Once your baby starts sleeping for longer stretches, you might wonder how to stop pumping at night. Here’s a step by step plan for how to drop middle of the night pumping sessions, including what you should do if you’re prone to clogged milk ducts, and whether you should worry about your milk supply.
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Concerns about Dropping Middle of the Night Pumping Sessions
When you’re thinking “when can I stop pumping at night?” the two most common concerns are usually 1) milk supply and 2) clogged ducts.
Here’s what to consider when dropping your middle of the night session (also known as the MOTN pump).
1. Will my milk supply go down?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure. Anything can happen when you drop a pumping session – your supply might drop, it might stay the same, or it might even increase due to the extra sleep you’re getting.
Below is an unscientific poll I did on Instagram (about 3,000 responses):
Your best bet to mitigate the risk of losing supply when dropping a pumping session is to add the time from the dropped session back to your remaining pumping sessions, so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same.
There are a few factors regarding dropping the middle of the night pumping session that may affect milk supply.
Prolactin levels
One risk has to do with prolactin.
Many people notice that they pump more milk in the early morning hours (between 1am and 6am) than they do later in the day.
Because prolactin levels are higher at night than they are during the day, the concern is that by not expressing milk during this time, you might miss out on an extra boost of milk. Over time, this could affect your overall milk supply.
This doesn’t always happen, though. I personally did not lose any supply when I dropped my middle of the night session; I just got more milk in the mornings.
However, as I said above, everyone is different. It’s a good idea to monitor this as you drop your night time session and immediately afterward. If you notice your supply dropping, you may want to weigh the benefits (sleep) with the risks (less milk) of continuing.
Return of menstruation
Another risk is that after you drop your middle of the night pumping session, your period will come back.
Breastfeeding frequency is an important factor in fertility after having a baby. If you stop pumping overnight, your period may come back sooner than it would have if you hadn’t because of the reduced frequency in lactation.
Menstruation is sometimes associated with a loss in milk supply, though there are some steps you can take to try to minimize or prevent this.
2. What if I’m prone to clogged ducts?
Dropping a pumping session – especially the middle of the night one, where you’ll be going longer between pumping sessions than you have before – can be really scary if you’ve had clogged milk ducts or mastitis before.
Here are a few extra steps that you can take if you’re prone to clogged ducts:
Go slowly
In the step by step plan below, I explain how to drop your middle of the night pumping session quickly and how to do it at a slower pace. You should pick the slower pace.
Consider lecithin
Lecithin may help make your milk less sticky, which also makes it less likely you’ll get a plugged milk duct.
Consider starting lecithin before you start dropping the pumping session.
More or less “empty” your breasts at the sessions before and after
Try to “empty” your breasts at the session before the one you’re dropping (in most cases, the last one before bed) and the next one (your second middle of the night session or the first one in the morning). This might mean pumping a little longer at these sessions.
(I say more or less because it’s not possible to ever completely empty your breasts, as they are always making milk.)
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The best way to drop a middle of the night pumping session
There are four ways to drop pumping sessions, which you can read more about here.
For dropping middle the night sessions, I prefer the fourth method, where you move pumping sessions until they are closer together and you can drop one of the them.
The goal here is to slowly move the pumping session back until you get close enough to either the next middle of the night session or the first morning session that you can drop one of the sessions.
This is because usually, when you’re dropping a night time session, you’re training your breasts to go longer between pumping sessions than they have before. It’s best to do that slowly to allow your body to adjust.
Step by step plan for how to drop middle of the night pumping sessions
Here is how to drop the middle of the night pumping session in four easy steps.
1. Write down your current pumping schedule.
If you have a firm schedule – like 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 9pm, 1am, 5am – you can skip this step.
This step is for those who pump at night whenever their babies get up to eat, or who pump a certain number of hours from their last pumping session. The idea here is to understand where you’re at, so that you can plan the changes that you’re going to make.
Example
So let’s say that you pump every three hours during the day plus whenever your baby wakes up at night. Most nights, that’s once, somewhere between 2:30am and 4:30am. You go to bed around 10pm, and you start your last session of the day at 9:30pm. You get up for the day at 7am and pump shortly afterwards.
Your schedule would look something like this:
3:30am, 7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm
These may not always be the exact times that you pump, but it gives you a good idea of where you’re at now, so you can plan how to get where you want to be.
2. Decide what you want your new schedule to be.
Make sure that your goal is clear. How long do you want to be able to go without pumping at night?
Let’s say that you decide you want to be able to go from 10pm to 6am without pumping, and pump every three hours during the day.
Example
Your goal schedule might look something like this:
6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9:30pm
In practice, you wouldn’t have to pump at exactly these times; maybe you push back the 9am to 10am on Mondays because of an activity or something. That’s totally fine, we just want a general plan to work towards.
3. Make a plan for dropping the middle of the night session.
So you’ve identified the pumping session that you are going to push back (in our example, 3:30am), and your next pumping time in your goal schedule (6am). The next thing that you need to figure out is how much time you want to push the session back at once.
You might be able to push back an hour at a time. If you’re prone to clogs, you might want to do 15 or 30 minutes.
Example
Let’s say you decide on 30 minutes at a time.
You could push the 3:30am session back by 30 minutes per day until you get close enough to 6am that you can drop the session altogether.
That would look something like this:
- On the first day, you’d go until 4am
- On the second day, to 4:30am
- On the third day, to 5am
- On the fourth day, to 5:30am
- On the fifth day, to 6am, and you’re on your new schedule
(Note: at some point, probably around the 5am or 5:30am mark, it won’t make sense to pump again at 6am. At that point, you can drop the session, add the pumping time back to your remaining sessions, and just continue to keep pushing the time back until you get to your target time of 6am.)
Does that seem too slow? You can go faster! Maybe you want to push the time back an hour a day. Or two hours a day. Whatever you think your body can handle is fine.
Or does that seem too fast? Maybe you’ve tried pushing sessions back before and you got mastitis. Go slower! You can do 15 minutes at a time, and wait a few days at the new time before pushing back another 15 minutes.
Set the pace that you think is best for your body.
Below is a visual example of how this might look.
4. Start dropping your middle of the night session – and keep track of what happens!
Once you’ve got your plan, you can go ahead and get started pushing your sessions back.
It’s a good idea to use either a pumping app or just a piece of paper and a pen to track when you’re pumping and your output. This allows you to troubleshoot potential issues, and proactively identify any changes in supply so you can make adjustments if needed.
Have suggestions or questions? Leave them in the comments!
References
- Battin, DA., et al. “Effect of suckling on serum prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol during prolonged lactation.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3923412?dopt=Abstract
- Bonyata, Kelly, IBCLC. “Breastfeeding and Fertility.” https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/fertility/
Comments & Chitchat
Hi there!
My baby is 3 1/2 months old, sleeps 10 hours a night, and I do a mix of pumping and nursing with him. Right now I typically pump or nurse every 2.5 to 3 hours during the day but always start the day off pumping due to an oversupply in the morning. My first pumping session is at 6 AM and then my last pumping session of the day (we always give him a bottle as his last feed before bed) is typically between 9-10 PM. From there I pump once in the middle of the night, typically around 2 AM.
My pumping sessions last anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes since I like to drain the breast, but the middle of the night session I never know how long I should pump for. With the baby sleeping through the night, how long do you suggest my middle of the night pumping session be? Should I drain my breast or have a max time? Or a min time?
I not only want to get rid of the middle of the night session but also don’t want my body to think that the baby needs it as I push it back each night (if that makes sense). And I get engorged easily so plan to follow your slow method and push back 15 minutes every day. I’ve been taking lecithin for a while now.
Thanks so much for your guidance!!
Hi Alexis! I think I would just make it 20 minutes and then move it back! This is more of an art than a science though, so if your gut says something different, don’t be afraid to listen to it! 🙂
My pumping times are 1AM, 4AM, 7AM, 10 AM, 1PM, 4PM, and 7PM.
Trying to get rid of the 1AM. I was doing 15 minutes per session and started to decrease my time for 1AM.
I can increase my time per pumping session.
I can change my last pump time to later, but I’m so full at 1AM! I realize now I can move my 1AM pump to be later.
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for this post and your entire website in general! I am hoping to drop a MOTN pump and would love your advice. I am 3 mo pp,
do a combo of BF and pumping with both BM and formula as I’m an under supplier. I would like to be as full as possible for my daughter’s first feed at 7am where I breastfeed then pump. My schedule is typically 7am, 10:45am, 2pm, 5pm, 9:30pm and 2:30pm. Could I move 2:30 backwards to 9:30 instead of forwards to 7am? Thank you!
Hi Christine! Yes, you can absolutely do this. Good luck!!
Thank you, Amanda
Thank you so much for this information. Very helpful as my daughter just really started sleeping thru the night ( and I myself was ready to break the night feed). I pump majority of time at work however direct feed when home in the evening . Current schedule is 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm for pumping and then direct feed at 7pm. Usually I was direct feeding around 2am and now transitioning to pumping at that time. I was just curious if you think best to add a pump sessions to around 10pm and therefore move the 2am session back that time. I am an oversupplier as it is and have a high storage. I just don’t want to drive more overproduction. Any suggestions appreciated
Hi Christina! I think that’s a good plan! I don’t have any concerns about it and think it would make sense for getting more sleep!
THANK YOU! This post is amazing. I am trying to drop my MOTN pumping session and would love your support. I have a 3mo old and I am currently pumping 7x a day for 15min each. I am an over supplier (38-40oz) and my daughter eats about 24oz a day. I pump at 600a, 900a, 1200p, 300p. 530p, 830p and 130a. I have had mastitis twice and am prone to clogged ducts. I am taking lecithin. Would you recommend pushing the 130a time about 15min a couple days at a time until I reach 6a? Lessening the time a pump at 130am? or both? Thanks again!
Hi Erica! I would do the first – push it back about 15 mins a day. Good luck!!!
Hi Amanda!
I am currently at 6ppd and looking to drop my MOTN pump which is typically at 3:30am. My current schedule is approximately 3:30am, 8, 11:30, 3:15, 6:30, 10. There is some fluctuation throughout the day, but the 3:30am, 8am, and 10pm pumps stay consistent. I would like to switch to a new schedule of 7am, 10, 2, 6, 10pm. My question is what to do with the rest of my schedule while I push back the motn pump? Do I keep it the same until that pump is dropped? I hope this makes sense.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for this post and your whole site. My eleven week old has started sleeping through the night the last two weeks (hooray!). I’ve been pumping 6x per day and getting about 10-12 extra ounces each day. Around the 8 week mark, I noticed that my supply was dipping a bit, but a few power pumps got me right back on track. I think this means my supply has regulated? Do you think it is reasonable to drop the MOTN pump when we hit the three month mark in 10 days? I’d love to get some more sleep, but everything is going so well I am nervous to rock the boat. Thank you!!
Hi Anne! I think it’s reasonable to drop it, yes! Good luck!
Hi Amanda!
Thank you for the great info!
I am 8 weeks pp. I will return to work in 4 weeks. In the next 4 weeks, my goal is to maintain milk supply while dropping off pumping sessions.
After 4 weeks, I would like to pump twice daily regardless of the amount.
This is my current pump schedule (20mins early or later for middle of the night sessions)
3am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 11:30pm
I would like to get rid of 3am and 2pm first if possible. At the end, maybe only pump at 5am and 5/6pm. What would you recommend me to do?
Thank you in advance!
Mia
Hi Mia! I think that sounds good. I would do the 3am first, then the 2pm, and then see how things are. Good luck!
Thanks for your reply, Amanda!
So far the longest stretch I have done is 5.5hrs. If I drop off the 3am, that’s gonna be 6.5hrs. And then if I drop off 2pm, that stretch will become 8hrs. Do I need to push back the 10am one? Or just see how my body reacts first coz my ultimate goal is to pump twice daily with 12hrs apart?
Truly grateful that I found your post as I am struggling to drop the MOTN pump. My son is almost 7 months old and my current pumping schedule is 1am, 6am, 11am, 4pm, 9pm. So far the supply is sufficient for my baby, he is drinking 6oz on each feeding , feeding gap is 3 to 4 hours. He also started to take rice cereal and puree but not as a whole meal, just sub meal whereby I will still feed him milk after that.
Struggling to drop MOTN pimp but dunno which method to go for:
1) Add the time from the dropped pump back to other the pumping sessions and change to this schedule 6am, 9.30am, 12.30pm, 4.30pm, 10pm or
2) Straight away drop the MOTN pump and change to 6am, 11.30am, 4.30pm, 10pm.
Appreciate your reply on this. Thank you so much.
Hi Janny! I think at 7 months it’s probably okay to drop it (option #2). I would add a decent amount of time back to the 6am session (since you’ll have more milk than) and a little bit to the other 3 sessions. Good luck!
I currently bf and pump. My daughter started sleeping through the night 3 nights ago. The schedule is 9pm, 12am, 3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm. But now I want to sleep a little more. I want to at least go 9pm – 5am without pumping. I am afraid to lose my supply. How would you do this?
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for this post, it’s so helpful! I was wondering if you could please provide me with a bit of advice. My son is 3 months old and I have had mastitis twice, I’m also taking lecithin due to my prevalence of clogged ducts.
I am currently doing a combo of pump and breastfeeding but would ideally like to drop the pumping as I think it’s messing with my milk supply. I feed pretty much on demand throughout the day but pump in the morning about 8 AM, pump before bed 10/11PM and wake at 2:30 to pump. I know I need to gradually wean myself off the pump. Would you recommend I push the 2:30 back slowly? My son wakes at about 4 which my husband feeds with the bottle so if I could take that feed that would be great. But I’m worried that when he’s tired he won’t fully empty my breast let alone both, therefore setting me up to get clogged ducts and mastitis again. Thank you!
Hi Katherine! Congrats on your baby. So sorry to hear about the mastitis. I think I would push the 2:30 back to 4 when your son wakes up, and then see how it goes. If he’s not emptying you, maybe you pump on one side while nursing on the other? I would just see how you feel at 4/how full you are. When is the first feeding of the morning?
Can you help? I have an almost 7 month old and I would like to drop my MOTN pump. I am slowly losing it with lack of sleep. Currently I pump 7x a day : 4:30am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am. I would like to drop the MOTN pump and shift the times a bit to get a longer stretch of sleep. I would like to pump 6x a day: 6:30am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm.
Do I start to push the 4:30am pump by 1/2 hour later every day, but then how do I adjust the other times? I’m afraid because at 7x a day, I would go 4 1/2 hours in between pumping, but my new schedule would have 8 1/2 hours between pumping (from 10pm-6:30am). Do I adjust at both ends?
Hi Peggy! Yes I would adjust at both ends – move the 4:30am forward to 6:30am and the 12am back to 10pm. I would do one at a time. Good luck!
Hi Amanda. My daughter is 3 mths. I am exclusively pumping w her. It’s very different than when I exclusively bf my older daughter but it’s working for us! I currently pump at 2:30am, 8am, 12pm, 4:30pm, 8:30pm. I’d love to drop the overnight session. I am prone to clogged ducts so I’ve been lessening the time and am down to 6min30sec at the 2:30am pump. I produce a lot of milk and would be fine with the 4 daytime pump sessions. At this point should I start pushing the time or continue lessening the time? Also, what’s the best way to use a freezer stash? I have a ton of milk saved but haven’t had to use it because I always have fresh milk. Thank you!
Hi Rebecca! Congrats on your sweet 3 month old! I think you could do either, but I would probably start pushing the time now. Are you taking lecithin for the recurrent clogs?
Here’s what I’d recommend for your freezer stash!
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-rotate-your-freezer-stash/
Hi Amanda,
This post is so helpful! My baby is currently 7 months and we do a combination of pumping and breastfeeding. I BF 7am, 7pm and 10pm and pump while at work and once at 3am. I would love to drop the 3am pump but have been hesitant to because I don’t produce much milk with the pump during the day and really rely on the 3am pump to help fill daytime bottles. If I were to start pushing back my 3am pump until it is eventually dropped, but baby breastfeeds at 7am, what time do you recommend my last pump to be? I am nervous about pumping too close to 7am and not having enough time for my breasts to fill back up in time for baby to eat. Thank you!
Hi Erin! I would maybe push it back to 5am and then see if you can stretch it until 7am. Good luck!
I’m currently at 6ppd: 4am, 8am, 12pm, 4am, 8pm, 12am. If I push my 12am do I leave all my other pumps the same? Or do I move them to even it out? So lost and just want to sleep at night.
Hi Jillian! What time do you go to bed? I might push the 8pm back an hour or so but other than that I would keep everything the same.
Hi Amanda,
When dropping a MOTN pump, do you suggest as we push back by 30min or 1hr that we also reduce the amount of time we pump?
My son is 7 weeks old and I pump 7x/day. 6AM, 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM, 2-3AM (depending on when he wakes up. to eat). I want to drop the 2-3AM pump session, but I recently had a clog and felt achey and had the chills. I think I was able to clear it before it turned to mastitis. I pump for 15 mins each session and get about 30oz a day on average.
I’m terrified to get another clog, but I’d love to ditch the pump in the MOTN. So, do I need to go from 15 mins down to 10 mins just to try to reduce the engorgement? OR do I still pump until I’m empty and just push back 30 min. each day?
Hi Ashley! Pump the same amount of time, just push the time back. 🙂 You might also want to try lecithin if you’re worried about clogs.
Is this even ok even though I’m not 12 weeks? I keep hearing I shouldn’t drop a pump because I haven’t regulated yet, but I will go insane pumping 2-3 hours everyday for 12 weeks + I go back to work. Help!
Hello! FTM & exclusive pumper, your site has been my go-to so thank you!
My son is 7 weeks old & I’m pumping 8x a day since he was 5 weeks (before was pumping 9-10x per day). Since dropping to 8x my supply increased to get 33-35oz over the 8 pumps (am usually able to store 1 bag a day). I pump at 9PM, 12:30AM, 430AM & 730AM (or some variation of that +\- a half hour depending on when he wakes up to eat) followed by every 2-3 hours during the day to get to 8 pumps.
I want to drop a pump to 7 to get more sleep. Do you think that makes sense at this point? If so, would you recommend me bringing the 1230AM closer to the 9PM or the 430AM closer to the 730AM? So 9-430AM or 12:30AM-730AM. TIA!
Also probably worth mention sometimes my husband can take the 1230AM feed.
Hi Christi! I think it’s worth a shot! (Meaning I think it will likely be fine but it’s impossible to be 100% sure until you try it.) If your husband can take the 12:30 I would drop that one! Good luck!
I mean 12 ounces!
Hahahah that’s a big difference! I would push the 2am back slowly until you can make it until 5:30am. I think 11-5:30 should be a fine break at 10 weeks. So push it back like 30 minutes or an hour at a time, whatever is comfortable for you!
Hi Amanda! My little one is almost 10 weeks old and I am going back to work and was wondering the best way to go about getting rid of my MOTN. My schedule varies a bit based on wake up time and my days schedule but I go three hours (sometimes more) in between from when my last session ended. I get about 12ml per session based on the lansinoh bags. So it could look like 2am, 530a, 9a, 1230p, 4p 730p, 11p. Suggestions?
Hello! Thank you for all of your wonderful advice!
Currently, I take 1200 mg of lecithin four times a day 6 hours apart due to recurring ducts and pumping 6 times a day – 1 am/pm, 5 am/pm, and 9 am/pm – producing 50 ounces.
I’d like to try to drop a session or even push the MOTN session to a later hour but I’m susceptible to clogged ducts (had four in one week one time) and a lot of leaking if I don’t pump by the fourth hour.
It’s burning me out to pump this frequently and getting clogged ducts so often so would love some advice on what I can do to make this more manageable for the sake of my mental health.
Thank you so much!
Hi Anna! I would push the 1am back super slowly and see if cabbage leaves can help you make it. So for example, maybe tonight you would pump at 1:15, and put cabbage leaves on your breasts at 12:50 to see that can help you stretch it a little longer. Once your body adjust, you can push it back to 1:30, and so on. Hope that helps!
I changed my diet and avoided saturated fat and fatty foods and it has helped with the recurrent clogs at bay compared.to relying only on lecithin. Hope that helps.
Hi Amanda, I love your website! I came across your page two years ago when I was towards the end of my pumping journey (very rough and I wish I found you sooner) and now I’m back on your website to get some tips with my second. My daughter is 2 months old. Good supply. I pump usually at 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, 10 pm and whenever she wakes up at night. Since she’s getting Oder we are getting longer stretches at night sometimes she wakes up anywhere between 2 am to 5 am. I want to drop the night pumping. A lot of people are saying it’s way to early to drop it since it’s only 2 month. Is that true? Should I worry about my supply? I’m currently getting enough milk during the day for her feedings.
I’m prone to clogged ducts so I’ve been taking lecithin from day one.
Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica! How long do you think you want to pump for? I don’t think it’s WAY too early at all. I might wait until 3 months if you can for supply purposes… but if you can’t are losing your mind, I think it’s worth the risk.
Thank you so much for your response. I’m planning to about 6 months.
HI Amanda!
This website has been great and you’ve been so helpful the last time i asked for help. I wanted to ask about the rest of the day schedule once you drop the MOTN pump and how do i rearrange it. I currently pump 5x a day @: 4:00am, 9:00am, 1:00pm, 5:00pm & 9:30pm. I’ve been slowly moving my MOTN pump with the goal to pump with this new schedule 6:00am, 12:00pm, 5:00 pm & 10:00pm. my question is, once I hit the 6:00am, how do I rearrange the rest of my schedule during the day? Mainly the 9am pump is what i’m not sure what to do with do i just drop that pump completely once I hit the goal? As I move the pump, I notice the volume of milk at the 9am pump is not as high (want to add I’m prone to clogs and had mastitis so I do take lethicin daily).
Thank you!
Thank you for this post! Any recommendations on how to switch to my target schedule? It’s a mix of dropping the MOTN session and switching some times around. I’d love to get your opinion. Thanks!
Current Schedule: midnight, 4am, 7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7pm, 9pm
Target Schedule: 5am, 8am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm, 10:30pm
Hi Maggie! If you’re not prone to clogged ducts, I think you could just switch over cold turkey. If you are, though, (in addition to taking lecithin) I might move the 4am back to 5am first, and then push the midnight up to 10:30 once that’s comfortable for you!
I have a really high supply. Like 65-70 ounces per day. I am trying to drop the middle of the night pump and am having a hard time. I started going later and later. I went to 430 am last night and I woke up super engorged. I have a boob I have a harder time emptying for some reason and am prone to clogged ducts on that side. Do you have any recommendations? I really don’t want to get mastisitis but I chose the slow option. Do I need to stay at the same time for longer amounts of time before I go up again? Thank you!
Your website has been a lifesaver so thank you!. I’ve been pumping since he was 1 week old as we had latch issues. I currently have weaned down to pumping 4 times a day ( to save my sanity) and give 2 bottles of formula to supplement. My schedule is 6am, 12pm, 6pm, 12am how would I alter the times so my last session could be at 10? I just think if he’s sleeping so should I
I think so too! I would move your 12am up slowly until you get it to 10pm. (Or you can try moving it all at once, whatever you feel comfortable with!)
Can I drop sessions until I get to 3 a day and maintain that pump schedule for awhile? Im tired of pumping but don’t want to solely give my son formula yet.
Absolutely! Make the sessions a bit longer to give yourself the best chance of retaining supply.
Thank you for the post! Is it too soon to drop the MOTN pumping session at 8 weeks (LO is turning 9 week in 2 days)? I currently only pump 5 sessions and the time between each session varies in length (sometimes 1.5-3 hours sometimes 5-7 hours). My last session is before bed between 9:30-11 pm and the next session is when baby wakes up in the night (currently sleeping between 4.5-7 hour stretches, not fully consistent yet). I want to be able to sleep from 11 pm to 7 am and pump around 7:30 am. Is this too long to go between pumping sessions? I’ve had mastitis and clogged ducts before and am currently taking lecithin. Thanks!
Hi Shirley! I would maybe wait another month if you can swing it – I’m just a little worried your supply might not have regulated yet. 🙂 Congrats on your 9 week old!
Hi Amanda…my baby is 5 months and I have been exclusively pumping since week 1. Your site helps in clearing all my doubts at once.im from India and exclusive pumping is not very common here. I have been pumping 5 times now ie 7 am 10.30 am 2 pm 5.30pm 11 pm. I would be joining office in March and by then baby would be 7 months old. I might not be able to pump 5 times then. I wanted to check if my milk supply would be there if I pump 3 to 4 times a day? Is it ok to start formula at 6 months as an alternative. Please reply
Hi! At 7 months I think 4 times a day should be fine! Just make sure to increase the length of your remaining sessions so that your total time pumping in a day stays the same. And starting formula is absolutely okay too. 🙂
My LO is 4 months and sleeping through the night. I am exclusive pumping about every 4 or 5 hours (usually 8:30 AM, 12:30, 5:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 2:15 AM) If my new goal schedule would be around 9:30 PM to 6:30 AM would I gradually push the 2:15 AM back by 30 minutes AND start doing a 6:30 AM pump until they meet or push the 2:15 back and continue doing the 8:30 AM pump until it reaches 6:30 AM.
Hi Sarah! I would do the second one!
So I’m getting ready to drop my pump and currently I pump 8 times a day 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30, 11:30 for 20 minutes each pump. I really want to drop my 2:30am pump and initially thought I’d just stick to my schedule pump at 11:30Pm and not pump again until 5:30am but reading up on it I’m getting nervous. I clog very easy and already take lecithin every morning and night. My plan was just to let it be but if I wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I’m too full Id go pump. Should I do it this way or just try and inch closer to 5:30 over a series of days? Thanks!
Hi Bianca! Since you clog easily I think inching to 5:30 is a better approach. Good luck!
I usually pump at night whenever he wakes up, and then every 2-3 hours per day. He used to wake up around 2 and 4 am. My baby just started sleeping through the night on some nights at 11 weeks old. On the nights he sleeps, I leak so much that I wake up in a puddle, even with pads. How do I drop the 2 am pumping session without leaking everywhere?
I would slowly push it back so that your body gets used to you going longer. More info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hi,
I stopped pumping middle of night a while
back but my daughter nurses at times and other times sleeps through the night. I go to sleep when she does so that i get enough sleep in case she wakes up more than usual. I am waking up engorged and still leak at times, mainly when i nurse her from one side if she wakes up to go back to sleep. She def does not empty me and I feel its causing my body to think i need more milk in the middle of the night? I know it’s when we produce more but i just want to regulate milk supply at night so i dont wake up in pain or soaked. Thank you!!
Hi Thalia – how old is your baby?
I love your website! Your tone is inclusive and warm and the information is actionable and easy to follow. Thank you! My daughter was born 3 months premature and I’ve been pumping since she was born in May. We started practicing breastfeeding when she was about 2 mos old and did sporadic breastfeeding sessions once she left the NICU, which did help boost my supply, but I’m now exclusively pumping (she’s 5 and a half months old, 2 and a half months adjusted age). I pump at 7am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 9pm, and 2:30am(ish) and would like to drop of the middle of the night pump. My daughter sleeps from about 9pm to 3-5am and then again until 7-9am and my husband takes the middle of the night feed. Do you think 5 pumping sessions per day is enough? Or would you recommend keeping 6 and adding another daytime one once I drop the MOTNP? I take Lecithin already and am pretty prone to clogging, although I’ve never had mastitis. I was planning to push back the 2:30am pump by 30 mins/day until it meets the 7am, and maybe even move the 7am to 6am. Then, I’d add 15 mins to each of my two morning pumps to make up for the lost middle of the night pump time. What do you think?
Hi Danya! Thank you so much! Your comment made my day!
I can’t guarantee anything but at 5.5 months postpartum I think you’d be okay to just drop the MOTN pump. However, it depends a bit on your goals and supply situation. If you’re planning on pumping until she’s, say, 7-8 months old and have an oversupply, you should totally be fine. If you want to pump until she is a year adjusted and are a just enougher, maybe you want to move it to the day. But I *think* you should be okay dropping it.
I think your plan for dropping it is great! Good luck!!!!
So I have recently dropped to 6 pumps a day and trying to skip the middle of the night && but where my problem is I normally go 4 hours between pumps and start to get shooting pains/uncomfortable around my second hour but still push it to 4 hours just because I think I have to train my body, LO is 4 weeks old and I am an overproducer so I pump 50-65 ounces a day, how long should i feel the discomfort with pumping every 4 hours and when will it get worse if i skip the middle of the night?
Hi Rodniqua! It could be that your supply hasn’t regulated yet and will get better in the next few weeks? The shooting pain thing concerns me a bit – it’s a symptom of thrush and even though that is probably not it (since you don’t feel it for the first hour), I just want you to look up the symptoms and rule it out. Let me give you a link:
https://exclusivepumping.com/breastfeeding-thrush/
Hi there, your website has been super helpful to us. I am exclusively pumping for my LO who’s 4 months old – every 3h during the day and at 3 am during the night for a total of 7 times, 20 mins each. I make about 20-40mls more than she eats in a day. The reason why I am scared of dropping middle of the night pump is because I am unsure whether I will be making enough milk for her. Do you have any experience with this/any advice? Many thanks!
Hi Maria! Thank you so much!
It’s so hard because the only way to find out is to try it. My personal experience was that I just got more milk in the morning, and my supply stayed the same. Other moms have an increase from the additional sleep. But some do see drops. I would try moving it back by an hour or so each night and just watching your output, and make adjustments if you see a drop. 4 months old is still pretty young so a better chance of recovery if you decide to add the night session back. Good luck!
Hi Amanda thanks for this post! I used it to drop my 3am session and am now down to 6! I have a 9 w.o and supply has stayed the same/increased so far. Do you have thoughts on moving my 6am to 7am? My LO is sleeping 10 hours now and I’d love to get more sleep, but all sample schedules I see start at 6am so wondering if there’s a reason why 6a and not later?
Hi Mia! That’s just when I consider it morning. 🙂 7am is totally fine!
Hi Amanda, i love your website. It is so informative! I am considering to drop MOTNP once baby reaches 6 weeks old. Currently baby is 19days old. Supply is regulated i think? Average about 100ml per pump. I am taking fenugreek as well. Baby is avg eater so far, occasionally clusterfeeds. I am following ur sample schedule : 7am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am. The timing between each sessions is 2.5h to 3h (depends on the day). If i bring forward the timing 7am to 6am. Will that be ok?
I think 12am-6am should be okay at 6 weeks! I would put half of the time from the dropped 4am session on the 6am and spread the rest out among your other sessions, but you can play with it and see what works for you. Good luck!
Hi Amanda!
I try to breastfeed my baby girl as much as I can and only pump about 4 times a day now that I’m back to work – 10:30am – 1:30pm – 4:30pm – middle of the night (whenever I wake up engorged). I BF 6:30am-8:30am (she catnaps and clusters) and then bf from 7pm-9:30/10:pm (clusters).
So far this has worked well. Still a good supply and (so far) no clogs…but I’d like to cut out the nightly pumping. I’ve been doing it since month 1 because I’m lucky enough to have a baby who pretty much sleeps through the night every night, but I’ve always still gotten up in the middle of the night to pump from relief so I still don’t get sleep.
Would you still suggest the 30 minute delay pumping method?
Thanks so much!
Hi Elydia! Yes, I still think that would work best! 🙂 Good luck!!
Hi Amanda,
My LO will be 3 mos old on 7/3. I’m currently pumping 8x a day (12a, 3a, 6a, 9a, 12p, 3p, 6p, 9p). My baby sleeps from 9pm until 6am. I have 2-3 extra bottles of milk each day, which has filled up my deep freezer stash & have no room left. At 23-34 mins each session, I get 6 oz. He drinks 5-6oz per bottle. I would like to drop my midnight pump and am willing to push back my 9p to 9:30p, so I’m not going past 5 & 1/2 hours yet. I’ve had mastitis before from sleeping through my alarm but am now taking lecithin as daily maintenance. How could I go about this carefully?
Hi Jasmine! It’s great to hear from you! I would start pushing the 12p back slowly until you can skip it completely and just pump at 3a. It might be 15 minutes every few days or 30 minutes every night – whatever pace you feel comfortable with!
Hi Amanda thanks for the helpful information! I’m currently 11 weeks post partum (so my baby is almost 3 months old) & am currently pumping 7x a day (2am, 6am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm) & producing around 1000 ml a day.
I’m planning to drop to 6 session a day with 4 hours stretches today. But I found your article today & I think it’s a good idea to drop the midnight pumping session. Any tips for my new pumping schedule? Much thanks.
Hi Linda! Do you mean drop the 2am? Just wanted to make sure I understood!
Hi Amanda, yes I’d like to drop the 2am session. But I’m worried about clogged ducts if I don’t pump for that long (10pm to 6am). Also, if I drop the 2am schedule can you recommend the schedule of the rest of my pumping sessions? Much thanks:)
So if you’re at:
2am, 6am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm
I would slowly push the 2am back to 6am. I think 8 hours at 3mpp should be okay. Are you prone to clogged ducts? If so and you’re not already doing it, I would consider lecithin. If you think that’s too long, you could wake up an hour early and do your first session at 5am. Or go to bed an hour later and pump at 11pm? Or both? You could do that temporarily or however long you think it’s necessary.
I think your current schedule without the 2am pump will be good! Hope that helps!
Hi Amanda, currently for each of my pumping session, I pump for 30 minutes. If I were to drop the 2 am schedule (pushing 30 minutes or maybe an hour back each day until I get close to 6 am), will I need to pump for longer time for the rest of the sessions? Much thanks 🙂
My baby is almost 5 months old and currently I pump 5x a day: 7:30 am, 12:30 am, 6pm, 9:30p and 2:30 am. I would like to drop my 2:30 am pump session. I get clogged duct easily, so I use vibrating massager to help. I bought lecithin, but I just could not take it as it is so big and has really bad smell to it. Can I try spacing out 30 mins at time for night time session without using lecithin? Any other tips to avoid clogged duct?
Thanks
Yes you can try that!
Maybe this would be a better option for you since it’s liquid?
https://lactationmassager.com/products/duct-flow-lactation-support
Hi! My baby is 8 months old and I have exclusively pumped since he was 4 months. My pumping session looks like this… 2am, 7am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 830pm… I’d like to remove the 2am and will do this by using your slow method and push it 1/2 hr each night. Should I also be slowly cutting the time of that session as I’m pushing it into the 7am session? 15 min to 10 min to 5min, etc…
Also, is 830pm-7am too long in between sessions?
Hi Ashley! I don’t think you need to reduce the time, I would just add all or most the time to the morning sessions when you combine it!
It might be better to move it back to 9:30 or 10 if you can, but if not and if you’re comfortable, it should be okay. Lots of nursing babies sleep for 10.5 hours at a time at 8 months. Good luck!
Honestly I was just trying to skip the 3am feed altogether and I literally did just that and ended up with Mastitis:-(
OK got it! Instead of doing that, I would slowly push it back by 30 minutes at a time to train your body to go longer. 🙂
So my pump sch is 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm,6pm,9pm, 12am, 3am. My son is 1 month and a week and I have sooo much milk I bought a deep freezer. I currently have mastitis because I was trying to get rid of my 3am feed due to baby sleeping thru the night. Any tips? Thank you in advance
Hi Jasmine! How were you trying to drop the session – what method were you using? Sorry about the mastitis!
I have a 7 week old and she’s been sleeping through the night so I basically dropped my MOD pumping session by accident because I stopped waking up to my alarm haha.
My period came back but so far, I haven’t noticed a decrease in my supply. I have been trying to increase it though because I struggled with low supply in the beginning but so far, I only see my output going up due to the herbal supplement I’m taking. I still pump 6x a day though plus breastfeed here and there so should I continue doing this or should I try and pump MOD still since I’m still trying to increase supply?
I think you should continue doing this! The sleep is priceless and maybe being well-rested helps? You never really know. I would keep doing what you’re doing, but obviously it’s up to you!
My baby is 4 weeks old and I pump about 6 to 7 times a day. I’m making plenty of milk and wanted to know if you thought I could drop a session?
I think you could do 6 but probably wouldn’t go lower than that until ~8 weeks unless you are really struggling. The worry is that your milk supply hasn’t regulated yet. more info here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
Hope that helps!
I have bee. Exclusively pumping since about 5 weeks and I have a 4mo old now. I pump 5x a day and make more milk than she needs now. I’m cold turkeying my middle of the night pump (for about 3 days) but I’m wondering how long it will be until I’m not waking up with overflowing breasts. They do get painful in the middle of the night and affect my sleep.
Hi Kae, I would guess it would take a few more days to a week or so? Good luck!
I’m thinking about dropping my 4am morning session, little one is almost 6 months old. My pump schedule is currently 4am 9am 2pm 7pm 10:30pm.
In order to drop my 4am and have my first pump at 6am it will look something like this
6am 12pm 6pm 10pm…is 8 hours between 10pm and 6am too long? I am prone to clogged ducts so I will look into lecithin.
I don’t think that’s too long – good luck!!! 🙂
Your information has been a Godsend to me! My little one is just a week old and my current schedule for pumping is 6am-9am-12pm-3pm-6pm-9pm-12am-3am. It seems like a lot but I just started pumping at all of his feeding times to get started. I would like to try 6am-10am-2pm-6pm-10pm-2am. I do have a good milk supply so is it too soon to start cutting these times?
Hi Amber! Congrats on your one week old!!! I think 7 sessions would be okay but would wait until 6-8 weeks before going down to six, just because you want your supply to regulate first. More info:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
Appreciate all the information. My current schedule is five pumps per day 9 AM, 1 PM, 6:30 PM, 10:30 PM, 3 AM. Looking to drop the 3 AM session, but really can’t move up the 9 AM due to baby’s schedule and work. I know that is a long time between 11pm and 9am and I get engorged and clogged pretty easily. Based on your information, I am thinking I would want to decrease volume slowly versus shortening the time? Or should I gradually push out the 3 AM session? Also considering trying some lecithin. Any other thoughts to try and accomplish this goal of more sleep!?
I think I would push out the 3AM session. Lecithin is a great idea! 🙂
How old should my baby be before I drop this middle of the night session. She is almost 3 months and sleeping 9 hours at night.
There’s no real rule, but I think 3 months is fine unless you’re trying to increase your supply.