02/05/2026
If you’re pumping with the fl**ges that came in the box, there is a 90%+ chance they are the wrong size. That’s not a guess. It’s what the research consistently shows.
Most pumps ship with 24mm and 28mm fl**ges. The average ni**le diameter sits between 13mm and 17mm. The standard fl**ge is often 10mm too big.
Why it matters, beyond comfort:
🩷 The fl**ge tunnel should fit your ni**le, not your ar**la. When it’s too big, ar**lar tissue gets pulled in with every cycle, which damages tissue and can lead to ni**le trauma, blebs, blocked ducts and recurrent mastitis.
🩷 An incorrectly sized fl**ge does not effectively remove milk. The vacuum is pulling on tissue that isn’t designed to release milk. So you pump for 40 minutes, get 30ml, and assume your supply is the problem. It usually isn’t.
🩷 Persistent under removal of milk signals your body to down regulate supply. The wrong fl**ge doesn’t just hurt in the moment, it can quietly tank your supply over weeks.
🩷 Pumping should not hurt. Your ni**le should not come out white, purple, ringed, blistered or stretched. That is tissue damage, not “just how pumping feels.”
📏 Both breasts may need different sizes. This is normal.
📏 Sizing changes throughout your journey. What fit at 6 weeks may not fit at 6 months.
The “she eyeballed it and said you look like a 21” approach is not sizing. It’s a guess. And it’s costing women their comfort, their supply, and often their breastfeeding journey.
If pumping hurts, if your output is low, or if you keep getting blocked ducts or mastitis, please get properly sized before you change anything else. 🤍
🩷 I’ve written a full step by step blog on how to correctly size your ni**les at home and know when to size down again.
Comment FL**GE below and I’ll send the link straight to your DMs.
Save this for later. Send it to the friend who’s pumping in pain and blaming her body.
