just so I can wear them all the time.

What is it? Blush Topless Undershirts are basically a tube top worn around your waist. Its an undershirt without straps to get in the way. For nursing, I can lift my shirt and still have my tummy covered. Pregnant mamas can wear one to cover their growing belly and help keep their pants up. Blush Topless Undershirts can also be worn by anyone just as an extra layer or to add length to shirts that are too short.

When I was nursing Julia, I wore nursing tank tops from Target underneath all of my clothes. I liked that when I lifted my shirt up I was still covered. The tank tops had a built in nursing bra that wasn't very supportive and left me looking sort of flat on top though. With the Blush Topless Undershirt I can wear a nice nursing bra and still have my tummy covered too. I don't like fumbling with all of the layers of some nursing clothing and this eliminates that problem as well.

The Blush Topless Undershirt is a soft stretchy polyester/rayon/spandex blend. Simply refer to their sizing chart to determine which one you need. I didn't want to stretch mine out, so I didn't try it during pregnancy but I think it would be great especially for those first few months when nothing fits right anymore. They come in a variety of colors and fun prints and aren't too expensive. ($15 for solids, $20 for lace and prints)

I washed mine with our regular laundry on cold and dried it in the dryer. It didn't shrink and the spit up that was on it came out just fine. This is definitely an essential part of my wardrobe now. I need to buy one more but it will be hard to choose just one.

One lucky reader will win a Blush Topless Undershirt of their own! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment and let me know how you would wear your Blush - for nursing, as an extra layer, or during pregnancy. The winner will be able to choose the size, but not the color. Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you. Followers of my blog get an extra entry, just leave another comment for that. The giveaway will close on March 10th at midnight.

In the mean time, if you would like to purchase a Blush Topless Undershirt, you can use the code "welovebloggers" for 20% off 2 or more undershirts. Keep checking back, I'm running a series of baby product reviews and giveaways all month long!

linked to Works For Me Wednesday

*Giveaway now closed. Karissa is the winner!*

Thank you!

Julie from Earth Mama Angel Baby found my blog and read my post about Nursing Esther. She sent me Booby Tubes and Bosom Buddies to help, just because! The Booby Tubes are a nice lightweight circle shape. I had been using a big rice sock, and these are much nicer. I tried the Bosom Buddies poultice as well. I smelled like tea and cabbage, but I think it is helping. Thanks Earth Mama Angel Baby!

Nursing is still a struggle. Esther was tongue tied, and while we had that clipped last week, she is still learning to use her tongue properly. She makes a clicking noise and gulps air. The pain isn't as severe and the nipple shield helps with that, but we still can't nurse without it. I've had a couple rounds of plugged ducts and engorgement to deal with. I'm frustrated that I still can't seem to help her figure out how to nurse correctly. She is such a sweet little girl though. She is pretty calm and rarely fusses. My mom has been here visiting this week so I've just been hanging out in pajamas and getting all the rest I can. I bought a baby scale and Esther is gaining weight just fine. She is up to 10 lbs 1 oz and getting chubby little cheeks. I'm hoping that as her little mouth grows bigger it will be easier for her to latch on correctly. Thanks for all of the encouraging comments on my first post about nursing. I'm still hanging in there and working through it!