Surprise by the question? You will be more surprised to find out that the answer is yes, nipples shrink.

The reason is even more surprising. I have blogged about the importance of proper sizing, dips in milk supply after sizing down and now a new topic to bring to your attention, nipples shrinking after sizing down. So let’s start from the beginning. You initially sized down because you were having issues with your standard 28/24mm flanges. They hurt, you had a nipple ripple, discoloration, cracks that left you bleeding, and constantly sore, and you couldn’t fully empty your breasts. After sizing down you were understandably frightened by the dip in supply but you followed my instructions and were able to properly transition into the new size I recommended. It has now been a few days and all of a sudden your nipples are feeling pinchy while you pump. What’s going on? Your nipples are no longer swollen and they have had time to relax and heal.

Think about the weeks or even months you spent using larger flanges. During that time you were continually sucking in your areola and swelling your nipples two or three times their normal size. Now that you sized down you are giving your nipples a break, which, in just a few short days you could become smaller, even three sizes smaller! These are the simple but very technical reasons why I offer Pumping Pretty Support System. You need to have the tools to make sure you are supported throughout your entire pumping journey! 

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to size yourself using the Nipple Queen Ruler. Take the guesswork out of sizing and take the stress off of you. The number on the ruler is the size of the product to buy vs other sizing methods which only show you your nipple size and you still have to guess and add millimeters thereafter, which is not an accurate way to size.