Many babies attach and breastfeed regardless of the shape of their mother’s nipples. Sometimes, inverted or flat nipples may make it hard for your baby to attach to the nipple as they are first learning tobreastfeed.
If you have flat nipples
Try to gently shape the areola to make it easier for your baby to grasp (the baby suckles the BREAST, not the nipple).
Express drops of colostrum onto your nipple to encourage your baby to latch.
Massaging the areola and hand-expressing before attempting breastfeeding can be helpful.
Try different feeding positions.
Nipple shields may be useful once your milk is in. It is good to talk to your doctor if you use a nipple shield and your baby does not latch on the breast.
