This is a very popular question I get asked daily. You are likely nearing the 20 week mark of pregnancy and most insurance companies will now allow you to start shopping around for your free pump. You naturally wonder when the best time to measure your nipples will be. There are two things to consider.

When do you plan to pump, at the hospital or sometime after?

If you answered, that you plan to pump at the hospital, I would suggest sizing yourself any time after 35 weeks; but closer to your due date would be ideal. Just leave at least 3-5 days for your products to be delivered. You should consider the possibility of having an earlier delivery date due to unforeseen circumstances. It would be a great idea to prepare your pumping station beforehand. Click here for all the flange products.

If you have no plans to pump at the hospital and want to pump at some point after you get home, there will be no rush to size yourself until 3 to 5 days before you want to pump. Generally, moms will need to go out of the house for appointments and this would be the ideal time to plan ahead for your first trip out and pump on the go.

For those who may be transitioning back to work or school full-time and will need to start replacing nursing sessions with pumping on a regular basis, it would be a great idea to size yourself and start practicing pumping at least 2 weeks ahead of time. This will allow you to have enough time to order all the parts you need and test them out. It is not uncommon for moms not to respond to the pump they got through their insurance. You may find you need to buy a different pump in order to accommodate your new needs like being hands-free at work which would mean you should shop around for a wearable/mobile pump. You may find the size flange or silicone product you have is not comfortable and there are a few tweaks to make to your setup before going back to work.

As you can see, planning ahead is a good option. Just remember to take some time to evaluate your issues, and do some research on what you think you might need at the hospital, when you get home, or when you have to go back to work/school. There are a lot of great blogs I have written that cover popular pumps and flange products.

How do you size your nipples? 

For moms who just want all the pumping info in an easy-to-follow, bite-size package laid out for them so you don’t get overwhelmed, Pumping Pretty System would be great to have at your fingertips. Size yourself at home, anytime, throughout your entire pumping journey with Pumping Pretty System. Do you want 1:1 support? I offer Pumping Consultations that may even be covered by your insurance.

Trying to save money on pumping products? Check out Save The Milk’s buy, sell trade group.