Why am I getting different measurements of my nipples?

For most flange sizing, we stimulate the nipple a bit to have it become erect, and measure the base of the nipple to get the width of the nipple and size from there. For most it’s a fairly easy process.

For some though, you measure one day and get one number, measure another and it seems like the nipple has grown or shrunk. It can be dramatic enough that flanges that fit one day do not fit the other, and that can be very frustrating!

So why is this happening?

Nipples are not static dimension body parts that exist in a consistent manner at all times, like say a finger. Your pinky isn’t 2 1/2 inches today and 2 3/4 tomorrow, only to measure only 2 inches a few days later. Fingers are static body parts with measurements that don’t change much if at all in response to stimuli.

Nipples are dynamic body parts comprised of erectile tissue on top of the highly vascular breast tissue, responsive to temperature, touch, and edema. Some nipples have very flexible and elastic tissue characteristics, some are more fibrous and I elastic. Some nipples grow in diameter when they become erect, some grow in length, and some actually contract in size. All of these responses are normal responses that indicate a normally functioning nipple, and for the vast majority of women it won’t interfere with the ability to nurse a baby.

So what factors could be influencing the size of your nipples when we measure you?

-Temperature. A warmer environment is more likely to prevent contraction of the nipple and result in a larger measurement. A colder environment is more likely to increase contraction if the nipple resulting in a smaller measurement.
-Hormonal changes. Some women may notice their nipples are larger at the time of ovulation than at other times in their menstrual cycle.
-Are your nipples infected? Infection can provoke a swelling response in the nipple resulting in a larger measurement.
-Are your breasts engorged? Breast engorgement is not 100% milk, it’s also edema of the breast tissue, which can enlarge and even obliterate the nipples.
-Have you been using a flange that is too large? This can cause fluid to accumulate in the nipple and swelling to prevent this fluid from properly draining from the nipple. This can result in an artificially large number.

So how much of a difference in nipple size can these factors account for? Again, it’s dependent on the person. Some people have a 2-3 mm difference in nipple measurements from time to time, but I’ve seen women who have a much wider range of changes equaling 5-6 mm in differences at times. That makes sizing for flanges tricky, but not impossible.

For people experiencing this type of dramatic fluctuation in nipple sizes on a regular basis we do still have a few options for you to try. These options are similar to the options we use for elastic nipples where we are working to remove points in the flange likely to damage the nipple when sizing isn’t perfect.

1.)    Limerick Pumps with the Sof-Touch flanges.  These size independent soft silicone cups help you get a good pump experience without needing that “perfect fit” to protect your nipples and milk supply.

2.)    Pumpin Pals flanges cover a range of sizes and often we can use these flanges to address more dynamic nipples with fluctuating sizes.

3.)    Pumpables flanges use a sized collapsing silicone insert, which allows that one size of flange to cover a slightly bigger range of nipples than the standard hard plastic flanges.

4.)    Lacteck flanges may work for some as you may be able to pump with them without nipple trauma due to the lack of that hard ring in the flange to cause damage.

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