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August 2013 Moms
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did you get a different size breastshield?

catskitchcatskitch member
in August 2013 Moms
for the medela pump?

I've been pumping at work for about a month now, and I wonder if I'm using the wrong size. The medela sizing chart is so confusing, and 24mm is the standard. Meanwhile, I think I have pretty big nipples to begin with, but when I pump a lot of the areola part is being pulled in. I just ordered the smaller shield, but I was hesitant to do so. I feel like it may be too small, but the 24mm is too big?

I pump 3x at work and get about 12oz total, which is what he eats while I'm away. 
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Re: did you get a different size breastshield?

  • MommyKristin88MommyKristin88 member

    I did. I ended up going with a bigger size though, and it made a huge difference (no pun intended). My nipples were getting squeezed in that little shield. Pumping was highly uncomfortable until I got the bigger shields.

     

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  • V&G101808V&G101808 member
    Yep... I'm not sure why I'm embarrassed to admit that I had to buy the bigger shields.  I bought them based on the recommendation from my LC.  They seem big and seem to suck a lot in but they get the job done and they're comfortable.
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  • LJUTCMommyLJUTCMommy member
    Yep I got the large but I may go XL because areoles are still getting sucked in.
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  • catskitchcatskitch member

    LJUTCMommy said:
    Yep I got the large but I may go XL because areoles are still getting sucked in.
    so if they're getting sucked in, wouldn't you go smaller? I'm so confused!
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  • kwreckskwrecks member
    I've never understood the chart. I've always just used the ones that my friend used.  I bought my pump from her, she used it for a week and then stopped bfing.  She used 36mm ones, which seem big but I have big nipples so I didn't think anything of it.  I don't get much from the pump, I wonder if I'm using too big of a shield?  Maybe next time I pump, I'll try the smaller size and see if it makes a difference.

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  • sparks4stpsparks4stp member
    I bought the pumpin pals because no matter what size I used they were rubbing my nipples raw. Much more comfortable and you get 3 different sized pairs so you don't need to guess what size to order.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0085CBA90/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/182-4146503-9179524?pc_redir=1387489604


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  • LJUTCMommyLJUTCMommy member
    catskitch said:





    LJUTCMommy said:

    Yep I got the large but I may go XL because areoles are still getting sucked in.

    so if they're getting sucked in, wouldn't you go smaller? I'm so confused!

    My LC recommended going bigger if I was getting sucked in.
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  • LokiLahveLokiLahve member
    LJUTCMommy said:

    catskitch said:





    LJUTCMommy said:

    Yep I got the large but I may go XL because areoles are still getting sucked in.

    so if they're getting sucked in, wouldn't you go smaller? I'm so confused!

    My LC recommended going bigger if I was getting sucked in.


    This makes no sense to me. If you were getting sucked in too much wouldn't you go smaller?

    I too have issues and wonder if I'm using the right size. The size that came with the pump are comfortable but they always let milk escape. So I bought the larger size and that hurts...half my boob end up being pulled in. I get the same amount if milk with both. :-/
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  • julianndelaneyjulianndelaney member
    sparks4stp said:

    I bought the pumpin pals because no matter what size I used they were rubbing my nipples raw. Much more comfortable and you get 3 different sized pairs so you don't need to guess what size to order.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0085CBA90/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/182-4146503-9179524?pc_redir=1387489604

    Same here. I use the smallest ones in the set. I like them a lot more than the original medela ones.
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  • 10781078 member
    I bought both the small and the large sizes because I was confused by the size chart!
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  • kmr333kmr333 member
    Totally don't get the chart, either. I bought the large size and I think that seems to work better for me? @LokiLahve I wonder if you may actually need the smaller size if you have leakage?
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  • Critter015Critter015 member
    edited December 2013
    I finally caved and bought the smaller size when my DD was 9 months old and my breasts shrunk down to my pre-pregnancy size and I couldn't keep suction. I've been using them for DS and they are so much better than the Mediums for me. The only issue I have is that my nipples are small in diameter but long and the size small breastshields have a shorter end on them so sometimes my nipple gets pulled in and is touching the end of the connector. I only pump occasionally though since I SAH and DS doesn't take bottles well.

    ETA: I always have to put lanolin on my nipples prior to pumping as a lubricant, otherwise it rubs them raw and is painful.

    Also, if there is milk leaking they may be too large, I had less of an issue with this when I switched to the small size, but I also have to lean forward slightly so the milk is running down from the flanges toward the bottle. When I disconnect I make sure that I lean far forward so that it is going down into the bottle and not rolling off the bottom part of the flange.
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