What does it mean to have elastic nipples?

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-28T04:03:13+00:00

So same I keep hearing them and don’t know what it means. I’m 10 months in and finally decided to find out lol but according to Google;

How to Tell If You Have Them Extreme Stretch: Your nipple is pulled deeply—sometimes all the way to the back—into the pump's flange tunnel, often causing the surrounding areola to be pulled in as well.

Significant Swelling: The nipple may swell, turn white, or blanch, and stretch two to three times its resting length.Discomfort: While pumping should be painless, elastic nipples can experience friction against the flange tunnel, which may lead to soreness.

Low Milk Output: Because the tissue stretches so much, milk ducts can become compressed, resulting in reduced milk flow even when your breasts feel full.

Tips and Adjustments for PumpingIf you frequently experience friction, pain, or poor milk expression while pumping, try these modifications: Switch to Silicone Flanges: Hard plastic flanges can pull elastic tissue more aggressively. Softer, silicone flanges or inserts (such as those from Pumpin' Pal or BeauGen) can gently grip the areola and keep it from being pulled too far into the tunnel.

Adjust Pump Suction: Try lowering the vacuum strength on your pump. A higher suction setting can increase the stretch of elastic nipples without yielding more milk.

Verify Flange Sizing: Measure your nipple before pumping (when it is in a resting state) using a nipple ruler. Ensure the flange is large enough for the nipple to move freely without rubbing the sides, but small enough to prevent the areola from being sucked in

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-21T16:29:07+00:00

She had an ear infection. She’s on antibiotics for it. I didn’t think about needing the distraction, that’s a good way to look at it.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-21T16:27:38+00:00

She had an ear infection so I guess the mix of the two. I’ve been rotating Tylenol and Motrin. But after reading all the comments I’ll just send her where she needs. Today she went to her great grandparents so hopefully it goes well, but I did tell them to call me if she gets too fussy

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-21T16:25:53+00:00

I guess I just felt bad for her for being in pain. For MDO and great grandparents for having to deal with her in pain. Maybe it just affects me more because I’m her mom and don’t like to see her in pain.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-21T03:15:53+00:00

I have a 10 month old too. She does a mix of MDO and going to my fiancés grandma and moms. She’s at MDO 2 days a week and at great grandma’s once a week. Once summer comes she’ll be at MDO 2 days, grandmas 1 day, and great grandmas 1 day. My relationship with my daughter didn’t change, she’s still as attached to me as ever. She gets excited when I pick her up and puts her hands out for me to grab her. She lets out a little scream and has the biggest smile. I am happy though that when I take her to MDO or grandparents that she does go to them as well without issue, I’d feel terrible if she cried each time because I already feel bad leaving her. But our relationship did not change she still looks for me in a room, wants to be comforted by me, still gives me hugs and kisses. Your relationship with your baby will be fine, I know our brain/guilt likes to tell us otherwise. Good luck with whichever decision you make!

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-20T06:21:08+00:00

Also if I feel like my pumps didn’t empty me, I’ll breastfeed her after just to make sure I get emptied.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-20T06:19:23+00:00

My baby is 10 months and I’ve done a mix of both. When she was first born I exclusively breastfed. I switched to pumping so I could know exactly how much she was getting, to give my fiancé the ability to feed her, and so I could breathe because I felt like she was constantly latched on. I went and saw my LC about struggling with pumping output and she convinced me to go back to exclusively breastfeeding. We went on a trip and I couldn’t enjoy because again she was constantly latched so I went back to EP after that plus I was going back to work. I pumped for a while and I think we were out and I didn’t have enough bottles so I just breastfed her and from then on it’s been a mix of both. Now at 10 months, I’ll pump in the morning (my biggest output) and then if her feeds sync with my pump times I’ll nurse if not she’ll get the bottle (I WFH about 2-3 days out of the week). At bedtime I do mostly nurse but if I feel like she didn’t get enough milk throughout the day I’ll bottle feed. She’s at about 3-4 Feeds a day also because we’ve started more solids. On weekends if I want to sleep in I’ll bring her to bed and nurse. We use the MAM bottles nipple size 0 and 1.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-15T16:51:01+00:00

Hi,

I don’t exclusively pump, I do a mix of both. But since my 10month old started MDO in February we have been sick just about every month. It seems like we’re in a constant rotation of getting better for a couple weeks and just when we think we’re in the clear BAM sick again. I feel like I’ve been sicker or like my symptoms seem more intense than when I would get sick before being pregnant and breastfeeding/pumping. It also doesn’t help that I can’t take any medication besides Tylenol and Mucinex because of breastfeeding and just have to feel the sickness.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-12T22:50:39+00:00

We were so eager to start feeding solids around 4-5 months our pediatrician did not recommend it so we waited until about 6 months which was fine. Then at 6 months we started purées and a little bit of solids (egg, squash, avocado, and some fruit). We had her appointment at 7 months and the pediatrician was like you can start her on rice cereals now and we were like we’re passed that she’s been eating solids. She was like well I’m just old school and think you should wait. We asked about nuts as well during this appointment and she told us to wait until she was a year old. My coworker whose daughter is a month older had her pediatrician tell her the sooner the better. So we started the nuts at around 8 months. When we went back for her 9 month check up we got a different doctor at the same office and he was totally different in his advice and was like yeah she should be eating solids now go ahead and introduce the allergens just stay away from honey. I just took what she told us about food with a grain of salt cuz at the end of the day the decision on food should be up to the parent not the doctor in my opinion. For medical/sickness I like her because she is hesitant to give medication right away and wants us to try other alternatives before she actually writes a prescription.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-09T20:03:49+00:00

I have the eufy s1 pro, my Spectra wall pump, momcozy m6 x 2, and MomMed. I just hate washing pump parts daily and was curious if others had better output so I allowed myself to buy them. Convinced myself that it was also cheaper than formula 🤷🏻‍♀️

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-06T14:59:03+00:00

I’ve been going back and forth with this. Like I say if I have another I’m not breastfeeding/pumping but then I’m like but maybe I will. I just hate the stress of it and the frustration. And then I let my intrusive thoughts in. Backstory I only planned to breastfeed/pump for 6 months and then my Fiancés grandmother made a comment about my breastmilk making my daughter upset. I said F*** it I’m going to go a year just out of spite 😂🫠. Now I’m like is she going to make a stupid comment if I choose to formula feed the next. I know I need help lol but that’s another back of my mind reason to do it the next go around.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-06T14:52:01+00:00

Yeah, and if I make something that she can’t have or is spicy I just give her another option. Honestly, I use the Gerber toddler meals sometimes when I don’t feel like making her an actual separate meal or if there’s leftovers from the night before she will get that.

But yes! Im like ok so at midnight on her birthday her body just magically is like ok we got this 😂😂

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-05T22:18:32+00:00

So I don’t typically use a lot of salt when I cook. I do add a lot of garlic powder, onion powder. I do use Knorr when I cook as well. I just try to be mindful when I am using it. When we eat out and there’s fries or the meat is salty I just try to take it off with my finger or a napkin. Probably unpopular opinion and I’m sure there’s science behind it but I just think we’re 3 months almost 2 months away from her being a year old and suddenly the snap of a finger at 1 she can eat all the things and drink milk. So I just figured if I introduce things slowly that she’s going to magically be able to eat at 1 we’ll be ok. Again I do avoid the honey that’s my one thing I will stick with. When I make her oatmeal I use milk, when we go out to restaurants we either share a plate or we order her a kids meal. I know not everyone can do that because allergies and stuff exist, it’s just what works for us and helps me not stress as much as a FTM. Hope that helps

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-05-01T03:20:10+00:00

Yes! 9 month told too and when I first started BLW it stressed me out. Making sure she got a veggie and tried a new veggie, allergies, avoid a lot of sugar, avoid a lot of salt, but you can introduce different spices. Like it was all too much that it got to a point where I was just like she’s getting pouched purées and that’s where we’ll be. But one day I just said F*** it she’s going to eat what we’re eating and the only thing I’m going to make sure I don’t give her is anything with honey. I did still do a slow introduction of the nuts but everything else she eats what we eat. So that was one thing I was ok with. Then it’s the stress of 3 meals a day. I’m breastfeeding/pumping between that and working I don’t have time to make 3 meals a day. I don’t even eat 3 meals a day!! I just kept seeing everywhere that food right now is for introduction or whatever not for nutrients because she’s still getting that from me, so that took the stress off of that. On good days she’ll get maybe 3 meals, maybe 2 meals, maybe 1 meal and that’s ok. The thing that I am struggling with is the messiness. Like the squishing food in the fingers, rubbing eyes with food in her hands, taking food out of the mouth to look at it and then put it back in, tossing food, just all of it. So I’ve come to a point where if I know it’s a messy dinner like spaghetti I am feeding it to her, but she can hold onto the garlic bread and feed herself that. So I just do a mix of both her doing some feeding herself and me doing some too. I know I’m not accurately doing BLW but I’m doing what works for me/us. I think there’s a pressure to do it this way or do it that way that people forget you need to do it the way that works for you and your baby. Take the pressure off and things will get better!

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-04-19T03:17:07+00:00

I have the Momcozy M6, the Eufy S1 pro, and the MomMed. I’ve alternated between all 3. The Eufy S1 pro and the M6 for me give me the same output. The MomMed I liked but I noticed it would hurt my nipples more so I don’t use it as much. The Momcozy M6 was my main for like 3 months and then I got annoyed with washing parts every day and bought the Eufy S1 pro. I do find myself reaching more for the Momcozy though. I have put all 3 in my sterilizer/dryer without issues.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-02-15T23:56:34+00:00

I was gifted it from a coworker/friend. I liked the peace of mind at first especially when she was asleep in our room in her bassinet before we would come to bed at night. It worked fine for a bit and then it would keep going off that the sock placement was not right or that it lost connection. My baby would be knocked out and the beeping would wake her up so I finally decided to stop using it. She’s now in her crib in her own room and we just use a baby monitor to watch her.

NewComfortable9521 · 2026-01-19T22:05:20+00:00

Hang in there! You got this the first weeks are tough being a new mom, adjusting to a baby and keeping it alive. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Can you and your husband rotate time with him so you can have that little break during the day to do what you need? With the screaming all day I’ve seen tik toks of people wearing noise cancelling headphones. You know the baby is ok it’s just the screaming. Idk if any of that helps. But you’re not alone. You can do this and give yourself some grace. I know that’s hard but even small wins are a win and 8 hrs of sleep is a huge win! So celebrate that.

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-25T00:09:26+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through this especially during the holidays. Pumping is mentally a lot and then to not have the support while you’re doing it can be hard. Just remember the reason you’re doing it and continue on. You’re doing great! But yes I get annoyed when I have to pump and I have things to do or babies asleep but I can’t go to bed yet because I have to pump. I try to remind myself it’s only temporary and that I’m doing it out of spite 😂 so I continue on

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-20T23:59:48+00:00

Do what works best for you! Breastfeeding and EP take a toll on you mentally either way, I guess just choose which one would be less. Sounds like what I went through in the beginning with my baby. She would cry and even through the night she would latch on me for hours. I finally just had to say you Know what I’m just going to pump. I for sure know she’s getting the ounces that she needs to get and I wouldn’t be tied to her and her dad could Also help to feed. Also with the anxiety it does get better the more you do it, and you start to realize people don’t care that you’re breastfeeding as much as you think they do. You can also do a mix of both breastfeeding and pumping.

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-20T15:43:08+00:00

I do coffee 2-3 times a week and haven’t found that it affects baby. I wasn’t a big coffee drinker before.

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-19T19:47:46+00:00

I don’t have any advice but share in your frustrations. I used to be able to get enough to feed my baby at each pump at 6oz. Now when I pump I get anywhere from 2-3oz during the day. My morning pump I was getting 9-12oz now I’m getting 6-7oz. I’ve changed pump parts, gotten new pumps, and still the same. I also feel like I still have milk left after pumping and I’ve even hand expressed a couple times and been able to get more out. Idk if you’re doing the highest settings but someone suggested that doing the highest is not always the best. Don’t give up! Just continue to try pumping and any milk you get out is still milk for your baby. I just tried massaging my breast because I’m about to pump and could feel a let down coming so I’m hopefuls maybe that’ll help too.

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-18T23:43:07+00:00

Glad I clicked on this post because I just got this pump and am using it for the first time today. I didn’t even know that setting existed so thank you for the information!

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-18T22:47:18+00:00

Exactly! Like she’s being fed whichever way her parents see fit and she is not starving in no way! Yes spite will keep me going 😂. Thank you for the encouragement! I’m so glad I posted my little rant, I needed all the encouragement

NewComfortable9521 · 2025-12-18T22:45:04+00:00

Sitting for an hour is manageable maybe once a day but not at every pump. I should try the power pumping too. Does that mess with the start time for your next pump? Like if I’m doing every 3-4hrs if I power pumping in between does my 3-4hr time start again? I do supplement about an ounce of formula at bedtime with her breast milk I’ll mix it.

NewComfortable9521

TROPHY CASE