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/
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.