When you are exclusively pumping for a newborn, you may be pumping up to 8 to 12 times per day. As your baby gets older, you can start to pump less frequently. Here is everything you need to know about how to drop pumping sessions.
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What is “dropping a pumping session”?
This means changing your pumping schedule so that you pump one less time over a 24 hour period than you currently are.
In many cases, when you drop one pumping session, you would also rearrange your schedule a bit so that your remaining sessions are more evenly spaced. (I’ll show you examples of this later in this article.)
When should you drop a pumping session?
In most cases, I would wait until your baby is moving out of the newborn stage and you think your supply is regulated.
This is because frequent removals of milk in the early days is important for establishing milk supply.
However, exclusive pumping can be overwhelming. If you’re burning out or really struggling, sometimes dropping a pumping session is the right call to help you keep going.
(If you’re struggling with whether or not to drop a pumping session, here’s a flowchart that I made to help with the decision.)
What effect will dropping a pumping session have on my supply?
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer here – different people will have different results. When you drop a pumping session:
- Your output might not change, or
- It may decrease, or
- It may even go up.
(My experience was that my supply stayed the same when I dropped from 8 sessions per day to 7 to 6 to 5; increased when I dropped from 5 to 4, and decreased with each session I dropped after that.)
The most important thing that you can do to protect your supply when you drop a pumping session is to add the time from the dropped pumping session back to your other pumping sessions. The total amount of time in a day that you spend pumping should stay the same, just consolidated.
For example, if:
- You currently pump 6 times per day at 20 minutes each, and
- You want to drop to 5 pumping sessions per day, then
- You should change the the length of your sessions from 20 to 24 minutes (so that the 20 minutes from the 6th session is added back to the 5 remaining sessions)
The exceptions to this guideline are if you are weaning from the pump or trying to reduce supply. If either of these is the case, you should keep your sessions the same length of time when you drop one.
Does it matter which pumping session I drop?
For the most part, no. When deciding which pumping session to drop, think about what works best for your schedule. Do you need more sleep? Are you having difficulty getting away from work to pump? Or are you at home with your baby and are struggling with pumping while he or she is awake?
The only other thing you might want to consider is when you get the most milk.
Prolactin levels fluctuate over a 24 hour circadian rhythm. A lot of people notice that they get more milk in the middle of the night and less milk in the afternoon.
Therefore, it might be easier to drop a session in the afternoon than early in the morning.
(More on dropping middle of the night pumping sessions here.)
How to drop pumping sessions
There are four ways to drop a pumping session:
- Cold turkey
- Slowly reduce the time of the to-be-dropped pumping session
- Slowly reduce the volume of the to-be-dropped pumping session
- Gradually bring two pumping sessions closer together
If you are prone to clogged ducts or mastitis, one of the more gradual approaches may be better for you.
1. Cold turkey
This one is pretty simple – you just stop pumping at the to-be-dropped pump time. However, you may need to respace your other pumping sessions.
For example:
Old Schedule: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm
To drop the 3pm pumping session, you might rearrange your schedule to the following:
New Schedule: 6am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 10pm
You can just switch over one day, and then you’re on the new schedule.
2. Slowly reducing pump time
With this method, you start pumping less at the session that you want to drop until you get it down to 5 minutes or so. Then you stop pumping at that time completely.
Taking the prior example, where we drop the 3pm pumping session:
Old Schedule: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (each pumping session is 20 minutes)
Old Schedule/First Day Reducing Pump Time: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm (15 minutes), 6pm, 10pm (all other pumping sessions are 21 minutes)
Old Schedule/Second Day Reducing Pump Time: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm (10 minutes), 6pm, 10pm (all other pumping sessions are 22 minutes)
Old Schedule/Third Day Reducing Pump Time: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm (5 minutes), 6pm, 10pm (all other pumping sessions are 23 minutes)
New Schedule: 6am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 10pm (each pumping session is 24 minutes)
3. Slowly reducing volume
Essentially, what you do is just pump an ounce less every day (or every few days) until you’re down to 1-2oz at a given session, then stop pumping altogether at that time.
This way, you are carefully controlling the amount of milk removed from your breasts at that time to allow your body to get used to the new schedule.
Old Schedule: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (normally you get 4 oz at 3pm)
Old Schedule/First Day Reducing Pump Volume: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (3 oz – add time to other sessions)
Old Schedule/Second Day Reducing Pump Volume: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (2 oz – add time to other sessions)
Old Schedule/Third Day Reducing Pump Volume: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (1 oz – add time to other sessions)
New Schedule: 6am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 10pm (add remaining time to other sessions)
4. Gradually bringing them closer together
With this method, you move two pumping sessions closer together until you can comfortably drop one.
In the below example, you would move the 3pm and 6pm closer together until you are ready to drop the 3pm one.
Old Schedule: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm (each session is 20 minutes)
Old Schedule/First Day Closer Together: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3:15pm, 5:45pm, 10pm
Old Schedule/Second Day Closer Together: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 10pm
Old Schedule/Third Day Closer Together: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3:45pm, 5:15pm, 10pm
Old Schedule/Fourth Day Closer Together: 6am, 9am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm, 10pm
Then drop the 4pm pumping session and re-space to the 12am to 1pm and you’ve got the new schedule:
New Schedule: 6am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, 10pm (each session is 24 minutes)
Hopefully, this gives you some insight about how to drop pumping sessions so that you can hook yourself up to a breast pump less often!
Thinking about weaning from the pump? No idea where to start? Worried that you’ll get a clogged duct or mastitis when you stop pumping? Grab my one-of-a-kind guide here.
References- Bonyata, Kelly, BS, IBCLC. “My breasts feel empty! Has my milk supply decreased?” https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/breast-fullness/
Comments & Chitchat
Hi Amanda; firstly thank you so much for all the content on your website and IG. I’m currently 5m postpatrum and pumping 5x a day (15 mins each) with approx 4.5hr between sessions. I want to reduce to 4x a day without impacting my supply a I get c900ml / day which is slightly more than what my baby takes so I get a bag to freeze every week. Would you suggest I’m switching to pumping on schedule? I’d love to drop the overnight session if possible!
Hi Julia! I think you could try that – I can’t guarantee what will happen with supply but 4 sessions is reasonable for 5 months pp. I think I would make the sessions longer – at least 20 minutes (I would ideally suggest 30 so that you’re pumping for 120 minutes a day) to mitigate the risk of losing supply. I think dropping the overnight session is probably fine at this point. Good luck!
Hello! I am 4.5 months PP and hoping to start dropping sessions with the aim of ultimately weaning baby by the time he’s around 6.5 months. I currently pump 6 times a day – 9am, 1pm, 4pm, 7-8pm, 11pm and 4am (he still wakes for a feed at ~4am so I’m happy to keep this session for now).
My plan is to drop a session every ~2 weeks so I’ll be:
5 pumps a day: 9am, 2pm, 7pm, 11pm, 4am
4 pumps a day: 9am, 4pm, 10pm, 4am (subject to change if he starts STTN!)
3 pumps a day – 9am, 3pm, 10pm
2 pumps a day – 9am and 9pm (I’m happy to stay doing 2 pumps a day for a bit longer than 2 weeks)
Does this sound reasonable? I dropped from 8-7 then 7-6 cold turkey so was planning to take this approach here too, or should I be reducing time/moving sessions closer together instead? I have never had mastitis or clogs, just engorgement sometimes when I’ve gone the whole night without pumping by accident! I am worried in particular about dropping from 5 to 4 and then the subsequent dropped pumps as the shift seems quite major.
Hi Emma! That looks great to me!
Hi!
I know it’s recommended to wait until 12 weeks but I’m 6 weeks postpartum and do 8 PPD and want to drop to 7. I pump at 1 AM, 5, 8, 11, 2, 5, 8, 10. I want to drop the 8 PM and move the 5 to 6pm (I have a toddler and pumping at 5 (dinner time) then again at 8 (bedtime) has been a lot. I’m currently produce 46-49 oz a day. Are the chances of me causing a big dip high with an oversupply? I just can’t see myself going 6 more weeks trying to pump 8 times a day
Hi Catrina! I think dropping to 7 now is totally fine!
Hi! Thank you for posting so much information. I struggle with dropping a pump because then my pump sessions get so long. Part of me is okay with this because my breasts really only feel empty after a power pump. Is it possible to shorten my sessions too?
Hi Elena! I’m going to link to some tips on pumping faster that might help? Good luck!!
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Hello! I’m 5 months postpartum pumping three times day. 7am, 3pm and 9:00. I would like to get down to two and then 1 by month 6. Any suggestions on how to decrease my schedule?
Hi Tricia! I would drop the 3pm and then maybe push the 9pm up so the two remaining parts are 12 hours apart. Then when you’re ready to go to 1, pick the one that is the most annoying to drop and drop that one. 🙂
Hello!
I’m currently pumping 5 times a day and wanting to drop it down to 4 times. My current schedule is 6a- 30 mins, 10a- 10 mins, 3:30p 10 mins, 6pm 20 mins, and 9pm 30 mins.
Last time I dropped a pump I reduced the time of the pump, which worked well for me.
I’m trying to get a schedule of 6am, 12pm, 5:30pm, and 9pm. Do you have any suggestions on how I should go about this?
Thank you!
hi, I am six months postpartum and I’ve been exclusively pumping since my baby was two months old. I’m currently pumping 7 to 8 times a day at 20 minutes each. At five months I took a dip in my supply due to torn nipples from pumping. I didn’t have nipple balm at the time so, I found myself taking longer stretches just so my nipples could heal. Now that they have healed I am back to pumping 7-8 times a day, producing 22-27 ounces a day. I had to supplement with formula to make up the difference since my baby consumes 26 to 30 ounces a day. Is it possible to drop a session or so?
Hi Rachel! I think so – there is always a risk when you drop a session regarding what will happen with your supply, but if you add the time back from your dropped session to your remaining sessions, that can help mitigate the risk. You could also see if eating oatmeal or power pumping maybe help give you a boost as you’re making the change? Good luck and I hope it goes well!
Hi Amanda, this info is so helpful! I am hoping to drop from my current schedule, 4am, 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm, 11pm down to 5 sessions with a goal of 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, and 10pm. What would be the best way to do this? I definitely want to move slowly. Also, I do want to reduce my supply a bit.
Hi Haley! I’m wondering if you can make the first four changes cold turkey, since each one is just an hour difference. Then maybe you could focus on dropping the 8pm session after that?
Hi Amanda, I tried the gradual method of bringing my MOTN pump later by an hour everyday and ended up with clogged ducts after 3 nights. Now I’m lost as to whether I should restart the entire process since I’m still recovering from the clogged ducts (almost mastitis). Should I extend/delay and reduce pump timing to make it more gradual?
Hi Sharon! Yes, I would restart it. Maybe try 30 minutes next time? Also – you could consider lecithin and see if that makes a difference with the clogged ducts. Good luck!
Hi Amanda
First off your website is amazing I have found so much helpful information on here!
A little question/issue I am having…. I’m currently 8 months post partum and EP 6 times a day for 30 mins. 5am-9am-1pm-4pm-6pm and 9pm. I wanted to drop the 6pm pump and was hoping to keep up my supply. I started by decreasing number of minutes of the 6pm pump last week- went from 30 to 25 x 2 days then 20x 2 days then 15 x 2 days. When I do this I noted that I pump less than usual at my 9pm pump even though I am pumping for more than 30minutes. Except ever since I decreased to 20 I keep getting clogged ducts in both breasts the following day. It makes me nervous about what’s going to happen when I stop pumping since I only decreased 15 mins overall and I’m getting all blocked! Is going cold turkey on dropping a pumping session better?
Hi Michelle! Interesting. I’m so sorry to hear about the clogged ducts. You could maybe consider lecithin if it’s something that keeps happening?
Regarding the output – how much are you getting total per day (over 24 hours) before versus with the change?
Thanks!
Thanks for the follow up! I usually pump around 25-25oz per day. I am down around 2 ounces in total (around half of what I would pump at 6:30pm). I Will look into the lechitin thanks!
I hope it helps! Hmm – that is unfortunate. One idea – do you happen to like oatmeal? Maybe try eating it for breakfast for a week or so and see what that does? That could potentially make up the 2oz difference.
I’m currently four months postpartum and I am pumping six times a day, two30 minute pumps and four 15 minute pumps. I would like to drop down to five. But last time I attempted cold turkey and I got mastitis. I recently started reducing the time and have noticed my left breast, reducing and producing only 1 ounce, but my right breast is still producing 3 ounces. Does that mean it’s working?
Hi Liz! Yeah, sometimes on side gets the message faster than the other. You’re doing great, I would just keep going. Good luck!
My baby is 4 months old and I was pumping 6x per day and getting over 600ml per day. I dropped a pump session (early evening) a month ago and my supply has tanked to under 500ml per day. Is there anything I can do to boost it up again? A lactation consultant told me to add in a 6th pump between 1:00-5:00am, so I did…but my baby sleeps
12 hours straight and I would love
To be able to Catch some more sleep if it’s possible but that early morning pump is killing me.
Hi Amanda!!
I’m currently 16 weeks postpartum and pumping 8x a day for 30 mins each season: 12am, 4am, 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6pm & 9pm. I produce about 1500-1700mls per day. My son eats about 600-650 per day. I’ve got a decent freezer stash and am looking to drop a pump. Any advice?
Hi Naima! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think you could definitely drop a session at this point – I would probably start with the 4am session so you can get some more sleep! If you’re not prone to clogged ducts you could do it cold turkey or if you are you could slowly push it back until you can make it to 7am. Good luck!
Is it ok to go 7 hrs without a pump? I’m afraid for my supply since the 4am pump is when I produce the most. However I am running out of freezer space so I don’t really need more…
I am prone to clogs so maybe I’ll just set it back 30 mins every week?
At 16 weeks it’s likely okay. Everyone is different but this doesn’t concern me. 🙂
I have a 3 month old and I am currently pumping 6x per day for 30mins, including 1 power pump.I usually produce anywhere between 600ml to 650ml per day (approx 20-23oz). I still top up with formula as my baby needs 160ml (5.5oz) per feeding. I was wondering if I could drop a pumping session, possibly an afternoon one since that’s when my Milk Is very low. It just seems like I get the most milk output when I’ve gone longer than 3 hours in between sessions.
Hi Teresa! Sure I think you could do that. Usually I would say to add the time from the sessions you’re dropping back to your remaining sessions, you’re already pumping A LOT. You could do that, or you could maybe add half the time back and see how it goes. Good luck!
I am 12.5 weeks PP and have been pumping 8 times a day every 3 hours for 30 minutes each – 7am, 10AM, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, 1am and 4am. I am going back to work in 1.5 weeks and want to drop to 7 sessions a day. I start work at 7am, so I really would like to shift a schedule by an hour (8am, 11am, etc). With doings that and working on dropping a session, will that completely mess up my supply? I know I need to do it gradually because I’ve had clogged ducts twice. Any feedback you can provide is greatly appreciated!!
Hi Marissa! I can’t guarantee anything related to supply, but I do think after 12 weeks is a good time to try dropping a session and 7 sessions at 12 weeks doesn’t concern me at all. I would just make sure to make the remaining 7 sessions a little longer so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. Good luck and congrats on your sweet baby!
Hi Amanda, this was such a helpful information! I was so worried on trying to figure this all out on my own. I was wondering if you had any advice for my particular situation.
I’m currently on the general schedule of pumping 8 times a day around the times: 12am, 3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm
I wanted to start reducing down to 7 times a day at this moment and eventually maybe down to 6… I wanted to start by cutting the 3am time and thought I’d might try reducing the times first but wasn’t sure exactly how to go about doing so. My little one is 3 months old and I currently am oversupplied with milk. She has more than enough and I try to nurse her every other feeding and bottle feed for the others. It varies day to day. But I was also pumping every three hours (after nursing) since she normally only nurses on one side in a session.
How do you think I’d go about cutting down that 3am session? Would that 6 hour “sleep” or time in between 12am and 6am mess up the rest of the schedule ? I’m just afraid of cutting it out cold turkey and getting a clogged duct. Would appreciate any help you can give !
Hi Destinee! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think at 3 months going from midnight to 6am should be okay (obviously I can’t guarantee anything, but this plan doesn’t concern me at all). You can push back the midnight session slowly to six to reduce your chances of a clogged duct. Much more on this here!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hi Amanda, thanks for all of the info! I was curious if you had any insight as to how quickly it’s ok to drop pumps without impacting supply too heavily? I am currently pumping 4 times a day but have dropped 2 pumps in the last month and a half. I went from 6 pumps (6, 10, 2, 5, 9, 3) to 5 pumps (6, 10, 2, 5, 9) and then about a month after that I dropped to 4 pumps (6, 10, 3, 9). I’ve been on this new schedule. I have a big work trip coming up and am toying with the idea of dropping to 3 pumps (6, 2, 9) but was wondering if it would be too fast to drop down to 3 pumps starting in a week or so even though I just dropped a pump last week? For reference, my baby is 13 months old. I was donating milk and have more than I need, so having enough for my baby isn’t the biggest issue since he is on solids. He still drinks quite a bit of milk though and I just didn’t want to shock my body with all of the dropped pumps and have my supply drop too low. I would appreciate any insight or tips if you’d be willing to share! Thanks!
Hi Sarah! I usually say to wait 2-3 weeks, so I think this would be okay (but obviously can’t guarantee anything)! Make sure to increase the length of your sessions so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same to maximize your chances of not losing supply. Good luck!!!!
Hi Amanda! Thank you for all of the awesome information on here and in the emails! I have been exclusively pumping for the 2nd time around, but it’s been a while since my first is now 6 years old! I am currently pumping 4 times per day for my 14 week old, which is manageable, but I’d really like to get it down (can’t wait to be down to only 1-2 times per day, but for now focusing on getting to 3) without impacting my supply. My supply has been good, she’ll eat around 28 oz/day and I’m currently pumping around 32 oz/day, so I have enough to freeze a bit, and I don’t want to lose that (trying to build a stash so I can stop pumping altogether as soon as possible!). Do you think I can drop one of the pumps (would split the time difference between the middle two) and still maintain my supply? I already pump for 30 min each session (slow flow as I’m still getting some out even at the end of the 30 min), so not sure about adding more time to that combined session, but really concerned about seeing a drop in production if I go down a session. Thank you again!
Hello! I am currently at 3/30 and would like to stop pumping by the year mark. Which is 10 days away. When do I go to 2? I’m unsure. Thank you advance
Hi Alexia! Are you comfortable at 3 sessions now? If no, I would wait until you are. If yes, I’d go ahead now. Good luck!
Hi. I usually pump 4-5 times a day. Since I’ve been back at work my supply took a small dip. I try to aim for every 4 hours but with work it’s been difficult. I notice that when I go 5.5 to 6 hours I pump more and my baby is drinking more as she’s now 4 months. Should I switch my pumping time to 5 or 6 hours? Also, I don’t pump at night so I could sleep and I go around 7-8 hours not pumping..will that eventually affect my milk supply?
Thanks for your input! I enjoy reading your emails every week 😊
Hi Tanya! Thank you so much! at 4 months I think that break at night is fine. How many times are you pumping total in 24 hours? And how long are your sessions?
I pump 4 or 5 times a day. My average would be 24 ounces a day according to my app (which you recommended btw, thanks for that!). It seems like my body produces an ounce every hour lol. For instance..if I pump every 3 hours I get 3 ounces, 4 hours; 4 ounces..etc. So that’s why I was wondering if I should pump every 5 or 6 hours since my baby drinks around 5-6 ounces.
Thanks again for your input.
Hi Tanya! I think pumping 5 times a day can work – but one thing I would recommend is trying to get 120 minutes a day of pumping. So I would try to make the sessions 24 minutes with 5 times or 30 minutes if you can do 4. It’s just something that seems to help with maintaining milk supply long term. I hope this helps!
My sessions are 20 minutes long, forgot to mention that.
That is awesome advice, I will definitely try to do that. Thank you!
Hi Amanda! Thanks so much for this post, and everything you do for us EPers. 🙂
I am back at work and normally pump 5x per day, but I have accidently reduced to 4 pumps per day several times in the last couple of weeks and I’m wondering if that is sustainable in your experience? My thought was to just accept my fate and plan to do 5x day, then 4x the next day, then 5x again, then 4, etc. And keep that up until I’m ready to drop to 4x day permanently. Have you heard of this working for anyone else? Am I crazy?
Thanks again for your help!
Hi Linda! I think that’s fine and you’re not crazy! The only thing I would make sure to do is to make sure you hit 120 minutes each day (or whatever you’re doing now). So the number of pumps would be different but the total pumping time would be the same whether it’s 4 or 5. Good luck!
Thanks Amanda. I just wanted to update that I’ve tried this little experiment for nearly a week now and I think it’s going well. Having changed nothing else, I seem to be maintaining my supply although it’s an average rather than a consistent daily number (was getting 50 opd, now I get 45 on 4 pump days and 55 on 5 pump days). Now I’m looking into sustaining it for as long as I can. Thanks again!
Yay so glad to hear that Linda!
Hi! I’m 5 months postpartum. I’m currently pumping 7 times a day for a total of about 180 minutes a day. When I went back to work I dropped the middle of the night pump to get more sleep and also had to decrease my time due to pumping restraints within my job. This resulted in my supply dropping 10oz a day. Of course panic arose, so I added a session back before bed. Now my supply is back up to about 46oz a day. Do you think I could drop that late night session, but keep my supply around where it’s at? How would you recommend doing that? I’m anxious to consolidate sessions since I’ve already experienced that drop! Thanks for you help!
Hi Hope! I think you could – it’s impossible to say for sure what will happen but at 5 months pp and 7 sessions I think you can definitely try it! So you’d be doing 6 30 minute sessions then? I think that could work!
Hi there! I’m 4 months postpartum and EP trying to wean. Very prone to plugged ducts and am taking lecithin. I pump 3x a day at 7 am, 3 pm, and 10 pm for about 20 minutes each time because that’s how long it takes to get all the milk out so that I won’t get plugged. My question: How should I go about dropping down to 2PPD? It was miserable getting down to 3PPD from 4PPD so am so scared to go down to 2PPD. I want to go gradually so my body adjusts safely.
Hi Maya! You want to end up with a schedule something like 7 am and 7 pm. (Basically, the two sessions should be about 12 hours apart.) I’d drop the 3pm slowly – either by reducing time or volume. Much more that might help here –
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Good luck!
Hi – I’m currently 35 weeks postpartum and pumping 5x per day ( 5A, 8A, 12P, 4P, 9P). I’m working to see if I can pump 4x per day and trying the method where I move my 12P and 4P pumps closer together. Is there an amount of time I should be working towards before dropping the 12PM pump all together? I noticed in your example you recommended moving the pumps to as close as 1 hour apart. Not sure if I should be working towards that, which would take me about 6 days or if I can do it for like 3 days for example (which would mean my pump is 2.5 hours apart before dropping)?
Appreciate your guidance!
Hi Nicole! I think 2-2.5 hours apart is fine!
Hi Amanda,
I am 12 weeks PP and want to drop from 8 pumps a day to 7 pumps a day. I’m not sure if I’ve regulated as I haven’t noticed any of the signs mentioned in your article, but my supply has been hovering around the same mark for over a week now so I’m thinking that means I have regulated?
I’ve decided to start on a new 7 PPD schedule today, so using the cold turkey method and spacing out the 7 new pumping times. Should I expect to pump the same volume as yesterday immediately, or should I expect to see a drop for a day or two and then see the volume go up again? My goal is to maintain the same supply as 8 PPD, so If I do see a drop in volume, how long should I wait before adding in the 8th pump again?
Thank you so much!
Hey Amanda! Could I know, when dropping a session from 4 to 3, do I need to gradually make the gap closer or i can just go cold turkey?
Wondering how you did it 🙂
Hi Anna! I did it cold turkey – but it really depends on whether or not you’re prone to clogs or mastitis. If you are, I would do one of the more gradual methods. Good luck!
I want to drop my MOTN pump. My current schedule is 2a, 6a, 10a, 2p,6p, and 9p. Not looking to decrease supply, but looking for more sleep. When I tried previously my first pump had a ton of foremilk and very little hind milk (this upset my LOs tummy). I am 11 weeks PP. Thank you for your help.
Hi Ashley! Congrats on your baby! I would suggest gradually pushing your 2am session back until you can make it to 6am. I’ll post links to a few articles that might be helpful!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
https://exclusivepumping.com/watery-breast-milk/
Thanks Amanda – I have been on your helpful site extensively. Curious – what is the advantage of the reduced pumping time/volume approach vs extending time between pumps? You don’t propose that approach. I see the callouts about supply regulation – I am 8 weeks pp and am not sure if I will know when I’ve regulated.
Hi, if I am trying to space out pumps and also start to reduce supply would I just pump the same amount of time? E.g. 24 minutes every 3.5 hours instead of 3? And keep going that way?
Hi Jenny, I’m going to link to two different posts depending on what you’re trying to. First, if you’re weaning (like you’re starting to reduce supply with the aim of stopping pumping):
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
and this one if you’re trying to reduce supply but want to continue to pump:
https://exclusivepumping.com/pumping-and-oversupply/
Oh and my pump sessions are 15 to 20 except for the MOTN those go 20 to 25 mins!
Hello 👋, I’m 13 weeks pp and I’m wanting to drop a session or 2. I’m pumping 1:30 am, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30, 10:30, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30, and 10:30 pm. It’s hard to attend baby now that he’s awake longer and honestly, i stress over leaving the house. Idk how to go about dropping 1 or 2 sessions even. I am FTM and SHM. Thanks for such a helpful webpage, it’s been nice when I have concerns!
Hi Alexia! I would take the session that is the most annoying to deal with day to day and drop that. Let’s say for example that it’s the 12:30 one. What I would do is move the 10:30 back to 11 and the 2:30 up to 2. So you’d have 8:30, 11, 2, 4:30. Hope that helps!
Hi, I have a 7 week old and I’m really overproducing. My body has not been able to regulate at all. I was breastfeeding my baby but he was getting too much of the foremilk and I was still full, and getting frustrated. I switched to pumping and bottling him but I can’t regulate. I pump every 3 hours for 10 min off each breast and get 6-8 oz of milk. I’m in a lot of pain all the time!
I need help decreasing my supply and how can I make a schedule in the day to help me regulate. I do try and breastfeed him at night and then I pump in the day. Should I try going 4 hours and only pumping 5 min?
Hi Caylie! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think i would seek help from a CLC or IBCLC on this – I don’t think I can give you good individual advice here. But one thing I’ll mention is that you can’t “make” your body regulate – the hormones kind of even out on their own, and there isn’t anything you can do to influence when that happens. For your specific issue – I would google hyperlactation and see if that has any helpful info. I hope that helps somewhat!
Hi Amanda, can you drop the session by spacing it out more? For instance, if I am doing every 3.5 hours about 7 times daily, can I do every 4 hours?
Hi Sally! Yes, you can do that too. 🙂
Hi! I want to drop my 6:30a pump, but my MOTN pump is fairly inconsistent. I wake up anywhere between 3-530. Does the time matter for MOTN?
My schedule right now is MOTN,630,10,1,4 and 8:30. If I drop the 6:30a, how should I readjust? Looking to maintain supply.
Thank you for this website, it has helped so much during my pumping journey.
Hi Maria! can you move the 10am up at all? So something like MOTN, 8am, noon, 4 and 8:30?
Hi! I am currently have a 5 week old and am looking into dropping a session in the future. (I had not planned to exclusively pump and it had been an overwhelming and exhausting experience now that my spouse has returned to work.) I currently pump 7 times a day – at 12:30 am, 5 am, 8 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, and 8 pm. I am struggling with being tied to my pump during the day every 3 hours and would really like to have a little more freedom. Instead of dropping a specific session, could I spread out my current sessions. For example instead of every 3 hours during the day, pumping every 4 hours. I know it isn’t one of the methods suggested, so I wasn’t sure if it was not advised.
Hi Krissy! Yes, you can absolutely do that instead. 🙂
Amanda,
Do you think I need to gradually shift to 4 hours (like 3 1/2 for a few days) or because I go 4 1/2 at night, I can just switch straight to 4 hours.
Also….I was advised that pumping for 30 minutes was too long and it was suggested that I decrease my time pumping. I have worked my way down to 25 minutes, but if I drop a session, I should add that time to other sessions and I will be back near 30…is that correct?
Hi Krissy! This is totally individual – you can probably just switch cold turkey, but if you have a history of clogged ducts or mastitis then the gradual approach might be better.
Can I ask who told you that 30 minutes was too long? I’m not saying they are wrong – but here’s my take on that if it’s helpful.
https://exclusivepumping.com/pumping-too-much/
Hope this helps, good luck!
I was experiencing some soreness, so I reached out a local lactation consultants. They said that I shouldn’t be pumping more than 15 minutes at a time. I was trying to work my way down to 15, but had only gotten down to 25 so far.
Hi! My LO is 11 weeks and I have a really high milk supply. For just over a week now I’ve dropped down to 4 pumps (each for 15mins) a day (8/12/4/9) and then I nurse him overnight (usually between 10/11 and 2/3 ish). I get somewhere between 28-32oz from my 4 pumps and he bottle feeds about 23-25oz each day. I’ve got a good freezer stash and a days supply in the fridge. Do you think I could do fewer pumps or switch one of the overnight nursing sessions to a bottle instead? I’ve never gone more than 5hrs between pumping or nursing and I’m worried I’ll struggle with engorgement or even clogged ducts/mastitis. Thanks for any advice!!
Hi Hannah! I think a lot depends on your goals. My answer would be different depending on whether you’re planning to breastfeed for a year, or if you had a shorter timeframe (like 5-6 months). If your goal is farther out, you might want to be more conservative with dropping sessions. BUT, at 11 weeks, I think 5 sessions total lactating per day is okay. The one thing I would do (with a longer goal) is increase the length of your remaining sessions to 20-25 minutes to protect your supply. I hope that helps!
Hi,
I am 3 months pp and I nurse my LO for her morning feed (7am) and then I pump the rest of the day to her feeding schedule (that way I always have a bottle ready for her). So I pump around 9:30, around 1pm, around 4pm, 8:30 (right before I go to bed) and then I set my alarm to pump at 2am. I am hoping to get rid of my 2am pump, but worried about how to go about it (I read your article about the 4 different ways to go about it) and also because I do get clogged ducts that I have my LO get rid of throughout the day if it occurs. Any advice on how to cut out the 2am session? Also, do you think that my supply will go down? I currently freeze my 8:30pm pump because I pump at 2am before my LO wakes up to eat.
Hi Michelle! Have you tried sunflower lecithin for the clogs? That might help somewhat. Okay, so what I think I would do maybe push the 8:30 back a little bit, and then if you feel like your baby doesn’t “empty” you at 7am, I might pump afterwards. You could always use a manual pump if that’s easier. As far as how to make the transition, i would push it back until you can make it to 7am. I hope that helps!
Hi, I currently pump 6am, 940am, 1140am, 240pm, 6/7pm and then sometime between 10-12 pm. I’m looking to start weaning and I can’t really budge on the 940 and 240 times as I work in a clinic and those times are carved out. I had to drop the 940 on tuesdays for clinical and I did fine I just pumped longer so I was thinking about just dropping a session cold turkey for a week and just pumping more at other times and then dropping another for a week and so on. I just dunno if that’s a good idea and what order to do it in.
Hi Amanda,
I’m FTM and EPing for my 8 week old. I’m trying to drop my MOTN 4am pump as I prepare to go back to work. However, I’m prone to clogged ducts and now have mastitis for the 2nd time. I tried to combine the session with another by moving the session back 30 mins each day. This lead to my mastitis infection. Is this the best strategy to use given I’m prone to infection or should I try one of the other 3 methods you mention to drop a MOTN pump?
Hi Kaitlyn! Can you give me an idea of what the rest of your schedule looks like?
Two other thoughts – you might need to go slower – like 15 minutes at a time instead of 30. You might also want to consider lecithin in case it helps with the clogs/mastitis.
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for your response. I am pumping 7 times a day. When I have the long break I pump for half an hour. The rest of my pumping sessions are 20min each.
Thanks,
Jacqueline
Hi again! I think that’s totally fine.
Hi Amanda,
My baby is 11weeks and I have been pumping for almost all his feeds. I tried to nurse him once a day and pumping straight after as he doesn’t empty my breast completely. After this pump every 3/4 hours.
Lately, I am struggling to keep awake during the night. What can I do? I usually pump every 3-4hrs during the day and night but lately I have been falling asleep and getting up when it has been almost 5-6hrs from my previous pump session (this is for my 3-4am pump session). If I fall asleep when I wake up, I soon start pumping for for 30 min. Most of my sessions are 20min.
I am scared to loose my supply and I am currently taking tablets to increase it and its working.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. I am a first time mum and I find your content really useful.
Warmest regards from Melbourne, Australia
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline! Congrats on your sweet baby! I think that what you’re doing is fine – that it’s okay to have a longer break at night to sleep. How many times total are you pumping in a day?
Hi, currently I’m pumping at 7 am and 3 pm. How do I drop down to one session? If I dropped the 3pm session, I think I would be extremely uncomfortable towards the evening. If I drop the 7 am session, I would be uncomfortable during work. What do I do?
Hi Christina, I think you have to pick one but what I would do is drop the session really slowly so that your body has time to adjust. You might also find that Cabo creme or cabbage helps?
Hi, I’m 9.5 months postpartum pumping4 times per day 0700, 1200,1700, 2230
I produce about 25oz. Can I safely drop to 3ppd. My goal is 12 months. I have a very small stash and I use a bag every 2-3 days along supplement with formula for overnight feeds. Please advise
Hi Gabby! Congrats on your baby and making it 9.5 months so far!
I can’t say that you can safely drop to 3 sessions. You MIGHT be able to, and it would be fine, but I think there is a 50/50 chance of a supply drop. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, just that you have to evaluate whether or not it’s worth it to you. I hope that helps!
Hi! I have been an EP for over 8 months and am currently pumping 3:30am (6 minutes); 6:45, 11:30, 4:30, 9:45 (all others 30 min) and am trying to drop one of the day pumps. I have been trying to drop the night pump for a long time now, but can’t seem to go the whole night yet. I was thinking about trying a 6:45, 2, 9:45 schedule (plus whatever I need during the night), but don’t know how to get there as I can barely go 6 hours without feeling so painfully full. I have had mastitis and clogged ducts and am so afraid of that happening again. Any tips on how to implement your techniques to achieve this 6:45, 2, 9:45 schedule would be so appreciated. Thank you for all you do with this site and EP community.
Nicole
Hi Nicole! Could you maybe try pushing the 11:30 back until you can make it to 2pm? Also – have you considered lecithin at all for the clogged ducts?
Hi Amanda, Thanks so much for the reply! I regularly take lecithin for the clogs and it does seem to help, but I still get them unfortunately. I can definitely try pushing the 11:30 back until I can make it until 2. During that time, should I keep the 4:30 the same?
Hi! I have a question about moving sessions closer together in order to drop them. I’m 1year post partum and I have a big oversupply. I’m trying to wean, and am at 3ppd. I recently tried dropping my mid day pump cold turkey and it went disastrously. Clogs each time I pumped for a week. I’m back at 3ppd and still sore all over, even where there weren’t clogs. I’m hoping to try dropping that mid day pump again. My schedule is 6am, 12.30pm, 8pm. My question is, can I move my 12.30 pump closer to 6am? Or better to move it towards 8pm? I’m also drinking tons of no more milk tea. And taking Sudafed. And trying ice / cabbage. Feels like nothing is making a dent so far. I have medication to stop my milk cold turkey but I’m afraid to take it with such a large supply.
Hi Jordan! Sorry you’re dealing with this! First, can you make your remaining two sessions about 12 hours apart? Maybe move the morning up or the night back? If not, it’s not the end of the world, just a thought. Second, I think I would push the 12:30 back to train your body to go longer and longer as you go. You could maybe consider lecithin to prevent clogs too?
Hello! This blog has been so helpful for me as I initiate my exclusive pumping journey. I am just finishing up antibiotics and due to a mastitis infection, I am pumping on a very strict 3 hour schedule to make sure I was clearing out my breasts to heal. I am currently pumping 8 times a day, every 3 hours. My baby is 8 weeks old and I believe my supply has regulated, as I don’t feel as engorged or uncomfortable anymore and only let down with pumping instead of randomly.
Since I am clearly prone to mastitis, which method do you think would be best? I am
Hoping to drop one of the overnight sessions since she is sleeping a bit longer and I’m waking up while she’s still sleeping to pump but then having to wake up again and feed her separately. I know one of the gradual methods but I don’t know which one will leave me with the least chance of the mastitis developing again?
Thanks for all your advice!
Hi Allie! Congrats on your baby! For the middle of night one, I usually recommend pushing the session you’re dropping back to train your body to go a little longer. Here is more info, hope it helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hello, thank you for your great advice. If possible could I have some help? I was pumping 7 times a day for 30 minutes a time. I dropped to 6 times a day and now have got a bad clogged duct so back up to 7. I’d love to reduce the pumps again and I know the advice is to add the time onto the other pumps but I’m already doing 30 minutes each! Have you got any advice? Thank you so much
Hi Annie! I would slowly reduce the total time in a day, if possible. I talk about this here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/120-minute-rule/
This is more of an art of than a science, so you can adjust however feels best for you. I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda!
My baby is 6 weeks old and I have been exclusively pumping since day 3. I think my supply is relatively regulated at this point even though Im not to the 3 month mark. I pump 7x/day for about 15 minutes and get 3-4oz each side or 6-8oz total with each session. With 7 sessions, I make 35-40oz and my baby takes 20-25oz so I have a good stock pile. The past couple of days, I have been pumping 6 times. The first day, I accidentally dropped a pump but I liked it so I stuck with doing every 4 hours/6 pumps for the past two days. I dont really have set times, I just use an app and pump 3-4 hours after each previous pump.
I havent noticed a huge change in my supply… Maybe a 3-4 oz difference in total. Do you think that my supply could continue to drop? I also really want to drop a middle of the night pump now that we can let our baby feed on demand at night. Would dropping to 5 be too few for me being so newly postpartum? What would a schedule look like? I am also a nurse on a covid unit so when I go back to work, I probably wont have much time for pumps but I do have Elvies.
that was a long post- but I appreciate your feedback!
Hi Maddie! My answer depends a lot on how long you plan to pump. What’s your general goal? ❤️
Amanda,
I’d love to make it to 4-6 months. Since I’m producing about double, I think my stockpile will carry my LO through to one year. 🙂
Hi Amanda, thank you for sharing all the info on this web. I’m so glad there’s a dedicated good resource on this matter. I’m a first time mom and my little one is 3 weeks old as of today. I’m currently pumping every 2 to 2.5 hours and I would start pumping around 12 am and I get on average about 2oz per session. So around 10 sessions and 20oz in total for my little one.
I’m curious if I’m pumping too frequently? I would really love to drop 1/2 session in my routine as it’s taking too much time and away from my baby. I cannot tend to her when I’m pumping. There was once where I need to pick up my little one and therefore drag my session to 3 hours plus and my breast was hard and uncomfortable…
How do I slowly reduce my session since I’m kinda prone to clogged ducts from that experience?
Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Marie! I don’t think you’re pumping too much but I think you could definitely go down to 8 or so sessions. Have you considered lecithin at all? Some people find that it’s helpful for clogged ducts.