Does your pump flange pinch? Here's why and how to help.

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear when people come to me for pumping help is, “My pump hurts—it feels like it's pinching, so I think it must be too small.”  And that sounds totally logical. But it’s actually the opposite. It feels backwards, I know—but stick with me. This blog breaks down why pinching often means your flange is too big, what’s really going on under the surface, and what to try instead.

Why pinching happens.

The pump is designed to pull milk out from the nipple—not the areola, not your breast tissue, just the nipple. That center tunnel on the flange? That’s where only your nipple should go. But when your flange is even just a millimeter or two too big, a little bit of your areola gets pulled in too.

And what happens when just a small piece of areola gets sucked into the tunnel? It gets pinched. That sharp, pinchy feeling? That’s your areola being pulled where it shouldn’t be.

Big doesn’t always hurt.

A flange that’s much too big usually doesn’t hurt. It’s just not effective. You might feel like you have to crank up the suction to get any milk out, and long-term it can cause damage, but it doesn’t necessarily sting. The stinging starts when the flange is *almost* the right size—close, but still a little too big—and it’s pinching just enough tissue to be painful.

Think about it like this…

If I pinch a big chunk of my arm, it’s uncomfortable but not terrible. But if I pinch a teeny little fold of skin? That sharp bite—that’s what your areola feels like when it gets pulled into a flange tunnel that’s too wide.

The same force is now being applied to a much, much smaller area.

And that hurts. It’s just really hard to tell what exactly is hurting when your nipple is already being pulled into a vacuum.

So what should you do?

If you’ve been sizing up because of pain, try going down instead. Grab a fit kit with a few options and test them out over a couple of days. You want the flange to hug just your nipple—not pull in anything else.

And there's one more really key thing you can do to make sure that your pump doesn't hurt, and that is to lubricate the inside of the pump flange so that your nipple can slide through easily and not get chafed as it touches the sides. 

And here’s the thing: if you only pump once in a while, having a perfectly perfect fit may not matter that much. But if you’re pumping regularly—or exclusively—then it absolutely does. You wouldn’t walk around town in shoes two sizes too big. Your flanges should fit, too.

Once you land on your right fit, things get easier: more milk, less discomfort, less stress. It’s not about being tough—it’s about using tools that actually work for your body.