Elastic nipples (or stretched nipples) are an issue that many exclusive pumpers struggle with. Here’s four things you can try to make pumping less painful and more efficient when you have elastic nipples.
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What are elastic nipples?
Some women have nipples that stretch while pumping so that they extend to the end of flange tunnel.
When this happens, too much areola is pulled into the tunnel, which compresses the milk ducts and reduces milk flow.
Sometimes, this can be solved with a different sized breast shield, but other women struggle with this even after trying many different sizes.
What problems do elastic nipples cause?
The main issue is that this can be very painful.
Additionally, elastic nipples can cause inefficient pumping. Draining milk can become difficult because the breast shield is putting pressure on areola tissue that shouldn’t be pulled in, constricting the flow.
What Can You Do If You Have Elastic Nipples?
There are a few things that you can try to make pumping less painful and more efficient when you have elastic nipples.
Silicone Pumpin Pals
Pumpin Pals are a breast shield that are shaped differently than most other flanges. Instead of the ring at the bottom of the funnel, the cone tapers into the tunnel.
The shape, along with the silicone material, seems to help hold the areola from getting pulled into the tunnel. Trying Pumpin Pals is the #1 recommendation from moms in our Facebook group that have elastic nipples.
(Note: If you have a Spectra, you have to buy directly from Pumpin Pal, not from amazon.)
Beaugen Breast Pump Cushions
Beaugen breast pump cushions are inserts that go inside breast shields. They are intended to provide a more comfortable pumping experience, and can also help if your optimal flange size falls between two sizes. (It reduces the flange size by about 2mm.)
Lots of moms have found that Beaugen cushions helped with elastic nipples, both as a result of the smaller size and the material.
This video shows how they work:
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Beaugen cushions are available on amazon, but you can get a 10% discount buying directly from Beaugen with the promo code EPUMP.
More on Beaugen cushions here.
Coconut Oil
Some women have found that lubricating breast shields with coconut oil helps with the nipple stretching and makes pumping more efficient.
More info on using coconut oil while pumping here.
Try a Different Flange Size
As noted above, you may have some success with a different breast shield size. (It’s possible that you need different sizes for each breast.)
Have you struggled with elastic nipples? What has worked for you?
References- Beaugen. “Frequently Asked Questions.” https://www.beaugen.com/pages/faq
- Pumpin Pal. “Do you suffer from Lactiferous Duct Dysmorphia?” https://pumpinpal.com/milk-duct-dysmorphia/
I’m going through this right now. I was using a 28mm shield but it was painful so I got a 30mm and it was comfortable for a few weeks and now it comes and goes. My poor nips are practically purple at the end of every session. My LO ped is an IBCLC and she said that as much aerola should go into the flange but your article states otherwise. I’m not sure what to do 😔
I’m so happy to have found this website and FB group. I had not heard of elastic nipples before but this is exactly what I’m going through. Very helpful article and information.
You are a life saver! I felt like my breast shields were a little uncomfortable and too small while pumping, so I went up a size. At first, I was good, then pumping became really uncomfortable and my supply started going down. Going back to the smaller size didn’t help at all. Turns out I have elastic nipples! I could not find info on this anywhere else without knowing the term first. Im now on my third pumping session with using coconut oil and it’s already less painful! I’ve also gone back down to my original breast shield size. Hoping my supply picks back up without much trouble.
I did order the pumpin pals shields, I’m hoping those will work better also especially for when I’m not home or don’t want to deal with the coconut oil.
I hope the Pumpin Pals help!!! 🙂