Can You Breastfeed With Inverted Nipples? What Every Pregnant Mom Needs to Know

If you're wondering, “Can I breastfeed with inverted nipples?” — you're not alone. In this episode of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast, lactation consultant Jaimie Zaki dives deep into one of the most Googled concerns pregnant moms have when preparing for breastfeeding: inverted nipples and breastfeeding success.

To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, Jaimie is also offering a limited-time discount on her Breastfeeding Resource Library — a must-have for moms who want to breastfeed exclusively from day one and avoid unnecessary formula.

Inside this episode, Jaimie busts myths about flat and inverted nipples, explains the real reason some babies struggle to latch (hint: it's not just your nipple shape!), and walks you through tools like nipple shields, supple cups, and nipple healing strategies to help protect your breastfeeding journey.

You'll also learn:

• Why latching mechanics and oral function matter more than nipple shape

• How to protect your nipples from damage in the early days

• When a nipple shield might help — and when it might cause more problems

• How extra lactation support can be the difference between breastfeeding success and early weaning

Whether you’re newly pregnant or prepping for postpartum, this episode will empower you to stop second-guessing your body and get confident about breastfeeding — inverted nipples or not.

👣 Listen now and get access to expert strategies, personal encouragement, and your exclusive World Breastfeeding Week discount.

🎧 Timestamps:00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:14 World Breastfeeding Week Special Offer01:59 The Confident MamaBear Society04:03 Introduction to Breastfeeding Challenges04:57 Inverted Nipples: Myths and Realities06:27 Techniques and Tools for Inverted Nipples07:17 Preventing and Healing Nipple Damage09:59 Final Thoughts and Encouragement11:53 Wrap Up and Call to Action

🛡️ Ready to feel more confident? Get the Breastfeeding Resource Library and join the Confident MamaBear Society for continuous expert support and holistic breastfeeding education.

Breastfeeding Resource Library

Avoid Mistakes that Sabotage Breastfeeding

Transcript:

Welcome back to the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast. I am your host, Jaimie Zaki. You can see in the background, if you are watching this on video, my office is still not done, and we are still echoey—but thanks for hanging in there with me.

Alright, today we are in the smack dab middle of World Breastfeeding Week.It is the beginning of World Breastfeeding Month, and it is a time to celebrate breastfeeding, right? I mean, what else is this podcast about?

But we're gonna have an extra celebration.This week only—August 1st through the 7th—and we are almost there, y’all—the Breastfeeding Resource Library is an extra $100 off!That means it is $97 right now only.It is never this affordable. It is worth over $297, and I am practically giving it away this week because I want you to feel prepared for breastfeeding if you are pregnant.

And if you have already had your baby and you are wondering if this is useful for you—it absolutely is.Because I designed this to be unlike any other breastfeeding class.

This is not just a “here's the basics, this is what it should look like, good luck.”It is:

• "This is what it should look like."

• "But here's what it can look like."

• "And if it is hard, here’s what you do about it."

• "Here’s why."

• "Here’s how you handle it."

• "Here’s how you advocate for yourself."

If you need more support but you’re not sure you’re gonna get that good support—you don’t trust the providers that you’ve been working with—this teaches you how to:

• Identify problems

• Implement solutions that actually have a chance of working (not just one-size-fits-all Band-Aid fixes)

• Advocate confidently for more support if and when you need it

Go grab it now:👉 littlebearlactation.com/library$97 through the 7th only.

And when you join, you’re going to get an exclusive invitation to join the Confident MamaBear Society, which the mama on my call today told me she thought would be “too good to be true”… and she’s blown away at the support, connection, and how wonderful this resource is.

So I am telling you—you need to get in there.

And the Confident MamaBear Society is only for people who have joined the library—who have library access.I know, I know that’s a little frustrating.But I want to make sure that you have a really strong foundation coming into the Confident MamaBear Society so I can give you the absolute best support and guidance possible.

And I don’t want to waste your time repeating things that—when we have a big group—everybody already knows.I don’t want to spend time teaching you basics. I want you to already have that strong foundation.

So you get into the library, build that foundation, and then you bring your questions.You come for connection to our live calls in the Confident MamaBear Society, and you can get expert answers.

It is only $39 a month, and when you check out with the Breastfeeding Resource Library—if you join at the same time—you save $10 on your first month, and you can cancel anytime.

So if you’re like, “You know what, this support is not necessary because the library answered all my questions, and I don’t need extra support,” then you can just cancel your membership.

It is that easy.

I really hope to see you inside because mama, this podcast is great and I love it, but it is not everything that you’re gonna need.

You’re going to need extra support.And I’m here for you.Let me be here for you.

Do not get stuck in a spiral of feeling like you have no support and you don’t know where to turn for answers.

Help is available.Resources are available.

Hey Mama Bear, welcome to the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast.Do you dream of bonding with your baby through exclusive breastfeeding but worry about breastfeeding pain or low milk supply?Maybe you're struggling with breastfeeding and no one seems to have any answers.

I’m Jaimie—doula, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and mom of five—and I have been where you are.

After working through painful latches, milk supply worries, postpartum depression, and supporting countless mothers through their breastfeeding journeys for over eight years, I’m here to tell you:

Breastfeeding doesn’t have to be perfect to be positive.

Each week, I’ll share breastfeeding tips to help you prevent and overcome unexpected breastfeeding challenges so you can actually enjoy bonding with your baby.

If you're ready to shut out the toxic whispers of the world, embrace your God-given intuition, and release your inner fierce Mama Bear—grab some coffee or your favorite herbal tea, and let’s dive in.

Alright, today we are going to be talking about inverted nipples.

And honestly, I can’t remember if we’ve talked about this before.I think we’ve touched on it in a couple different episodes, but I don’t think we’ve just had a conversation about inverted nipples.And if we have, we’re having it again.

Because I keep seeing posts on Facebook from moms who are struggling with latching.And they keep saying things like,

Another thing I hear is moms who say the opposite:

Here’s the deal:Your baby is not designed to latch onto the nipple.

After decades—over a century—of this obsession with bottle feeding and artificial pacifiers (and I’m not saying those things are bad or don’t have a place), they’ve rewired our brains.

They’ve become the social norm—the societal norm—and they’ve rewired our brains to think that babies latch onto nipples.

But they don’t.

They don’t latch to nipples—they breastfeed. They are supposed to get that whole breast in their mouth.

So it doesn’t matter if you have great breastfeeding nipples.And it doesn’t matter if you have inverted nipples.

If your baby cannot latch, there is a reason why, and it’s probably not you.

Here’s what needs to happen:

1. We need to make sure we’re using good latching mechanics.

2. We need to make sure baby has great oral function.

But I will say—sometimes if your baby is struggling to latch because they have issues, and you have inverted nipples, things can be a lot harder.

That’s when different techniques and tools come into play.

• Nipple shields can be a great tool in this scenario.

• There’s a product called Supple Cups that can help suction your nipple out if you have flat or inverted nipples.

• You can gently roll the nipple until it everts itself.

• You can pump before breastfeeding to help evert the nipples if it really feels necessary.

But here’s where the issue with inverted nipples really comes in—from my perspective:

When your baby latches onto the breast, your nipple will get drawn out—even if it is inverted.For some people, it will stay everted. For others, it will retract again between feeds—and that’s not necessarily a problem.

However, if your baby is not latching well and is causing nipple damage, and then your nipple inverts, it will start to heal to itself.

Then the next time you pump or latch, and the nipple is drawn out, there are little tiny adhesions that are getting ripped apart—and that can be a source of pain.

I personally experienced this with my youngest two babies, which ended up resulting in feeding each of them only on one side—that was not the inverted side.

It was not easy, but we got there.And I was able to exclusively feed them on one side.

I’m not saying that’s where you’re going to be—but that’s what my decision was.

If that’s the situation you’re in, there are a lot of things on the market that can be helpful.

I love, love, love Manuka honey for nipple healing.I also love Motherlove Nipple Cream.

After your baby feeds, keep your nipple everted.Apply a little bit of pressure any way that you can to keep the nipple out.Roll it out before putting your boobies away.

Apply your healing salve—whichever one you choose—and you should be fine.

Some people say a topical application of Septisol can be helpful in breaking down that scar tissue and adhesions. That’s a more expensive option, so it’s not for everybody.

But here’s the big thing:

We want to prevent that nipple damage in the first place.

If your baby is causing damage to both nipples, if you’re in a lot of pain when feeding, and you realize this is likely an oral dysfunction issue, get ahead of it.

Because if you don’t, you end up with this cycle of damage, healing, adhesion, and tearing.

So I totally recommend using a nipple shield as a first line of protection, and then working with a lactation consultant to create a sustainable care plan.

Because that is not a sustainable situation.

This was a really quick episode, and I hope it answered a few questions about inverted nipples.

If you have more specific questions, send me an email.

If you’re looking to learn more about setting yourself up for breastfeeding success, learning how to latch your baby well from the start—so that you don’t end up with damaged nipples just from following advice that’s actually hurting you—go join the Breastfeeding Resource Library right now.

Now is the time—before August 7th, because after that, the $100 discount is going away.The price is going back to $197, which is still a steal.

I’ve worked with moms through full prep and support packages that cost over $800 for multiple one-to-one consults—and they learned everything that is inside this class.

So $197 is a steal.

But right now, it’s $97.

Why are you not running to get into the Breastfeeding Resource Library?

If you have questions or concerns, email me: jaimiezaki@littlebearlactation.comOr message me on Instagram: @littlebearlactation

I want you to feel confident.You need to feel confident.

And if you’re worried you can’t access the library, send me a message and let’s see what we can work out.I want to make this work for you.

Alright, Mama Bear, that is a wrap for today.

If this episode helped you feel a little more confident or a little more prepared for breastfeeding, can I ask you a quick favor?

Go ahead and leave me a review.It helps other moms find this podcast and join us in this amazing community of fierce and confident Mama Bears.

And hey—if you know a friend who could use some encouragement or real talk about pregnancy, breastfeeding, and all things motherhood—share this episode with her.

You’ve got this, Mama Bear.Trust your instincts. Stay fierce.And I’ll catch you in the next episode.

Jaimie Zaki is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and mom of 5! Jaimie has volunteered as a La Leche League Leader, worked as a nurse, doula, and birth photographer, and is the host of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast and founder of the Confident MamaBear Society. Jaimie provides holistic breastfeeding advice for pregnant & new moms, helping them overcome unexpected latching trouble and milk supply issues. She empowers mothers to make informed decisions from a place of confidence and intuition.

Breastfeeding Resources Available:

• Breastfeeding Guides

• Virtual Breastfeeding Help

• Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast