So Does Nipple Size Really Affect Breastfeeding? Here's What the Research Says

The size of the nipple differs substantially between women, a study has found.

This suggests there is no evolutionary advantage to having large or small nipples, the research adds.

Lead author Ashleigh Kelly, from the University of Queensland, said: ‘Female nipples are functional as they are used in breastfeeding’, adding variation in women’s areola width suggests nipples work well at any size, shares Daily Mail.

Previous studies imply babies can struggle to ‘latch on’ if their mothers’ nipples are too large.

The researchers analysed the nipples of 63 male and female volunteers.

The participants’ nipples, bust and chest sizes were measured.

Room temperature was also taken into account.

Miss Kelly said: ‘We found that female nipples were significantly more variable than male nipples.

‘The finding that females nipples are highly variable discredits previous studies that indicate variation in a specific feature indicates a lack of functionality.’

The findings were published in the journal Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology.

Share your comments below.

19 Comments

- - youngoldlady, WA said
  - 07 Nov 2018
    12:08 am
I think it has to do how comfortable a mother is when feeding and how the baby reacts. Six children and different feeding styles from the same breast, maybe ageing one at the end ones.

- - Ellen, WA said
  - 01 Aug 2018
    7:40 am
Think indeed that nipple size isn’t of much influence on successful breastfeeding, whether it is inverted or not has probably far more impact.

- - sambii, WA said
  - 02 Jul 2018
    10:08 pm
Just like breast size doesn’t dictate who will or won’t be able to breastfeed.

- - hopefullyheidi, WA said
  - 01 Jul 2018
    11:16 pm
I would be interested to read the journal.

- - BellaB, WA said
  - 01 Jul 2018
    1:40 pm
Must admit I’d never really thought about ths.

- - mom74005, WA said
  - 01 Jul 2018
    8:39 am
I know that all research is just a starting point and can be linked to other findings although pointing out the obvious can be a timely study and it’s mighty frustrating. Hopefully now they can delve deeper.

- - mom114371, WA said
  - 01 Jul 2018
    3:52 am
The study has basically said what we already knew. If you can breastfeed than great!

- - Newmumma87, WA said
  - 01 Jul 2018
    12:38 am
If you can you can. If you can’t oh well. No sense beating yourself up about your own anatomy.

- - cherz, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    8:40 pm
Nup sorry this do not sound that scientific or note worthy to me.

- - mom111059, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    7:45 pm
I wouldn’t worry about this. If you can feed you can feed if not then there are formulas. We can’t do anything about our varying shapes and we shouldn’t worry about them either.

- - mom81879, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    6:21 pm
Interesting results. I have large nipples and didn’t have breast feeding issues

- - Cookfromscratchmum, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    4:57 pm
Interesting findings And I thought that the size does not matter

- - becstalou, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    10:02 am
This doesn’t sound very scientific.

- - mom93821, WA said
  - 30 Jun 2018
    8:46 am
The findings are good news for all women when breastfeeding.
- mom93821 replied
  
  01 Jul 2018 , 8:07 am
  I am not surprise by the finding about the variations in genders.
- - Staceylee101, WA said
  - 29 Jun 2018
    10:34 pm
I don’t think it would make all that much difference.

- - Jessica, WA said
  - 29 Jun 2018
    10:09 pm
All babies are different and so are nipples with each pregnancy, after 4 I’ve never seen my nipples stay the same haha all babies still fed.

- - ashna9, WA said
  - 29 Jun 2018
    6:11 pm
I’m sure babies can work it out with their mumma’s whether small or large..lol

- - mom81879, WA said
  - 29 Jun 2018
    1:43 pm
Considering babies need to enclose all of the nipple in their mouths to breastfeed, I guess bigger nipples might have issues.