Flange sizing confuses so many people, but it doesn’t have to be confusing.

Let me break it down for you in a way most people can understand. Flange sizing is like shopping for the perfect skinny jean. A well-fitted flange fits like a good pair of skinny jeans around the ankle.

Think of your nipple as a foot...the furthest extension of the leg, and it’s a body part of its own. But, the foot and the leg are connected, and where the foot goes the leg follows.

Just like the nipple is the furthest extension of the breast, and is connected to the areola, which will always follow where the nipple goes.

We want flanges to fit the opposite of skinny jeans at a pedicure. Everyone knows you don’t wear skinny jeans to a pedicure because you can’t slide the jeans up your leg without cutting off immense circulation.

If your skinny jeans fit you well, the foot goes through the ankle of the pants easily, it’s not tight around the ankle, and not much of the leg could fit through after it even if you tried. It’s not so tight it cuts anything off, but the leg isn’t able to be pulled out until they are capris.

If your skinny jeans are too tight, the ankle band cuts into the foot or leg restricting blood flow. It’s not comfortable, and it’s not a good fit.

If your skinny jeans are too big and you pull your foot through the ankle of the pants and the pants end up like capris halfway up your calves, there is nothing stopping the connected body part from ending up where you don’t want it.

Now obviously, nipples, breasts, legs, feet, and skinny jeans are not the same thing. But the principle is the same, we want the flange to fit well so that the nipple can easily move in the tunnel of the flange, but the areola is held back in a way that prevents it from making it in to the tunnel excessively.

Some amount of areola is always going to enter the flange with standard flanges in the recommended fit ranges, but it won’t be much, and it shouldn’t be painful. This is why flange fitting should be left to trained professionals. We are often trying to strike a very delicate balance - much like shopping for the perfect skinny jean, we are looking at fit, shape, and lots of other small variables to find you that perfect pair.

The exception to this fit is the Willow Pump. In the case of the Willow Pump, we are looking for a fit so perfect, so snug, it’s literally going to be like it’s one with your body. That strong, constant suction is no joke, and to protect the areola from being pulled in and damaged, we want to get that fit like the skinny jeans you have to pump yourself up to wrestle on so that areola stays safe!

And just like with finding the right pair of jeans, we may have to try a few options to find your ideal fit. That isn’t a fault in the measuring process anymore than clothes buying is flawed because it requires some trial and error - especially with different sizes and brands. Pumping breastmilk comfortably requires finding the right fit, and even with the best assessment, we may need to trial a few to find what works. At least with a good professional sizing, we can get it narrowed down to just a few options!

Happy Shopping, and Happy Flange Sizing!

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