How to Place a Breast Pump Flange?

How to Place a Breast Pump Flange?

Blog Article

Finding the right fit is always important – whether it’s for clothing, shoes, or your breast pump flange size. One of the most common questions I get from breastfeeding moms is how to maximize breast milk output while pumping. But many of them don’t realize the answer has a lot to do with flange sizing. The correct flange size makes the pumping session both more comfortable and more efficient since it stimulates the breast more effectively. The flange mimics a proper breastfeeding latch. Too large, and the areola gets compressed, causing the milk to get stuck before release, much like the kink in a water hose. Too small, and there’s too much friction on the nipple, causing blisters, soreness, and inadequate milk production.

A breast pump flange is a cone-shaped plastic cup that fits directly over your nipple to form a seal around the areola. Vacuum suction creates an effective seal that gently draws the nipple into the funnel for milk extraction. The wrong size flange could impact your milk flow and damage breast tissue. It can result in breast pumping pain, blocked milk ducts, swelling, and nipple damage. The right breast shield size allows you to pump comfortably and maximize the amount of milk you produce.

When placing the flange, pay close attention to how the nipple sits in the narrow tunnel. A proper fit has the nipple centered, without any contact with the rim. This allows the nipple to move freely and stretch as it’s drawn into the flange. Since it's referred to as “breastfeeding” and not “nipple feeding,” the nipple is not the only part of the breast to consider. The areola is also important. The areola is the darkened area around the nipple. The primary function of the areola is to serve as an easy-to-see bullseye for the baby to aim for when latching. It’s also a collector where all of the milk ducts and channels send the milk from storage.

The funnel of the flange mimics the lips of a baby, who will pull not only the nipple into their mouth but also just a small amount of the areola. If none of the areola makes it into the mouth or the flange, there is inadequate stimulation to the breast and that may interfere with long-term milk supply and production. It may also affect comfort, as this could also lead to tightness around the nipple, which hurts milk production, too. A comfortable fit means less physical stress on the breasts, which helps the body relax and respond well to oxytocin, the hormone responsible for releasing milk.