I got these about four weeks post-partum on the recommendation of my awesome IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant). She said they're big in Europe, and other Lactation Consultants she knew had been raving about them. They are pricy, but I was desperate — my nipples were badly damaged from early latch issues, including several layers of tissue damage on one side (and missing tissue), bleeding wounds on both sides, plus persistent redness and soreness. Nursing and latching was going better, but my nipples just would not heal fast enough for me to not be in agony every time. I tried everything – Medihoney, Dr. Jack Newman's APNO by prescription, Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter, coconut oil, olive oil, exposing them to air, keeping them moist, saline rinses/soaks, sunlight, nipple shield (which promptly filled with blood when I tried using it). Nothing worked and I was almost ready to quit despite all the hard work we had done and the improvement in latching technique.
So. Desperate, I got these babies. And within hours my nipples had gone from bright red and painful looking to light pink and almost normal looking. Hours. I couldn't believe my eyes. I showed my husband and he agreed they looked like new nipples. The pain relief was also immediate though I was still not pain-free. But after a few days of wearing them, my nipples had made huge progress in healing. I never took them off after that, wore them 24/7 (and still do at 10 weeks postpartum), and my nipples healed almost completely. (I say almost because the one with the many layers of tissue damage had some permanent trauma damage that left me with vasospasms about half the time, so it still sometimes hurts…but nothing like before, obviously.) These Silverettes saved my nursing relationship. Ever since, I have recommended them to every nursing mom I know who is struggling in the early days. And with future babies, I will start wearing them 24/7 maybe even before the birth.
Some details:
For care, I wash them twice a day with baking soda paste. I wear them with a bamboo breast pad over them to catch leaks (and make the Madonna-nipple look less prominent). They do fill up a bit on the non-nursing side if you have a big letdown, so watch out for that (or purchase a Milkie milk saver). The rims do cut a little bit into your areola if they are not positioned just right or if the rim is on a Montgomery Gland (little bump on the areola). When this happens I just adjust them to be more comfortable. My nipples seem a bit dry sometimes wearing them, and maybe a bit greyish like the silver is changing their color. But I don't care about any of the inconveniences. These things save my life. You'll have to pry them from my cold, dead hands if you want me to stop wearing them!!!! They basically saved my nursing relationship with my baby.
That said, does anyone else who has worn them have tips on when you can stop wearing them, if ever? I've taken them off a couple of nights here and there when stomach sleeping, but otherwise I'm nervous to do so.
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