I hate the hospital lactation consultants.

If you’re smaller than a 21mm flange, they SHOULD NOT be telling you to use them. I have permanently misshapen nipples from EP-ing my first child (NICU baby) because nobody told me anything was wrong so I didn’t think anything was wrong until it was too late, and now I can’t even BF my second because of the damage it did. I want to give up, all I want is to be able to give my baby the best option, but I can’t do EPing again because it absolutely destroyed my mental health until I switched to formula and then dealt with all the guilt tripping from everyone and their mother from that, which also screwed with my mental health. Why couldn’t the LCs just be honest and teach me what I actually needed? I don’t and wouldn’t have cared that they didn’t have my size, I would’ve gotten an insert or flange myself and at least then I’d have a chance at successfully breastfeeding. But no, it was robbed and I’ve been sobbing for days about it because I was hoping that after all this time it might’ve fixed itself and it didn’t.

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Hell, I had to buy my correct size regardless!! The least they could’ve done was give me the right info so I could’ve gotten that done before the damage was permanent! I’m so fucking heartbroken

I really like the LC I saw in the hospital and had an appointment with her after as well, but she and all the nurses kept telling me I was “doing great” and had such a great latch when I was literally crying in pain from a terrible latch 😭 I’ve learned more off this app and from a fb group than I did in the hospital. Obviously they can’t teach us everything in such a short time but I feel like information was definitely withheld 😵‍💫

Im sorry you’re having a rough time 😞

@Samantha I’d agree if I were there for a short stay, but I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and my baby was in the NICU for a month. 🥲 I feel like that should’ve been enough time at least, y’know?

Yeah they should’ve told you 😭😭😭 it’s like they just expect us to know everything. Like maam, I’m not the one who went to school for years to know these things

Who told you that you can't nurse your baby now??

@Sarah nobody — I have a literal “donut” of damaged tissue that protrudes beyond my nipple that my baby can’t latch around because it’s larger than her mouth but also firm enough that it interferes with me using those silicone nipple shields to help with nursing because the donut gets sucked in but the nipple itself doesn’t

Like it looks as though I surgically implanted a ring below the skin whenever I’ve tried to get my LO to latch on my right side. Left side does the same thing but not as extreme

Got it. Have you seen/tried the Phillips inverted nipple correctors? I understand it's not quite the same, but it's worth a shot.. my nipples have changed drastically with each of my 5 babies.

@Sarah not the Phillips but I’ve tried the haakaa and Lansinoh ones

If you want to message me and you want to try the Phillips one, I can send you them. I only tried one a couple of times, it helped.. but mine wasn't that bad, one of my babies had a weird latch that caused one of my nipples to sort of fold on top of itself 🫣

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