I Thought Your Nipples Aren’t Supposed to Rub Inside the Flange?

This is a very common comment I get from moms trying to figure out the right size flange to use. Trust me, I understand your confusion, but let me break it down for you. Let’s say you’re trying on a flange and you can barely get your nipple in the tube… THAT’S IT! The sides of your nipple are touching the sides of the flange which means it’s too small for you. The chance that you have a flange that is too small for you is about 5%, from my experience 75% of moms have sizes that are too big.

Now, let’s not be confused with having a large flange, and once u start pumping your areola and nipple get sucked in causing your areola to swell and touch and rub the sides. You won’t start off touching the sides but after a few minutes, your areola and nipple will swell and double in size. By the time you’re done with your pumping session, you may be in a lot of pain. Overuse of large flanges can cause cracking, bleeding, and blisters.

So what’s the proper fit? It will be when you can place your nipple perfectly centered in the flange leaving a very small amount of room between your nipple and flange. Once you start to pump your nipple WILL rub the sides of the flange but this part is normal because if u look closely you will see your nipple is being pulled down the tube. This is where moms like to use lube to transition them to the new size or help them get used to their breast pump in general. Pumping sensitivity usually goes away in 3-4 months. Remember that sensitivity and pain are not the same things.

For more information on how to find your ideal size flange for your pump, I recommend ordering the Nipple Queen Ruler.