When you’re exclusively pumping, it’s important to make and stick to a pumping schedule in order to maximize your milk supply and minimize issues like clogged ducts. Here are some sample pumping schedules that you can tweak to fit your life.
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(Not an exclusive pumper? These posts on pumping schedules at work or combining nursing and pumping might be helpful for you instead.)
Before I give you some sample exclusive pumping schedule, here’s what to consider when putting yours together.
How often should you pump when you are exclusively pumping?
This depends on a few different things:
- Your baby’s age. When you have a newborn, you may be pumping as frequently as every 2 to 3 hours; as your baby gets older, you may not need to pump as often.
- How long you plan to pump. Pumping more may help protect your milk supply long-term, so you may want to be more conservative when dropping sessions if you plan to pump for a year or more.
- Your milk supply. Pumping more frequently may be beneficial to milk supply.
If you have a newborn baby, aim for seven to ten pumping sessions per day.
Then, after the newborn phase, you may be able drop some pumping sessions. (You will be able to see examples of how often I pumped at different ages in the sample schedules below.)
How long should you pump?
Most exclusive pumpers should aim for a minimum of 120 minutes pumping per day, unless they are weaning.
So just divide 120 by the number of pumping sessions you have, and set that as your goal.
Note: Some people prefer to pump for more than 120 minutes per day, and that’s fine. Also, some people find they are able to maintain their milk supply long-term pumping less than 120 minutes. Everyone is different, so just take this into account as a general guideline, and go from there.
If you find that you still have a lot of milk in your breasts when your pumping time is up, here are some things that might help you pump faster.
How long of a break should you have between pumping sessions at night?
Pumping in the middle of the night can be important for establishing your milk supply, especially when your baby is a newborn.
In the newborn stage, I would aim for one or two sessions at night.
I did two from birth to about eight weeks, then transitioned to one from 8-12 weeks. Then at 12 weeks, I went back to work and stopped pumping at night.
(More info on dropping middle of the night pumping sessions here.)
What type of pumping schedule should you have?
There are a few different ways you can structure your exclusive pumping schedule:
- A set schedule where you pump at the same time every day
- An “every x hours” schedule, where you mark your next time pumping from your last pump time
- A schedule where you pump whenever baby eats
Different set-ups might work for you at different times in your pumping journey.
I found that a schedule of pumping when baby ate was easiest for me in the newborn phase, when life was so unpredictable, but a set schedule was better once I’d gone back to work.
This article contains examples of set pumping schedules, but any of these ways of doing it are fine as long you get the sessions and pumping time in! Do whatever works best for you.
Sample pumping schedules with a newborn
I usually recommend aiming for eight or nine pumping sessions in this stage, with seven as the lower limit and ten as the upper limit (as noted above).
With less than seven sessions, it may be difficult to establish your milk supply. With more than ten, you may get overwhelmed and burn out. However, these are just guidelines to keep in mind – everyone is different.
Below is a sample pumping schedule with eight pumping sessions in 24 hours:
7am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am
A schedule like this will give you three and a half straight hours of sleep (from about 12:30am-4am, once you’ve finished pumping). These times can obviously be adjusted however you like.
Below is a sample pumping schedule with ten sessions in 24 hours:
7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 12am, 3am, 5am
This schedule will give you four and a half straight hours of sleep (from 7:30pm-12am), with the added benefit that if you have a partner he or she can care for the baby during this time before going to bed themselves.
(More information about how often and how long to pump for a newborn here.)
Sample pumping schedules with an older babyÂ
Below are some sample pumping schedules for older babies. These aren’t rocket science, and you can adjust them to a schedule that fits your needs; I’m just including them as an example of worked for me as my baby got older.
(Note: As you drop pumping sessions, in order to maintain your milk supply, you should increase the amount of time that you pump in each session so that your total pumping time per day stays the same. Again, you may want to refer to the 120 minute rule.)
Six pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 3-4 months):
6am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm
Five pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 4-6 months):
6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 10pm
Four pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 6-11 months):
6am, 10am, 2pm, 10pm
Three pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 11-12 months):
6am, 2pm, 10pm
Two pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 12-14 months):
6am, 7pm
How important is sticking to a pumping schedule?
Sticking to a pumping schedule can be a challenge – as the parent of an infant, you are likely sleep deprived and busy, so it’s easy to forget to pump.
At the same time, if you frequently miss a pumping session, it could lead to decreased milk supply.
This is because breastfeeding supply (the amount of milk that you produce) is driven by demand (how much milk you remove). If you skip sessions frequently, you’ll be consistently removing less milk, thus decreasing demand.
Leaving milk in your breasts longer than usual can also sometimes result in a clogged duct or mastitis.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to try to stick to your schedule if you can. However, if you do need to miss a pumping session, you can try to do a make up session later than day or add the missed time to one of your later sessions.
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Want help putting together the perfect pumping schedule for you that saves your sanity AND your milk supply? Check out the Exclusive Pumping Playbook! Includes cheat sheets for setting up systems and routines to make things easier. Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.
References- KidsHealth. “Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often?” https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breastfeed-often.html
Comments & Chitchat
Brittany Hayes says
How much were you pumping daily when you were doing 6 sessions vs 5 sessions vs 4 sessions vs 3 sessions vs 2 sessions? Thanks!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Brittany! In terms of time – 20 min/24min/30/40/40. Output was something like 45oz/45oz/40oz/35oz/20oz. Hope that helps!
Bea says
Hi! I am 8 weeks postpartum. Currently making more than my baby takes in (about 24oz ins 24 hours and she takes in 17-20oz). Pump 8 times a day for 30 minutes each with q3 hours during the day and one 4 hour spell at night. Going back to work soon and have a mentally and physically demanding job (in healthcare) and struggling with PPD. Trying to debate having a 5-6 hour stretch of sleep overnight, but wondering if this will tank my supply. Should I try to hold out until 12 weeks?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Bea! I think you should try a 5 hour stretch and see what happens. I think it’s unlikely (though not impossible) that that will have an effect. Then maybe you could push it another hour in a few weeks if all goes well?
Joti says
Hi, I’m 3 months pp and am hoping to drop to six pump sessions from my current 8. I’ve been following your sample schedule (12am, 4am, 7:30am,10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm). I’m worried that if I do my last pump at 10pm and the next at 6am that I’d get engorged overnight. What would you suggest?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Joti! I would gradually drop the 4am and then the 12am but slowly pushing them back. Here’s more tips on how to do this!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hannah says
Did your supply maintain when even when you dropped sessions as time went on? I have tried to drop to 5 sessions (I’m 6 months postpartum) but kept the amount of time pumping the same (150 min seems to be my sweet spot). However, when I drop that sixth session, my supply dips down just enough that I am unable to freeze any. My goal is to over produce so I can freeze some and stop pumping early.
Hannah says
Am I understanding correctly that even when you only pumped twice a day, you still pumped for 120 minutes, meaning 60 minutes each time?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Hannah! Yes – if that’s too long I would recommend waiting to drop to two until you’re ready to wean.
Hannah says
That makes sense. How did you avoid pain/rawness? Anything over 30 minutes is quite painful for myself.
Leslie says
Hi Amanda! When you dropped to 6 sessions at 3 months postpartum, did your supply maintain? I’m 12 weeks postpartum now and I think 6 sessions would be perfect for my schedule. My supply is still slowly increasing over time right now. Thank you!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Leslie! Yes it did maintain. Good luck!!!
Samantha says
Hello. I am 6 weeks pp and pumping. I pump about 32-36 oz in 24 hours. During the night I go about 4.5 hours and will pump about 6-7 oz and then around 7 am and get about 5ish and the rest of my pumps about 4 oz. If I sleep longer like 6 hours will my supply tank. Would it be best to then try and squeeze in an extra pump as long as it’s 8 in 24 hours?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Samantha! I think a 6 hour break at night is fine and I doubt your supply will tank (though obviously I can’t guarantee anything). I think squeezing in another session or doing 7 slightly longer sessions could work well. Good luck!
Kyra says
Hello I am currently 5.5 mo postpartum exclusively pumping . I slacked on my pumping schedule and used my frozen milk due to limited space in the freezer. Now my supply is getting low and I am unable to pump as much as I once was . I was an over supplier and now I’m lucky if I get 4 oz a pump. Is there a way to increase milk per pump after regulation?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Kyra! It’s often still possible to increase milk supply after regulation. Here are some ideas to work with:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Sanjana Jain says
Hello
My daughter is of 5 weeks. I am on exclusive pumping. I miss my sessions some time.. i usually pump after 3 hours. From left breast i am getting around 20 ml and from right the output ranges from 50-60 ml. How can i work on increasing ny milk supply. Can u help me suggesting a schedule for pumping
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Sanjana! Here are some ideas for increasing milk supply – I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Jess says
I’m nearly 4 weeks postpartum and currently pumping 8x a day, to coincide with feeds (8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm, 2am, 5am). Total pumping time is 2.5 hours a day. My supply is good, and I’d like to keep that where it is, however I’m exhausted. Can I drop to 7 pumps a day and keep my supply the same if the total time remains equal? Or should I change my schedule? What would you advise? Thank you SO much!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Jess! I think going to 7x a day is fine if you keep you total time the same! (I can’t guarantee anything related to supply, but this plan doesn’t concern me.) Good luck!
Lilly Jacobson says
Hi Kaitlin! I am a teacher with a newborn and am planning to go back to work in January (my little one will be about 7 months old). It is not feasible for me to pump in the middle of the day with a teaching schedule, so I’m wondering if it is possible to pump only in the morning and late afternoon/evenings and night (I’m building up my freezer supply now to supplement). Is this possible, or will it lead to clogged ducts if I go for several hours without pumping in the middle of the day? Thanks for any help you can provide!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Lilly! Congrats on your sweet newborn! If you adjust the schedule slowly enough it should be possible to pump that type of schedule without clogged ducts. Some people can sustain a full supply on this type of schedule and others might not be able to so it’s definitely worth a try! Good luck!!!
Maria says
I’m 5 week PP with an oversupply. I’m pumping 38oz a day while baby only drinking 23oz and have a ridiculously large freezer stash already. I’ve dropped a pump from 8 to 7 per day. Is it safe to drop another down to 6 so that I’m closer to baby’s needs? Or will I tank my supply too much doing that this early? I plan to pump for a year.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Maria! At 5 weeks postpartum, I think I would wait a few more weeks to drop to 6. It could be fine to do it now, but since it’s unlikely your supply has regulated yet and you want to pump for a year, I personally would err on the side of caution. I’m sorry! Congrats on your newborn?
Jess says
Dear Amanda,
I exclusively pumped with baby #1 nearly three years ago and you were a lifesaver! Baby #2 arrived last week and while I’d love to breastfeed only, she’s small and my (at first crazy) supply plummeted after she didn’t have enough energy to do much after latching. She’s lost weight so I’m on a mixed pumping and nursing schedule. One question I had last time and never asked: after about 5-10min pumping, my flow nearly stops. If I want/need to keep going, eg during a power pump, can I hit the letdown button again? Or should I stay on the main pumping rhythm?
Thank you!!
Krystle says
Hello! My baby is 16 weeks and I pump 6 times a day every 3-4 hours. I pump anywhere from 8-9 am, 11/12ish pm, 2/3ish pm, 6 pm, 8 pm and 10 pm. And feed my son from the breast if he wakes up earlier than 8 am (some days he does, some does he doesn’t). I am returning to work soon and would like to move my last session of the day from 10 pm to 9 pm. Should I skip my 8 pm session and drop down to 5 sessions per day or add another session during the day? Eventually when I go back to work, my first session will be earlier in the day around 5-6 am. But that won’t be for another month. Thank you!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Krystle! I think you’d be fine doing either. In this exact situation, I dropped down to 5 sessions and it worked out okay. Everyone is different though and I don’t know what your goals are for pumping or what your supply is like – but neither option concerns me, I think you can follow your gut. 🙂 Good luck!
Ashlyn says
Hi! My baby just turned 6 months so planning to start on solids and trying to figure out if I need to drop a session of pumping and how I would need to do that. I currently pump around every 3 hours and I pump pretty much when baby eats. I do go all night-around 6-7 hours. I don’t have a set time schedule, I just pump around every x hours. So if I pump at 6 in the morning, I pump at 9, 12 and so on. Do I need to start going an extra hour and pump every 4 hours during the day or do I need to drop a pumping session and just thaw milk if baby is hungry at that time? I’m so confused on how to slowly wean with the pumping. My first baby exclusively breastfed but my new baby was in the nicu and got used to a bottle so breastfeeding has been a struggle with him.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Ashlyn! Congrats on your sweet baby! I would not change anything for a little bit – it often takes a little while to see a decrease in the amount of milk they take in because breast milk has so many more calories than (for example) peas, and half the peas end up in their hair at first anyway. I would go ahead and start solids and see how things go.
I have some information on weaning here that might help!
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Ashlyn says
Hi, me again! Lol so my baby has been on solids for about a month now and is doing very well-loving his bite bites! Lol
I pump when I wake up in the mornings and it usually takes me around 45 minutes or so to pump it all out and he takes his morning bottle very well. But he hasn’t been eating as much of his bottle during the day-is this normal because he’s eating solids now?
Also, should I skip a pump session since he’s not eating as much anyways? After I pump in the mornings, when I pump my second session of the day (3 hours later) I usually don’t get as much. I’m guessing because I’m pumping so much/so long in the mornings. So I didn’t know if I should drop that session?
Thanks for any feedback!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Ashlyn! Can you remind me how old you baby is now and you current schedule (with approximate times)? Thank you!
Ashlyn says
Or should I just wait 4/5 hours to pump my 2nd session of the day and then 3 hours after that?
Ashlyn says
Baby will be 7 months in 3 days and I pump around every 3 hours! So if I get up at 5 I will pump at 5, 8, 11 and so on or if I get up at 6 I pump at 6, 9, 12. Sometimes I may go a tad longer if I get caught up or something. But here lately he hasn’t been finishing his bottles during the day. Maybe he’s getting more full off of his food? So wasn’t sure if I need to take out a session or just go longer in between? Or take out my session around 11 or 12-whenever he eats lunch
Shermaine says
Hi, I’m currently a 9 months postpartum and exclusively pumping mom. I don’t let my baby latch due to low supply and he’s teething now. Currently I’m pumping 6 hourly (6/7am, 12pm, 6pm, 12am, interval ranging 30 minutes apart if I get busy/out for exercise i’ll pump earlier) for 4x times per day (30 minutes each) and yield 30ml-50ml per session now. My supply has dipped for the past few months due to extended hourly interval and I’ve skipped for a month of midnight pumps to get more sleep for work the next day. I’m looking at a new schedule and intending to breastfeed for a year which is left 3 more months. I’ve planned to wean slowly once I hit my 1 year mark of breastfeeding goals which I’m still considering. Could you suggest how should I incorporate into my new schedule? Should I change to pump 4 hours in the day time and stretch the night time to 7-8 hours for my last pump so that I can have own activities such as meeting friends etc. Appreciate your advice. Thank you.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Shermaine! Congrats on your sweet baby and making it 9 months so far! You could maybe do something like 6/7am, 10am, 3pm, 10pm so that you could get more sleep? Obviously you could adjust them to fit your plans but I think something like that could work well?
Shermaine says
Thank you for your prompt response. Got it, I’ll try to see if it works. Is it necessary for me to continue to power pumps one of the sessions, to have 5 sessions in total per day?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Shermaine! I don’t think so – maybe phase it out slowly (do it every other night maybe?) and see how things go? You can reassess after a week or so? Good luck!
Shermaine says
Thanks, Amanda. As my supply has been regulate, not sure if power pumping will help and I shall assess after a week or so. Thank you so much for answering my queries.
Samantha says
Hello! My daughter is 4 months and I have been pumping 7 times in 24 hours. I pump for 20 minutes for every session and pumping times are 11:30 AM, 2 PM, 4:30 PM, 7 PM, 9:30 PM, 12 AM, 2:30 AM. My 2:30 AM session is an hour long every night, as I power pump to sustain my milk supply. I have breast implants and my left breast has a capsular contracture, so I get about 1 ounce from my left breast only which has made this slight lot difficult for me. My right breast gives me 2 ounces always. My baby is currently having 4 oz and I plan on breastfeeding her for another 8 months till she’s 1 year old. When do you suggest I can start dropping my pumping sessions whilst maintaining my milk supply? Please keep in mind that I sleep for a stretch for 7 hours and so far this hasn’t affected my supply.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Samantha! I think you could drop to 6 sessions, but make them 24 minutes each? That’s what I usually would suggest – dropping a session down but keeping your total pumping time in a day the same. Here’s some more info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/dropping-pumps/
Samantha says
Thank you so much for your reply. I’ll start doing that now and see how it works out. Do you also think it’s still necessary for me to power pump every night- even after dropping the number of my sessions from 7 to 6?
Payal Rajoria says
Hi I have a 4 month old baby girl. Till now I was exclusively breastfeeding her but now I am going out of town and leaving her with my husband, so I am gonna start pumping and gonna store milk for her. But I have a question here that does frozen milk tastes different than actual breast milk?
I am worried that because of the taste she might refuse bottle. Any suggestion here.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Payal! Not necessarily – for some women it might due to excess lipase (I’ll link to more information on that), but other than that, it should be fine. Maybe you could do a test run with feeding before you leave?
https://exclusivepumping.com/exclusive-pumping-with-excess-lipase/
Ashley says
I’m currently 9.5weeks postpartum and exclusively pumping. Instead of using a schedule I’ve always just tried to pump 3-4 hours after my last pump session so I normally average 6-7 pumps a day. When I started, I only did 15min/session but found that didn’t empty me so now my pumps are typically pretty long. I used to go for 40minutes-1+ hour per session (typically until milk stopped flowing and my breast felt soft) and i realized that was super unsustainable for me and I was getting burnt out. I think my supply regulated a couple weeks ago (my supply dropped for a week, don’t get as engorged between pumps, and I now leak way less between pumps). My supply has gone back up again and I average 37-40oz/day with between 6-7 pumps, each 30-45 minutes. I really want to get more sleep at night, but that’s hard when I try to pump every 3-4 hours so I want to start pumping on a schedule. Do you think it’s okay to aim for 6 pumps/day or is 7 still better at this point? I’m just exhausted and want to sleep for more than like 1.5 hours at a time lol I just don’t want to end up with clogged ducts or losing too much supply.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Ashley! I think 6 pumping sessions a day for 30+ minutes at 9.5 weeks postpartum will likely be fine. I can’t promise anything (supply can be unpredictable), but nothing about this plan concerns me. Good luck!!
Megan Ronan says
Hi I’m 11 weeks postpartum and I’m struggling to pump mentally. I currently pump 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm for 30 minutes at a time. I’m also a firefighter and I just started back to shift. I would love to drop down on how often I pump to help me mentally but afraid I won’t produce enough milk for my baby. Should I start with pumping less time before dropping a session? I’ve been pumping this way for about a month.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Megan! Here’s some more info on dropping a pumping session that might help!
https://exclusivepumping.com/dropping-pumps/
Priya says
Do you still keep pumping even if you’re not producing any milk?
I’m pumping 8 times a day, every 3 hours but my supply dries up after just 10mins of pumping. Should i keep pumping even if no milk is coming out?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Priya! Yes – it’s possible/likely that if you keep pumping you’ll get another letdown and milk will start flowing again. More info here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-boost-milk-supply-letdowns/
Lexi says
Hi! I’m coming up in 4 weeks post partum. My son has tongue ties issues and I was readmitted to the hospital for post partum preeclampsia for a few days away from my baby. Due to this, and him not gaining weight, I’ve had to supplement with formula. I’m pumping about 8-10oz per day total with only 5-6 sessions. I’m really struggling with sleep deprivation and balancing waking up to bottle feed and pump. My baby prefers to be held not like to be put down in his bassinet for naps, making daytime pumping challenging too. I’m really struggling with getting my supply up and now I’m worried I missed my window and it’s too late.
Even with his tongue tie, I try to nurse him once it twice a day, but it’s unclear if he’s getting any milk or how much. Should I still count these nursing sessions as part of my pump schedule?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Lexi! Congrats on your sweet baby – I’m so happy for you. I think if you’re not sure he’s getting any milk, I likely wouldn’t count it. I’m sorry – I know you’re super overwhelmed. If you can figure out how to bottle feed baby while you pump (with a hands-free bra for you and baby propped on a Boppy next to you) that might make things MUCH easier. I hope this helps – you’re doing great!
Kailey says
Hello! My daughter is 4 months old, almost 5z I am currently at 6 sessions in 24 hours. I’m slowly expanding the time that I go at night between pumps. I was at 5 hours and now I’m at 7 hours. What’s the max amount of time between the last night pump and first morning pump do you recommend?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Kailey! I did 10 hours and that worked well for me!
Mari says
Hi im currently doing a mix of breast milk and formula due to the fact that my milk supply is extremely low. My son is 2months and drinks almost almost 4/5oz per feeding and im barely making an ounce combined. Part of my issue is sticking to the schedule because im a first time mom and working so its hard. I pump every 3hrs for 30mins but im wondering if i should try the newborn schedule you have sampled (pumping every 2hrs for 12mins) i need help!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Mari! Maybe take a look at this post on increasing milk supply – it has what I would recommend doing and the order I’d try it in. I think your schedule is good – you could change it to see if it helps, but your current schedule doesn’t concern me. Hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Sammi says
Hi!! I am a first time mom who thought she was going to be able to breast feed but now I am on the exclusive pumping journey and this website has changed my life!!!
I am currently pumping 8 times a day after my baby feeds for 15 min (2:30 am, 5:30 am, 8:30 am, 11:30am , 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm 8:30 pm and 11:30 pm) I need To add one more pump into work on meeting demand and increase supply. Where do you recommend adding a session in?!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Sammi! Maybe one in the morning to take advantage of the extra milk that lots of moms have in the morning? maybe 5:30am, 7:30pm, 9:30am, 11:30am and then everything else the same? Congrats on your baby!
Anonymous says
Hi, I want to formula and pump feed from birth but am struggling to find schedules that represent half formula half pump fed from day 1. What pump schedule would you suggest knowing I only plan to pump feed for half the daily feedings?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi! I think the reason it’s hard to find one is that it’s hard to know what your supply will look like (and therefore, how many times you’d need to pump to get to half of baby’s intake). I think I would try 5-6 sessions to start – maybe something like 7am (or whenever you wakes up for the day), 11am, 3pm, 8pm, 3am?
Nicole says
Hello! I am currently 10 weeks postpartum. I have always pumped 7 times per day for 12 min, sometimes longer if I’m super full. (middle of the night when baby wakes, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm) however I have a large supply (this schedule gives me about 44oz. I need to decrease my supply and I’m running out of freezer space and ideally I’d love to drop down to 6 pumps. How would you recommend I schedule 6 pumps if I pump at around 2am when my baby wakes up? What would my day time schedule look like.. every 3/4 hours? I leak in between if I wait this long but maybe once I give it a few days my body will adjust? FTM here, open to all advice. Thanks!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Nicole, how about dropping the 6pm and moving the 3pm back to 4pm? So middle of the night, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 4pm, 9pm?
(Personally, I would suggest making the sessions 15+ minutes long to protect your supply long term – you have a great supply but your supply might not have regulated yet and it can be hard to get it back up if it’s affected later.) Good luck!!!!
Lensia says
I’m just getting over the worst bout of mastitis that I have ever had. Every time before, my milk supply would come back up when I was better, but this time hasn’t and I’m worried about my milk supply decreasing. I’m currently 8months pp and breastfeed on demand while I’m home and only pump when I’m at work. I only pump 3x a day for 30 mins each session. Should I pump more times to get my supply back up?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Lensia! I think that’s a good idea! I’m going to link to more information on supply after mastitis in case you haven’t seen it. Good luck and I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/mastitis-milk-supply-recovery/
Stephanie says
Hello! I have been breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months now but I am going to be leaving my baby with my mom for a couple of days so I am going to start pumping to leave a milk bank for my mom to feed my baby.
Any suggestions on how to switch from “on demand breastfeeding” to breastfeeding AND pumping to create a milk bank? Not sure how to create a schedule for both.
Thank you!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Stephanie! Congrats on your 6 month old! What I would do is pump like 15-30 minutes after your finish nursing. You might get an ounce or two each time, just keep at it. Good luck!
Kat says
Hello I’m still pumping for my daughter who is 14 months I pump 5x a day 8am 12pm 4:30pm 8pm and 11pm (sometimes varies by 30 min). I want to drop down to 4x a day but I already pump 50-1 hr each pump which sucks and my daughter has feeding issues with solids so needs at least 35oz to make sure she has some nutrition if she refuses solids. I usually pump 34-39oz a day she mostly eats 30oz sometimes 35oz if she’s really hungry at night. She usually eats 22oz during the day and the rest at night when she wakes up. She usually wakes up for the day 7-8am and sleeps usually at 6:30pm sometimes 6:45pm and she has 1 nap from 10am or 11am till 12:30 or 1:30. She wakes up at night usually around 11-1am then once more before morning but 2nd wake up usually takes longer to fall back asleep usually an hour or 2.
Any suggestions on timing of the pumps? I really want to go to sleep earlier and cut the late 11pm/11:30pm pump.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Kat! Congrats on your baby and on making it 14 months so far! If you want to drop a session, I think I’d combine the 8pm and 11pm sessions – maybe do one at 9 or 9:30 instead?
Kat says
If I do a 9:30 pump should I increase all pump times? I worry about my supply decreasing.
Also any supplements you’d recommend for good production?
Thank you so much! Hoping to wean pumping by 2 years.
Kat says
Hello I’m back made it almost to 22 months and am down to 3 pumps a day and after her 1st cold recently I was ready to go to 2x but she’s been refusing food again after being sick and her food intake going to almost zero. She’s slowly eating but now is drinking more bottles at night while before she wouldn’t finish them. I mix water and whatever I pump. I usually can only get 11-12oz total now and I mix it in 3 bottles to make it about 33 oz of mostly water. I’m hoping to wean by December but worried as after going down to 3 pumps my supply tanked. I would like to keep 2 bottles for nap/ start of bedtime and just offer water rest of the night wakeup. Do you think I’d stop producing anything if I drop down to 2?
Christine says
Hi Amanda! This is has been super helpful on my exclusive pumping journey! I will be going back to work at 12weeks postpartum. My job is rather extensive and will be hard for me to take breaks to pump so I was contemplating going down to 4 – 30min sessions so I would only need to pump once’s at work and the rest I could do at home (4:30am, 11am, 4pm, 9:30pm). Would this be doable or will my supply end up dropping? I currently at 6 – 20min sessions. I appreciate your help and advice!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Christine! I think this could work well! I would drop to 5 sessions first and give it a week before dropping to 4 (if that works with when you need to get back to work) – good luck!
Breanna says
I am currently pumping 4 times a day but want to go down to 2 times per day. I currently pump for 30 mins at each of my 4 sessions. If I hope to maintain my milk supply would you recommend pumping for 60 mins when I drop to 2 pumps per day?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Breanna! Yes, for maintaining supply I would recommend 120 minutes a day. If 60 minutes is too long – either for your life, or if you have any pain at all when pumping that long – I might wait to drop to two. Good luck, hope this helps!
Sherry says
Thank you this helps! Question I delivered two weeks sgo and been trying to be consistent with pumping but I have noticed I been at a stand still with making milk. Is it possible to still build up supply if I pump consistently eight tines a day?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Sherry! Yes it is – I would be consistent for a week and then see where you are. If you’re not making as much as you need at one month postpartum, here are some things you can try:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Kaitlin says
Thank you! I am 12mpp and am still pumping 3 times a day for 30 minutes each, so that’s only 90 minutes per day. I want to drop down to 2 pumps a day to be able to continue to give my little one a few glasses of my milk a day. If I drop down to the 2 pumps a day schedule at 6am and 7pm, how long should I pump for each session? I plan to slowly wean myself but not completely wean right now.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Kaitlin! Congrats on your baby! If you want to try to maintain supply, I would keep your total pumping time in a day the same (so 45 minutes each). I hope this helps – good luck!