all mothers

[shaina]

hi this is a question for all the mothers out there I was wondering if you new anything about nipple piercings and breast feeding if its possible to breastfeed after you have had your nipple pierced has anyone done it is what I would really like to know has it made it harder?
thanx
shaina

[delta9]

I'm not a mother, but I am an internet junkie with google-fu.

From here (http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/08-nipple/breastfd.html):

If the piercings are well-healed at the time of delivery (and women are strongly encouraged to not get piercings during pregnancy or lactation), the decision to keep the rings/bars in is strictly up to the mom and partner/s.

Some women worry about the baby swallowing the ring/bar and/or the bead. I explain that captive beads are probably not the best way to go, but rings that connect or bars with screw on beads are more reassuring. Before nursing, make sure everything is closed properly (with your clean hands) and there shouldn't be a problem.

Yes, the operative word is "shouldn't". Something can always happen. Yes, babies have swallowed beads or bars or rings... none of the babies I have helped nurse... but I haven't ever heard of any problems when it did happen.

Some women choose to remove their jewelry each time the baby nurses... and that is certainly a choice I honor. Instinct is an important tool in mothering :)

Some women also choose to remove the jewelry for the duration of the nursing experience and be re-pierced when they are ready.

An interesting article from here (http://www.funkytownmall.com/nippleandbreastfeeding.htm):

Mita Saldana, a professional body piercer with the Chicago-based studio, Body Basics, says she's pierced many nipples and has never had a complaint about problems with breastfeeding. Many of Saldana's clients are also friends. This affords her a unique vantage point from which to observe these women from the moment of a piercing, through the healing process, to life with a pierced nipple. One of Saldana's clients, a piercer herself, had her nipples pierced and went on to breastfeed. "She had no problems." said Saldana. Most nipples are pierced horizontally though some clients prefer a vertical piercing. Horizontal piercing seems better suited for breastfeeding according to Elisabeth Speller, an Australian lactation consultant.

And from here (http://www.parkhurstexchange.com/qa/A.php?q=/qa/Obstetrics_Gynecology/2000-11-22.qa) someone known as FW states:

Although there isn't a lot of experience with nipple rings and breastfeeding, it seems to make sense that if a woman wants to breastfeed and has a nipple ring, she should remove it as soon as possible. I can't imagine breastfeeding with any foreign object in the nipple. FW

Finally, will just having your nipple pierced but not having the ring in affect you, from this (http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nbreastfeed/0,,3x0z,00.html?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=1&pba=adid=14301663) page:

There is no research to date showing that breastfeeding will be negatively impacted in a woman who has had her nipple pierced.

Nipple rings may increase nipple sensitivity. This, along with scarring could theoretically cause some discomfort that is not normally present for the nursing mom. There have also been reports of leaking of milk from the pierced area.

For a woman who continues to wear a nipple ring, it would be wise to remove prior to nursing her baby. If the nipple ring is not removed prior to breastfeeding, choking could occur.

... So, the overall consensus is you'll be fine as long as it has already healed and you will probably want to remove the ring when nursing.

[shaina]

yeah I've seen all that before also I want actual advice from someone who's done it

[delta9]

That is actual advice from someone who has done it... several someones! Or are you suggesting "feral mermaid gardenia@magicnet.net" made those people and situations up? Put the pipe down before you have kids ;)

[treehugger]

Hope I'm not just talking out my @$$ here...but I have heard you need to be very, very careful of infections as infection can spread into the milk supply...and piercings make you pretty vulnerable to infections......

[Pedata]

As a former baby I would just like to say that I would never want jewelry in my mouth while I was feeding.


Peace,
Cassandra

[BandAide]

As a former baby I would just like to say that I would never want jewelry in my mouth while I was feeding.


Peace,
Cassandra


Heh, heh, heh, heh, ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[treehugger]

teeheee...What Pedata said would pretty much clinch it for me... :p

[shaina]

what I ment by a real person is someone I could talk to about it since just getting it off the internet they could totally be making it up I could make a whole site about how nipple piercings don't do anything to your milk glands even though I'm only 16 an have never had a kid or my nipples pierced

[delta9]

Feral mermaid's excerpt is from a usenet posting, which is a lot like a forum of this type. Sometimes you just have to trust - the world is not out to get you, hun ;).


Okay... so I am a Licensed Midwife, a La Leche League leader (a breastfeeding counselor), a Certified Doula (childbirth assistant), a Certified Childbirth Educator, and a CDC Certified HIV/AIDS Counselor... Midwifery and Women's Health Care has been my calling for the last 14 years.

I have several body piercings and tatts but no nipple piercings. However, I have helped about 6 women successfully nurse their babies while keeping the rings/bars intact... and many others who chose to remove the rings/bars during the baby's suckling.

She seems certainly qualified to me, and posted to the newsgroup Rec.Arts.Bodyart, so I am pretty sure if she were going to be debunked someone certainly would have ;)

Searching (http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.arts.bodyart/search?group=rec.arts.bodyart&q=breastfeeding&qt_g=1&searchnow=Search+this+group) the group for "breastfeeding" yields about 150 results. Here's (http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.arts.bodyart/browse_thread/thread/7a562550b3a54f56/cb644edd5652c434?q=breastfeeding&_done=%2Fgroup%2Frec.arts.bodyart%2Fsearch%3Fgroup %3Drec.arts.bodyart%26q%3Dbreastfeeding%26qt_g%3D1 %26searchnow%3DSearch+this+group%26&_doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#cb644edd5652c434) another one:

dragonlynx Mar 8 2000, 12:00 am show options
Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart
From: dragonl...@my-deja.com - Find messages by this author
Date: 2000/03/08
Subject: Breastfeeding with pierced nips--it *can* be done! Some hints...(long)
Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse

I wanted to share this information as it seems to be an issue that
always shows up on this group. My son and I have been a successful
breastfeeding pair for three months now even though I have my left nip
pierced, so I'd like to share the things that helped make this possible
for us:

1. when you're pregnant, the first thing that happens is that
your breasts grow--a lot--so be prepared with larger jewelry. Expect
to need rings at least one size larger in diameter than what you're
wearing now, maybe even more than that. I personally found that the
3/4" ring I had been happily wearing for years was now irritating my
pierce (and the skin the ring touched also, as if I had developed an
allergy to the metal) so I switched to a 1" straight barbell and the
irritation ended. I would strongly encourage anyone wearing rings to
consider investing in barbells during pregnancy. Your breasts will be
sore enough as it is, so you won't want any extra discomfort at this
time.

2. be sure to either read about breastfeeding technique before birth,
or talk to a knowledgeable person about it. 99% of the battle when
it comes to successful breastfeeding is helping baby achieve a proper
latch onto your nipple. If baby cannot or will not feed properly,
you will both be miserable and you will most defiantly lose your
pierces. Improper latch-on is what causes cracked, bleeding and
*very* sore nipples. Surprisingly, nursing is not something that
comes naturally to a majority of babies or new mothers. In a
nutshell, the two most important factors in successful nursing is to
make sure baby has more than just your nipple in its mouth (there
should be a hunk of areola as well). The other factor is to make
sure you position baby tummy-to-tummy with you (so that baby
does not have to crane its neck to feed). If your baby figures out
how to nurse successfully in a short amount of time, you will
probably be home free in terms of keeping your nip pierces. If you
don't seem to be getting the hang of it, ask for help sooner rather
than later--before baby trashes your nips completely :-)

3. after birth, be ready with jewelry that can easily be removed and
reinserted (no, you don't leave your metal in when you nurse). For
me, that meant taking a ring and widening the gap between the ends
so that the shape was a half-moon or semi-circle rather than a circle.
This makes it very easy to get in and out before and after feedings.
Don't try to get a barbell or anything with edges in an out of nips
baby has been chewing on for 18 hours a day!

4. a product that is a *must* for breastfeeding women: Lasinosh.
This is pure, hypo-allergenic lanolin that you apply after each
feeding or as needed. It is a wonderful moisturizer that will save
your nips from oblivion in those first few months. I received a small
tube of this wonderful stuff from the lactation consultant at the
hospital, but if you are not so fortunate be sure someone runs to the
drug store and gets you some before you bring baby home. This
product will do more to save your nips (and your pierces) than
anything else I can think of.

5. finally, it must be said that when contemplating getting your nips
pierced, the most important thing is to make sure there is a
minimum amount of scar tissue created. So, in other words, try to
get your nips pierced only once if you think you will ever be trying
to breastfeed one day. IMHO, this means using straight barbells as
your initial jewelry so that the pierces heal quickly and cleanly.
Multiple piercings due to ring rejections will mean more scar tissue,
which could possibly lead to problems with milk flow. In addition,
I would not try to breastfeed with nip pierces under a year old,
which is about what it takes to totally heal nipple pierces. Babies
are really hard on nips even when they nurse correctly, and would
probably destroy healing pierces in a few days.

Well ladies, that's it!. I don't read this group anymore so email me
if you have any questions or concerns. I'd be glad to answer.
Happy nursing with your metal!

dragon

You can read all you want from any source, including someone on here, but in the end you have to come to your own conclusions based on plausibility and what not.

:hippie:

[Herbmama]

I've known plenty of mamas that have breast fed with pierced nips. I think nursing with your jewelry in is crazy though, way to much of a choking risk.
I always recomend ladies remove their nipple rings while they're pregnant. Nipple stimulation is a well know natural labor inducer and a piercing can act as a 24/7 nipple stimulator. Might as well take the precaution ya know, especially ladies who have a history of miscarriage or premature labor..

[mountain_mama]

I've known plenty of mamas that have breast fed with pierced nips. I think nursing with your jewelry in is crazy though, way to much of a choking risk.
I always recomend ladies remove their nipple rings while they're pregnant. Nipple stimulation is a well know natural labor inducer and a piercing can act as a 24/7 nipple stimulator. Might as well take the precaution ya know, especially ladies who have a history of miscarriage or premature labor..

I agree with you herbmama!

But that is just my opnion...if you would like to keep your piercings while breastfeeding here is what la leche has to say about it:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/hair.html

Good Luck!