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question about proper fit for breast shields..

just kitajust kita member
in Breastfeeding

I have a Medela Pump in Style and open it up today for the first time to figure out how it works, what additional parts I might need etc. I also "tried on" the pump using this link as a guide to see if it fit.

https://lactinv.com/breastfeeding_qna.php?article=proper_fitting_of_breastshields

It comes with standard 24mm shields but I don't think they fit properly. My problem might be that I have fairly large breast but small flat/almost inverted nipples. they do stick out a little but are pretty small.

I'm nervous about BF and whether or not its going to work naturally or if I'll have to pump all the time or use some other kind of shield for a latch. Is fit very important for pumping?

If anyone wants to chime in on what extra parts I'll need I'd appreciate that too. :) 

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Re: question about proper fit for breast shields..

  • abp51008abp51008 member

    Sorry, I can't help you with the fit. But, I would get some of the steamer bags to sanitize the parts after you wash them. The pump should have come with all of the parts you need to get pumping.

    I am not going to lie, it takes a lot of practice and perseverance to get BF going sometimes but it is so worth it! It can be pretty painful in the beginning, but the key is to not give up because it DOES get better! It took me a little longer than average to get through the pain because I had a crack on one breast that got infected, but its totally healed now and I have no pain during feedings now. IThey're my favorite times of the day! Get some good nursing bras, but I would wait to get them after your milk comes in. That way you have a better judge of size. I had like 5 nursing tanks to get me through until then.

    Good Luck!

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  • Meaghan26Meaghan26

    The shields are actually fitted to the nipple size rather than the breast itself. try them out, and if some of your breast is getting sucked into the shield than you'll need a smaller shield. Make sense? The fit is important since milk can leak out if they don't fit properly, that's what happened to me.

    BF is a challenge, but it's awesome once you get it sorted out!

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  • KkarvolaKkarvola
    My LC just left (second visit) and she was PISSED to see my PISA pump had soft shields. She said go get the hard ones. Not sure about your sizing, but I felt like my shields were wrong size bc it hurt to pump and never got much. Maybe try the hard ones? Bbb sells them. I would also recommend an LC visit, if you haven't already
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  • DuckDuckGoose123DuckDuckGoose123 member

    My PISA instructions had a little diagram showing how to size the breast shields.  It came with 24mm shields, but per the diagram (and multiple lactation consultant recommendations), I got the 27mm size, which is one size larger.  They work so much better.

    Basically, you want the shield to fit your nipple plus some of the areola all the way around, so that as the suction gets stronger, the sides of your nipples aren't touching the shield.  You'll get a lot more irritation if the shields are too small.  I just tried both sizes to see which worked best.

    Good luck!  You can do this! 

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    Been away from theBump for a while, getting active again for all the good advice :)Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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