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.
- Bonyata, Kelly, BS, IBCLC. “My breasts feel empty! Has my milk supply decreased?” https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/breast-fullness/
Comments & Chitchat
Hello Amanda,
First of all thanks a lot for running a web site like this and you helped a lot when I EP for my first baby. Unfortunately I have to do the same thing second time around and following question came up. It’s way too hard to keep up with a toddler plus newborn plus pumping. Now I have 6 pumping sessions and thinking about to drop to three, it’s way too hard to keep all of them but seems reasonable to me to do both fomular and some milk instead of just formular. I don’t really know what to expect in this case, if i leave only 3 sessions does it mean that I will be engorged all the time or body will readjust? I have experience weaning from the pump but it is slightly different thing. Also I am worried will I be in increased risk of clogged ducts when pumping sessions are spaced that wide through the day. Thank you in advance!
Hi Julia! Congratulations on your new baby! Keeping up with two and pumping is definitely a lot. So I think going to 3 sessions and doing formula is fine – you just want to do it slowly, and your body will readjust. I would drop one session at a time and give yourself a week in between if possible (and if not, a few days) before dropping the next one. That will help your body adjust. Did you have clogged ducts with your first baby? If so, I might try starting lecithin before you start dropping pumping sessions, that might help. If you can increase the length of the remaining three sessions, that will help too. Let me know if you have any questions!
I am currently pumping 5x a day for my 10 weeks old son. I pump approximately 34oz and he eats about 24oz a day. I have to pump at least 40 minutes to empty. My first letdown takes forever. Can I drop to 3 sessions a day this early if I do it gradually over the next few weeks? Thank you!
Hi Crystal! I would try four and see what that does, supply-wise, and then reassess. Do you have a timeline for how long you want to pump (i.e., six months, a year)? Also, I wasn’t sure if you’d seen this – maybe hand expression or a lactation massager would help with getting that first letdown? https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-boost-milk-supply-letdowns/
Hi there,
Great blog!!! I’m trying to reduce volume for comfort and I am an EPer. I was doing 5 pumps but found I was becoming anxious about pumping and find 4 much more managaeable.
I pump 4x/day roughly at 530, 10, 4 and 10. I produce way more than my LO needs and can’t really get a deep freezer to store the excess so reducing volume makes the most sense. I produce about 30-40% more than what she drinks.
When I go from 10pm to 530am I am sooooo engorged, I hardy have to put on the pump to get out the milk and have reduced the volume from 10oz to 8oz in the last few days.
Is that too much too soon or will the fullness of the breast go down with some time? I’ve been waking up at 330/4am to hand express toll comfort then go back to bed until 530 and pump to the reduced volume amount.
I’m 3m pp and dropping pumps from 8 hasn’t seemed to have changed my output at all.
If I keep pumping till empty, won’t I just keep producing the same volume? Or should I reduce the volume until I get the amount I want and then pump till empty one it has stabilised at a lower volume??
Thanks in advance for your reply 🙂
Hi! Yes, your body will adjust with time. And yes, you have the right idea about pumping until you get the amount you want and then pumping til empty. I’d give yourself a little cushion in case your body goes farther than you’d planned or you get your period back or something. Good luck!
Hello
Question about gradually reducing volume to get that pump knocked off. When you say decrease by an ounce are you saying overall or per breast? I get about 4-5 oz out of each breast every 3 hours and I am very very prone to clogs and mastitis so I want to make sure to do this right. My sons 7 months old and I pump 6 times a day still. I know I need to start reducing. Thanks for any help!
Hi Jenna! I meant per breast, but this is absolutely adaptable to each person’s situation – you can do half an ounce per breast (or someone who wasn’t prone to clogs could do two ounces per breast at a time). If you are very prone to clogs I would do .5 per side, for a 1 oz total reduction. Are you taking lecithin at all?
Hey Amanda
I do but just a couple a day as a maintenance dose but now that you mention it it might not hurt to increase it while Im dropping the pumps. Plus I will probably do half an oz a day it may take longer but I think I’d rather be safe then sorry lol … Thank you so much for your help!!! I don’t know what I would of done without these blogs ?
Hi! I’m currently pumping 8x a day every 3 hours and outputting ~18-19 oz/day total (with output basically equal each pump). My LO is almost 3 months, and I want to start weaning off pumping altogether. What would be the best process in doing so, and how long would it take approximately in order to stop pumping completely? I am prone to clogged ducts and have experienced this a few times already, so it makes me nervous to cut back!! Thank you, your sure is so helpful!! 🙂
Also to add- I pump 20 min each time!
Hi! Since you’re prone to clogged ducts I think I would plan on it taking about 3-4 days per session. Here is how I would recommend doing it:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Basically, you drop one session at a time by slowly reducing time/volume at that session until you can skip it altogether. Once you’re down to two session at 12 hours apart, you drop one and keep the other, then repeat the process with the last one. Hopefully that makes sense!
Hoping for some advice to save my sanity! I have been exclusively pumping since my baby was three days old due to him not being able to BF. I pump every three hours on the dot. He is one month old today. Mine and my husband’s sanity is nearly gone, I cannot keep being tied to a machine that often. He wants me to quit all together and do formula. I feel much too guilty to do that. My question is, how would it work if I just did 4 set pump times a day? Say 5 am, 11 am, 4 pm, and 9 pm? I’m only one month in, so would my supply completely crash? Would it be worth it? I’m would I just supplement what I’m missing?
You can definitely do that and just supplement what you’re missing. Your results will be better (in terms of supply) if you make those four sessions closer to 30 minutes than 15, but you need to do what you can handle. You’re doing great!
I was at the same point you were at 6 weeks (I’m at 10 weeks now). I have 3 other kids and couldn’t keep up the pace of pumping that often. I now pump at 7:30, 2 or 3, 8 or 8:30 and 2 or 3 a.m. I am able to give her mostly breastmilk throughout the day, and she gets a bottle of formula at her nighttime feeding and anytime I don’t have quite enough breastmilk at her other feedings. It has freed me up so much. I hope it works for you! Good luck!
This is a really helpful article! I’m currently pumping 3x at work and am hoping to eliminate one of those sessions. I’m going to try your recommendation of gradually reducing the amount of time I spend pumping in my 2nd session and see how it goes. 🙂 I’m worried about maintaining my supply, but hoping your strategy works!
Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
Am circling back to you from my reply on 1/14. (To refresh your memory, I’m prone to clogged ducts but was wanting to drop a pump, going from 4ppd to 3ppd.)
Update: I made it safely to the 2pm pump! And was doing well with weaning my 4pm pump (got down to a couple days of pumping for 5 min only)… and then got a clog. Am currently dealing with the clog… fingers crossed that it’s gone soon.
My question is: once I resolve the clog issue, how do I resume dropping the 4pm pump? (E.g., do I start where I left off? Pump just 5 min? Or do I go back to pumping 10 min? Or some other route?) Am unsure how to proceed, as I still want to progress towards 3ppd, but obviously want to do so clog-free. Would appreciate any advice you can offer – thanks!
Hi Aimee! I would start with where you leave off after clearing the clog (i.e, if you were pumping more to clear it, maybe include that time where you resume dropping it, just to be on the safe side).
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for your advice. I agree with you…it has been hard to EP with the older kids and I have had a hard time squeezing in their homeschooling with pumping so often, which is what led me to your site. 🙂 Yes, your assumption is right. I’m pumping 7 times a day and I have struggled with clogged ducts and mastitis, so I’m trying to be super careful and sensitive to how full my breasts are. I am having a hard time dropping a a session, but am trying to alternate pumping a full session, and then 4 hours later, just pumping to relieve the pressure. Do you think that will work?
Hi! Yeah I think that will work! I think dropping one session at a time might be less risky, but I don’t see why this wouldn’t do the trick too. Good luck!
Update: I have successfully dropped to 4 pumping sessions (8 am, 2 pm, 9 pm and 2 am). I have to supplement some with formula, but am happy that I am able to still give her a significant amount of breastmilk. Thank you for your help! 🙂
Awesome!
Hi! After a bumpy breastfeeding start, I have been exclusively pumping my 6 week old and would like to drop a couple sessions to ultimately end up at 3 (one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one before bed). I am planning on supplementing with formula if needed. I pump every 3-4 hours and get 4-5 oz., I just can’t keep up this pace because she is my 4th and I have 3 other kids to look after, so being tied to the pump is not working for us. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to drop a few pumping sessions without getting engorged? I am only emptying every other session and try to pump just to take the edge off when needed. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi! I would drop one session at a time, either cold turkey, by volume, or by time, depending on what you’re comfortable with. If you’re pumping every 3 hours I’m guessing you’re at 7-8 sessions per day now? So it might take a few weeks to get there since you’d need to drop 4-5 sessions. (Depends on how fast you feel like you can drop them, have you had clogged ducts before, etc.) I think it sounds like a good plan though! Congrats on your fourth and on making it this long – exclusive pumping with older kids is HARD.
Okay, I need help! My LO was 6 weeks early so I have been pumping from day one. I got not so great advice and pumped for 30 minutes at a time from the start. So that’s 8 30-minute sessions. I’m now pumping 7 times at 30 minutes a pump. LO is 10 weeks old today. I produce 36-39 ounces a day doing that, so it’s an oversupply but nothing insane. Do I need to slowly cut down on my pumping times to get to a total of 2 hours a day before I start dropping sessions and increasing that time back? I assume that by doing so, I’ll lose some supply? Do you have any advice for me for ultimately being able to drop sessions as she gets older? Also, we are still attempting to latch so she can breastfeed, so would trying to slow my supply down be beneficial anyways? Thanks!!
Hi! Yes, I think I would cut out a minute at a time from each session (so 7 minutes, 1 for each session) and see what happens. I think you’d probably be able to get to at least 25 minutes without too much supply loss. Do you feel like you are getting letdowns in the last 5-10 minutes at all?
(My son is a month old 🙂
—Katie
I’m pumping 8 times a day, but each pump lasts from 30 mins to an hour (it started off with less, but I just kept getting more letdowns)! I need things to be more manageable, but I don’t know how to maintain my supply while dropping the amount of time. 8 sessions already feels like a million…is the only way to maintain to add more sessions?
Thank you so, so much.
—Katie
Hi! I would just stop at 30 minutes. How much milk are you getting? Do you have oversupply or no?
Hi Amanda! I cut out the 7th pumping session and added the time to my other sessions and haven’t had a drop in supply and it’s been about a week and a half. Yay! Thank you for your advice! As I mentioned previously I wanted to start weaning around 6 months but now that it’s so close I am feeling guilty! My friend suggested maybe pumping once a day through a year so I won’t dry up completely. I’ve thought about it and I definitely think I could manage twice a day until he turns one. My question is- what should I do about the weaning process? I thought I’d try to stretch pumping during the day to 4 hours for about a week, then 5 hours, etc… until I get down to just once ever 12 hours. Do you think that would work okay? And if I do that since I don’t want to wean completely what should I do about my pumping time? I highly doubt I’ll be able to maintain anywhere near my supply now (22 oz a day) since my body doesn’t produce much to start with. But I was wondering how long I should pump for if I do cut it to two? Right now I pump 30 mins in the morning and 20 mins each throughout the rest of the day so 2 hrs and 10 mins total. I am okay with pumping longer than 30 mins but I don’t know if there is a limit to how long you should pump. I’d like to still get at much as I can of course. Please let me know your thoughts! This site is wonderful- I don’t feel like there aren’t many resources for those of us exclusively pumping even with lactation consultants I’ve talked to in the hospital. So thank you for all you do!!!
Hi! Yes, I think that would work fine. I think as long as you don’t mind your supply dropping that 30 minutes twice a day would be fine! There is no real limit for how much you can pump, though I think over an hour is crazy. So I would just do what you can, somewhere between 30-60 minutes. Hope that helps! Good luck!!
Hi Amanda,
I am currently pumping 4 times a day, getting between 28 and 30 oz per day and supplementing about 5 oz of formula. I am 5 months pp and would like to drop down to 3 pumps a day and I am good with adding a bit more formula. Currently I am pumping at 5:30, anywhere between 9 and 11 am, 1 and 2 pm, and then last pump around 8 pm. Ideally I would like my schedule to look like 5:30, 10:30, 7 or 8 pm. How can I go about getting there? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Have you had a clog or mastitis before? If not, I would drop it cold turkey and see if you can make it to 7pm without pumping. (if the pressure gets to be too much, just pump for a few minutes to take the edge off.) If you HAVE had a clog or mastitis before (or just want to be more cautious), you can gradually reduce the amount of time that you pump at the 1pm session (so if you pump for 30 minutes, drop 5 or 10 minutes a day and then stop pumping). Make sure you add the time from the dropped session to your remaining sessions so that your total amount of pump time in a day stays the same. Good luck!
Hi Amanda!! Thank you for your site, it is a lifesaver. I am EPing for my 18 week old son 7 times per day. 12am, 5am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm and wanting to cut out the 5am pump. I had a horrific case of mastitis back in October that led to 6 aspirations so I am very nervous to cut out a session. Any advice on how to do this successfully?
Hi! I think I would move the 9am up (to whatever works with your morning routine, maybe 7ish)? Then I would slowly move the 5am back. You can go really slowly, like 15 minutes a day, to give your body time to adjust. It might also be worth trying cabbage leaves for a few days at your normal pumping time to try to prevent mastitis again. (You poor thing!!!!! I’m so sorry you had to go through that!)
Hi Amanda! Your site has been a life saver for me. I am 6 weeks pp and am trying to plan out how to drop my number of sessions from 7 to 5 hopefully by the time I return to work in 6 more weeks. However, I don’t mind going back with 6 sessions if this is too ambitious! My current schedule is 12, 6, 9, 12, 3, 6 and 9. Considering I work 12.5 hour shifts, I would ideally like my schedule to be 430, 830, 1, 6, 1030. Do you have suggestions as to which sessions I move first and a reasonable timeline so my numbers don’t plummet? I am producing 40 oz per day now and have had a couple plugged ducts. Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hi Marie! I think I would start by moving the 10:30 back cold turkey, skipping the 12, and doing the rest of your schedule the same as it is now. Then after a few days move the 3am back to 4:30 cold turkey and switching to the rest of your new schedule. If you feel uncomfortable the first few days between the 1pm and 6pm, then go ahead and pump for a few minutes to decrease the pressure. Let me know if this doesn’t make sense. Good luck!
Hi – I have a low supply (I make about 7-8 oz daily), my little one is almost 7 mos, and I’m ready to start weaning down to 3 pumps per day. I’m VERY prone to clogged ducts, so I want to proceed cautiously. (I currently take 4 capsules of sunflower lecithin daily, plus Happy Ducts if I feel a clog starting.)
My current pump schedule is 7:00, 11:30, 4:00, and 9:30, and I’m trying to get to 7:00, 2:00, 9:30. Part 1 of my plan is to gradually push the 11:30 pump to 2:00 by moving it forward by 15 min increments every week. (This will take a couple of months – do you think I can be less conservative?)
Then, Part 2 of my plan is to reduce the time of my 4:00 pump by 5 min. This is where I could use some advice. Currently, I pump ~15 min and then hand express till “empty.” Would reducing the “time” first start with me not hand expressing after pumping? (So, just doing a 15 min pump with no hand expression afterwards?) And how long would you stay at a 5 min increment before dropping to the next lower increment? (Again, a side goal is to keep clogs at bay, so just want to make sure I’m being conservative enough.) Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Aimee! For Part 1, I think you could do 15 min every few days – two or three, maybe? For Part 2, yes, I would stop hand expressing first, and then maybe every three days, drop down 5 minutes? I hope that helps!
I seem to have the opposite problem of most of your commenters. I have a very low supply. The MOST I have ever produced in a day is around 25 oz. (I supplement with formula since I can’t produce enough) I have been exclusively pumping since my baby was 2 months old and he’s now 20 weeks. I pump 7 times a day. Usually go 2 to 2 1/2 hours between pumps during the day and at night usually 4-8 hrs all depending on his sleep schedule. The last few weeks my supply has dropped even more and I am only pumping around 21 oz a day I get my biggest output in the morning (usually 4-6 oz depending on how long it’s been) and then only pump 2 – 2.75 for the rest of the day. It’s so frustrating being so tied to the pump all day and keep getting less and less. I have tried fenugreek, eating oatmeal and lactation cookies and brownies but I have never noticed much difference with any of that. I pump for 25 mins in the morning and 15-20 the rest of the day. (I was pumping longer but because of soreness and advice from the lactation consultant I cut it down to 15.) Any suggestions for me? Should I try to stretch it to 3 hours in between pumping and move to 6? I don’t know what to do at this point. I’d like to continue with him getting about 50-60% breast milk through 6 months then I plan to start the weaning process. So I don’t have too much longer- about 6 weeks.
I think that sounds like a good plan! You might want to try increasing the length of the sessions a bit (2-5 minutes, maybe) when you do that – not if it ends up leading to soreness, though. Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
I have successfully dropped to two sessions in first week of December and saw a difference in the supply and from this week(almost a month after dropping from 3 sessions to 2) I am seeing a major drop in the supply- its getting less by each day. I was hoping to continue until end of next month, but looks like I am going to dry up pretty soon which is ok with. Should I let it takes it course or how do I go about dropping these two sessions to one and then to none? Really need your advise.
Thank you so much your support and advise during this Challenging yet wonderful journey!
-Asmi
Hi! I think this has the info that you want about dropping those last two sessions. Good luck!!!
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Hi Amanda!
I’ve dropped down to one pump per day as I was planning on stopping completely but I find the one pump totally manageable and want to keep going as long as I can. I am still getting about 1 oz from one breast and 3 from the other. How long can I keep this going? I’m just wondering if one pump per day has any negative effects on someone… also wondering if it’s too late to add the other evening pump back in. I’ve been down to one pump for about a week…
Thank you!
Hi Kelley! No negative effects! You can keep doing it for as long as you like. and you can definitely add the evening pump back in, but you probably will see less milk than you were getting before. Good luck!
Hello,
I’m trying to wean off pumping all together. I’ve never been a big producer ( I have to supplement two of babies bottles a day) so Im thinking of dropping a session cold turkey. If I drop the first session cold turkey, how long should I wait before dropping the next session?
I would say a few days to a week (less time if you’ve had clogged ducts/mastitis, more time if you have). I would wait until you feel comfortable where you are and then drop another one.
Hi there! Thanks for all of this advice. I produce about 16-18oz a day for my second baby. I’m happy with this, considering I had a breast reduction 10 years ago and wasn’t even sure if I would be able to produce milk. I worked like crazy to get my supply to become this much with my first baby. My second baby is now just shy of 5 months and I’m pumping/nursing anywhere between 6-8 times a day (normally 7). I’m looking to get down to 5 pumps per day. In your opinion, is it too early to go down to 5 pumps per day? I pump/nurse every 4 hours during the day and every 4-5 hours at night. When would I be able to drop down to 4 pumps? My goal is, of course, to not lose milk, though I know that’s never a sure thing. Thank you so much in advance for your advice!
Hi! I think 5ppd at 5 months is just fine. (No guarantees on supply, because anything can happen of course, but that’s my guess.) Make sure you increase the length of the remaining five sessions so that your total amount of pumping time in a day stays the same. Good luck!
Hi Amanda, I love your site! Thank you so much for all of your valuable insight, as it has truly been a lifesaver for me and my family!
I’ve been EP’ing my almost 10 week old baby girl since 3dpp and managed 7 pumps a day ~30oz up through 8wpp. I just recently decided to drop down to 6 for sanity and to prepare for my return to work and have maintained roughly this schedule: 2:30am, 6:30am, 10:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, 9:30pm with an increase of 5-8oz per day. I am hoping to eventually get to 5ppd and am not opposed to keeping the MOTN pump, but would also appreciate a longer stretch of sleep (9:30p-4a). Do you have any advice on how I can adjust my 6ppd schedule to safely switch over to 5ppd?
Thanks so much, happy new year!
Hi! I would maybe just drop the 2:30am altogether and move the 6:30am up to 5:30am for a bit. To do that, I would move the 2:30am back gradually – slowly if you’ve had blocked ducts before (like 30 minutes at a time, when you feel ready), faster if you haven’t (maybe an hour every day for two days). Hope that helps!
Wow this us so incredibly helpful! I am 4.5 months pp and return to work in two weeks. Down to four pumps a day. 1a (most production at this time) 7a, 1p And 7p without a drop in supply (40 oz a day) but my goal is to drop the 1a and 1p feedings. 1) I’m afraid I haven’t left myself enough time 2) Is 12 hours between pumps be too much?
Hi! If you can push the 7pm one back a bit that might work better, at least at first. (So maybe right before bed?) If that works out, then you can slowly move that one up if you prefer to pump earlier.
My little one is almost 12 weeks old and Im exclusively pumping. Recently my supply is at its highest, about 35 oz a day. It’s taken a lot of work to get it up from about 20 oz a day. That being said, I’d like to move from 7 x a day to 6. I started spacing out the sessions further the past two days. Right now my supply has decreased about 1-2 oz a day. I’m pumping the same amount of time as before (2 hrs 20 min a day) Is that normal/will it keep decreasing?
Hi! It is normal, but I would be a little concerned. 1-2oz could be just a daily variation though. What is your old schedule and what is your new schedule?
thank you! this post is everything Ive been looking for online, all in one page! Now, my question is how long will it take to wean off the pump. I have 5 weeks before i go back to work, and I would like to not pump at all by then. Which method should I go with and is it possible?
Hi! Yes, I think it can be done in 5 weeks. If you haven’t had a clogged duct or mastitis, I’d cut the time; if you have, I’d cut volume. Good luck!
Hi Amanda. I have been EP for the last 4 weeks as we’ve been trying to figure out why my LO was losing weight. Bottom line, she will be on formula only going forward and will not be able to consume any of the milk I’ve pumped. I want to stop pumping as quickly as possible. I pump for 15 minutes only, and I’ve been increasing the time between pumps – for example, I went from 3 hours to 3.5 hours for 2 days to 4 hours between pumps for the last 2 days. Reading your blog and the answers to people’s questions above, I’m unclear whether I should keep following this path (adding 30 minutes to the spacing every couple of days) or if I should put myself on a set schedule and then drop like you’ve instructed? Thank you for the help!
Hi Kimberly! If it’s working for you, you don’t need to change things. Often when people wean they are on a set schedule, so this is easier to explain. But if you have been going by spacing (i.e., every 3 hours), increasing the spacing will work too. Good luck!
Hi Amanda, I would like some advice. My daughter is currently 13 weeks and I have been exclusively pumping since she was born. My goal is to EP until she is 6 months so I think I should be looking to keep my supply at the moment (even though I can’t wait to be done pumping). Currently I pump about every 3 hours with the exception of the middle of the night one – 4:45am, 7:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 9:30pm. I’ve been trying to get rid of the 4:45am pump by stretching the time as close to the 7:30pm session but I wake up very engorged so now I’ve been thinking of trying to drop the 1:30pm session first so I’m not always stuck at home or running back home to the pump. I was prone to clogged ducts until I started to take lecithin about a month ago.
My questions are:
1) should I continue to try to cut the 4:45am pump (I get the most out of this session)?
2) should I try to cut out of the day sessions such as the 1:30pm instead? As I was prone to clogged ducts prior, would it be better for me to try to reduce by volume?
3) If so, let’s say I reduce by 2oz each other during the session, does it mean that I don’t need to pump for 20 mins at the 1:30pm session as long as I’m reducing the volume? Would I have to increase the time in my other sessions to ensure I”m still pumping 120 mins/day? Sorry for the long post! Thank you!
Hi! I think you should drop whichever session is more annoying to you (the 4:45am or the 1:30pm). If you decide to do the 4:45, could you move your 7:30 upwards at all? Like have your first morning session of the day at 6am instead of 7:30? (Your morning schedule might not allow this, just throwing it out there.) You could try pushing your evening session back a bit for a few days while you transition to see if that would help. You can also try cabbage leaves for the engorgement.
And yes, when you’re dropping the session, I think reducing by volume is good. So if you pump 2oz less, say that takes 6 of your 20 minutes. You would add the remaining 14 minutes to your other sessions of the day.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
I’ve tried to do some research on lecithin but I can only find anecdotal recommendations. And it always says consult with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding so it makes me a little anxious to take it. I’m going to ask my doctor about it at my next visit.
Hi,
My LO is 4 weeks old now and I’m currently pumping 8 times a day. I pump after he feeds which varies from 2 hours apart in the evening to 4 apart at night. I am absolutely exhausted and have a lot of respect for the ladies that do this for a year! I tried to go down to 7 pumps and that was fine and then 6 and I got some horribly clogged ducts and had to go back to pumping every 2-3 hours to work out the clogs. I’m wondering if I went down to 6 pumps too quickly after 7. How long would you say I should stay at 7 pumps before trying to get to 6? I also find that I’m pumping about 22 minutes 8 times a day to completely drain both breasts. How do I speed that up? I’m doing massage and heat but it still takes so long!
Hi! I would give it a few weeks since you’re only 4 weeks postpartum and it’s possible that your supply hasn’t regulated yet. Maybe try again around the 6-7 week mark? Have you considered lecithin? It might help.
I’m about 5 weeks pp, and I would like to get to pumping every 4 hours, but I get so engorged and it’s very painful. Especially where I’m clogged up. I just feel like I’m stuck to the pump doing it every 2-3 hours, and at night I tend to miss a pump because I don’t wake up to my alarm. I don’t want to end up hating my pump. I would like my baby to have breast milk for at least a year.
I also have had clogged ducts in certain areas since my milk came in. I try to clear everything every time, but it just won’t release all the way in those areas. It now feels like someone stabbing me where those clogs are constantly, and in the past few days my breasts have become engorged before the 3 hour mark. I have tried pumping for less time to tell my body it doesn’t need to keep so much, but it only makes it more painful later on.
Hi! Five weeks is still pretty early and I think things will calm down on their own a bit over the next few weeks. What I would do: 1) pump every 3 hours (4 overnight), stick to the schedule as much as you can, 2) consider lecithin* for the clogs, 3) when you are starting to feel engorged put cabbage leaves on your breasts for relief, 4) don’t be afraid to take Motrin (or another NSAID)* for the pain and inflammation. After things calm down in the next month I think you’d be fine to go to every 4 hours.
* Disclaimer: not a doctor, just a mom
Thank you for this helpful article, Amanda.
I’m currently in the process of weaning and am down to 3 sessions at 2am, 10am and 6pm. The next step is going down to 2 sessions: 7am and 6pm. I’m leaning towards using the 4th method, “gradually bring the pumps closer together” since I’m worried about getting clogs.
My question is when moving the 2am and 10am pumps closer together, do I keep the pump time the same length for the two pumps getting close together or as the times get closer keep the first pump the same length and reduce the pump time of the middle session and eventually dropping it?
Hi! I would do the latter (keep the first the same length and gradually reduce the second).
Hello. I am 4 weeks PP and need to get to pumping only twice a day as I am switching to formula so my supply can decrease. I was pumping every three hours and went to every 4 hours but keep getting cloged and am in extreme pain by the 4th hour. I am afraid to cut more sessions but need to do so quickly. What is your advice to get down to the last 2 with minimal pain.
Have you tried lecithin at all? I would do that and cabbage leaves. Good luck!
Please help me!
I am going back to work in 10 days and I am looking to pump only at night …. I have to be at work at 7 4 days out of 4 so I need to leave my house by 6:45 …. right now I am pumping between 4-4:30 pm 8-9 pm 11pm -12am 4-5 am and 11-12 pm … I am looking to cut out that 11-12pm one since ill be at work from 7-330 …. I get a ton of milk .. yesterday my breasts filled up randonmly twice in between some of the pumps and I still got about 12 ounces … on a larger pump I get about 20 … I am sending my son to daycare (where I work) so I need help planning a pumping schedule where I won’t get full and uncomfortable mid shift!
I think that theoretically this shouldn’t be too different from training your body to go overnight without pumping, which I think is doable at 8 weeks. So what I would normally tell a mom to do when she’s trying to do that is to gradually push the midday pumping sessions back. So if you normally pump at a 11, try to go to 11:30, then 12, then 1, etc. until you can make it until 3:30. If you think you won’t be able to make it to 3:30 before you have to go back to work, you could bring a hand pump and just use it for a few minutes in the restroom if you don’t have any other options (you can put it in your purse and dump the milk).
Hi so I have a question. My son is currently 2 months old. This last week I have decreased to only pumping 4 times a day 9am, 3pm, 9pm, and 3am. I am getting about 50 oz a day. The main issue I’m having tho is that I’m getting engorged a lot. My goal is to get to 3 pumps by November 5th due to I’m only going to be able to to pump 1 time at work and I work 13 hr shifts. How can I do this without getting engorged? Please help. I didn’t really get engorged until I just moved to 4 times a day. I pump minutes each time.
Can you try cabbage leaves and see if that helps? It might just take your body a few days to catch up and then it might even out?
Hi Amanda,
I have successfully dropped 4 to 3 pumping sessions and want to drop further to 2 session within the next two months and then to one later ( in December). Right now I pump at 6am, 12 pm and 8 pm ( 35-40 min each session) and would like to drop the 12 pm pump. I am wondering if I should start reducing the pump time from 40 min to 35 and follow that or should I bring pumps closer to get to 2 pumps a day? and also need your advise on reducing the session to once a day later.
Really appreciate your response. Thank you Amanda 🙂
-Asmi
Hi! I think instead of reducing the time I would gradually push it later if you can. So try to go until 2pm, then 4pm, then 6pm, until you feel like you can make it until 8pm. You can go as fast or as slowly as you feel comfortable with. Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
I want to start off by thanking you immensely for this wonderful blog and the information you have shared. I have been EP since week 1 due to latching issues and I have gone through mastitis, thrush and clogged ducts before (within 4 weeks of PP) and your blog and comments in the blog have been an immense support to keep up with EP. My baby is about 6 months now and I have steady supply. I have dropped my previous sessions successfully from 8 to 7 to 6 to 5 to 4 ( giving at least two weeks between each drops), it did decrease my supply by little but overall its still great. Currently I pump 5 AM, 11 AM, 5 PM and 10 PM, I plan on dropping the 5 PM session and need your advise on how to do without getting engorged. Should I move my 11 am to 12pm and then gradually move the pumps together by moving the 5PM to 6 PM to 7PM to 8PM -day after day and then go till 10PM (finally combining the session)? or do you recommed pumping less each day at the 5PM session? Would doing this decrease my supply? which I do not want to. Thanks in advance 🙂
I forgot to mention that I pump 28 to 30 min at each session 4X a day. By decreasing to 3X…I intend to pump 40 min per session, would this help in maintaining the supply? My goal is to wean by end of this year. Thank you!
I think the plan of moving the 11am to 12pm and then slowly moving the 5pm back will work well! Good luck! 🙂
Amanda – want to thank you for the website it is so so useful ! I reduced my
Pump sessions from 7 to 6 and initially noticed an increase in supply.However after 5days of it I feel there is a drop.my current schedule is 8am,11am , 2pm , 5pm,9pm and then 3.30 or 4.30am depending when my little one wakes up.She is currently 7.5 weeks old , do you think I made a mistake by dropping a session ?i thought 6 is still plenty ! I have a large freezer stash but keen to atleast maintain my supply if not increase it ..thank you
Hi! How many days have you seen a consistent drop in supply? It’s normal for it to fluctuate a bit. If more than 3-4 days, I would add the dropped session back if you can if the supply is important to you. 🙁
Your blog is amazing! I’m so glad I found it! I have been pretty much exclusively pumping for my son (my first child) since he was a couple weeks old. I tried feeding him directly from the breast during those first few weeks but it just didn’t quite work for us and pumping gave me so much relief when I was engorged. I’d never read much about EP’ing before that but I figured if it was working for us, why not go with it? When I mentioned it to my OB at my 6 week PP check up she wasn’t super supportive and told me I needed to nurse at least 3 times a day to maintain supply (hmph). After that I found a few articles online that helped me feel more confident about establishing my supply.
And now here we are – my little one is 2 months old and my supply is steady at about 42 oz per day. Baby only eats about 28 to 30 oz per day, so I’m building up a nice freezer supply too!
Anyway, I don’t really have a question I’m just so happy to see that there are other EP’ers out there who have made it work! All along my goal has been to keep my little guy exclusively on breast milk for at least 6 months, and I’m reassured to see it’s been possible for so many of the lovely ladies who have commented. I’m going back to work in 2 weeks (eek) and thanks to this blog I have a solid plan for reducing from 6 pumps a day (2am, 6am, 9am, noon, 4pm and 8pm) to just 5 (2am, 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm). I’m hoping this will help our daily routine so that I’m not trying to squeeze in a pumping session while trying to get everyone up, dressed and out the door in the morning (including my definitely non-morning person husband lol).
Thank you so so much for this blog, Amanda, and thanks as well to all the other pumping mamas who’ve commented!
Hi Amanda,
My daughter is 4months and I’ve been exclusively pumping since she was 8 weeks. I pump every 4 hours during the day and then 5 hours overnight. I don’t have a true schedule because I’m still on maternity leave. I generally pump around 9a, 1p, 4 or 5p, 7 or 8p, 10:30p, and 3 or 4a. I really want to move the middle of the night session to 5:30 or 6a and am having trouble doing it. I tried pushing it back in 30 min increments and got mastitis instantly. I make about 3-4oz a side overnight and first thing in the morning. Would reducing the volume pumped and pushing it back help me drop that pump session? I get plugged ducts really easily and don’t know the best way to shift my schedule. I want to do 6a, 10a, 1p, 4p, 7p, 10p once I go back to work in a few weeks.
Hi Andrea! Could I get a little more information about how you pushed it back last time, when you got mastitis? When you pushed it back, what time did you go to the first night (was it 3:30? 4:30?) and did you get mastitis that first day? So sorry to hear you had to deal with this. Overall I think you plan will work – I think reducing the volume and pushing back would work well.
Yes. I went from 4a to 5a and got it that day. I woke up with a plugged duct and then couldn’t get it unplugged. It’s happened once before when I went too long at the very beginning. I want push it to 6a, so I was thinking about pushing it back 15 min each day and pumping the same volume so I can keep the supply, but wasn’t sure if that would work and I’m afraid of getting mastitis again. Ideally I want to shift my entire schedule slightly, so I was thinking if I start at 6a that would allow me to do 10a, 1p etc.
OK that makes sense. I think 15 minute increments starting at 4:15am is a good plan!
Hi again! I have adjusted my pumping schedule (per my doctors recommendation) to every 4 hours (6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm, 10 pm, 2 am). My question is how can I drop the 2 am pump without getting engorged? I am prone to cloged ducts and have had mastitis once.
I really appreciate your site. As a first time mom, it’s really helped!
Thank you so much!!
Hi Kelley! I would very slowly push the 2am back – maybe 30 minutes or an hour at a time, and then wait a few days (or until you feel comfortable) moving it back again. Good luck!!
I forgot to mention that I pump for about 15 mins each time
Hi Amanda, firstly a big thank you for sharing all the helpful information on EP! I was wondering if I am doing it right so far – my son has recently turned 6 weeks old and I am currently exclusively pumping 7 times a day (I do not have a fixed schedule so generally 2-3 hours between sessions during the day, and 4-5 hours between sessions at night). I produce between 4 to 8.5 Oz from both breasts combined for each session. I noticed that you recommended pumping 8-12 times a day and I am now worried that I am not pumping enough times each day despite already feeling tired from pumping 7 times at 6 weeks post partum… Should I be adding at least another session in to prevent a decrease in supply? Thanks!
Hi Vee! No, it sounds like you’re doing great! I wouldn’t change anything. 🙂
Hi Amanda, I m currently exclusively pumping 4 times a day (27-28 minutes per pump) at 615 am, 1pm, 5 pm and 10 pm. I would like to pump only 3 times a day, preferably 615 am, 2pm and 10 pm. Should I move the 1 pm and 4 pm pumps closer together? Should I move only the timing of one pump at a time or move two pumps together? Also, I m intending to wean by Dec and I hope to not increase each pumping duration – would I still be able to clear completely at each pump if I reduce the no of pumps but do not increase the duration of the pumps? I m prone to clogged ducts and often have to massage before and after I pump to clear completely. Thanks! Your site has been a tremendous help to me!
I think I would just switch the 1pm to 2pm one day since that’s not a big change and then gradually push the 5pm back until 10pm. You could do 6pm, then 7pm, then 8pm, then see if you can make it til 10pm. Good luck!
Hi – my little girl is almost 6 months old and I’m exclusively pumping 7 times a day (8am 11am 2pm 5pm 8pm midnight and 4am).
I’m looking to reduce the number of sessions I’m doing. My supply isn’t great but I’m happy to supplement feed if I need to. I’d really like to get down to 5 sessions if I can but I’m not sure how to go about it.
I’d appreciate any advice you can give me. Thak you for this wonderful site. All the information out there is for breastfeeding not expressing so to find your site has been my saving grace.
Hi Renae – I would probably drop the midnight and 4am sessions. First I would push the midnight one back by an hour a night until you get to the 4am (you could do 1am/4am, then 2am/4am, then 3am/5am), then wait a few days, then repeat by pushing the 4am back. Good luck!
Hi Amanda – thanks for your advice.
To clarify I assume when you are writing 1am/4am those are the times I should be expressing? Then once I get to expressing at 3am/5am wait a few days then continue with 4am/6am, 5am/7am, 6am/8am?
Sorry for the extra hand holding. I’m on 3 hours sleep (a teething baby with a cold is no fun) and pretty much need everything spelled out ?
Thanks again
Hi! Yes, sorry that wasn’t clear – those would be the times that you would pump. However, when you get to 3am/5am, I would wait a few days and then JUST do the 4am. Wait a few days, then just do 5am, then 6am, then see if you can go to 8. Does that make sense? Hope the teething stops soon!
Thanks Amanda. That makes total sense. Thanks for breaking it down for me. Yeah same here re: teething. It’s a sleep killer that’s for sure.
Thanks again for this great website and for your advice. I was about to wean completely until I find it and now it seems so much more manageable after reading your posts.
Hi, I am currently 3 weeks post-partum. I started exclusively pumping at 1 week postpartum but kept 1 nursing session. My schedule starting at 1 week was 8 pumping sessions and 1 nursing session (7am, 9am, 11:15am, 1:30pm(nursed), 2:15pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, 2am). I was pumping 30-32oz a day and my baby eats around 20oz of pumped milk. The middle of the night session was killing me so at 2 weeks and 4 days post-partum I dropped the 2am session by reducing pump time from 15min to 10min to 5min and then 0min, I also moved my 10pm session to 11pm, my supply seems to have stayed the same. So my new schedule is now 7am, 9am, 11:15am, 1:30pm(nursed), 2:15pm, 4pm, 7pm, 11pm.
My question is, When do you think it is safe to drop another session? Ideally I would like my schedule to be 7am, 11am, 1:30pm(nursed), 2pm, 5:30, 9:30pm, 11pm. Do you think this schedule would work? I would love to drop that session as soon as possible. What do you think?
After that when do you think I could drop another pump session and get myself down to 5 pump sessions?
Hi, I am curious if you saw my questions? I wrote you on the 21st and saw you responded to someone else so I just want to make sure my post worked?
Hi Morgan! Sorry it took me so long to respond, I was working my way down the list and got interrupted!
Yes, I think seven total lactation sessions is good for what is now four weeks post-partum. I think see what happens there and then maybe drop another in the 7-8 week timeframe. Good luck!
Thanks, Do you think my schedule will work when I drop to 6 sessions? 7am, 11am, 1:30pm(nursed), 2pm, 5:30, 9:30pm, 11pm?
After that, When do you think I could drop to 5 sessions?
Yes, I think so! I would say 10-12 weeks would be okay.
Thanks so much for your help!!!
I just dropped to pumping 3x a day, I’ve been exclusively pumping because my daughter was premature. It’s been a week since dropping from four to three times a day; I get 10+ oz a pumping session. Now, I really struggle to get as much milk from my right breast. I can let the pump do all the work on my left breast and get 5-6 oz no problem whereas I need to do a lot of massaging and squeezing to get 4 oz from my right breast (I was getting at least 6 oz without massaging before dropping a pump). What’s going on? What can I do? Can one breast dry up while the other is going strong?
It’s totally normal for things to be uneven! I generally got about half as much from my left side as my right. There is nothing to worry about there. 🙂
I see that you advise to wait to drop a pump until 2-3 months. I’m currently producing 60-64 oz a day during 6 pumps with a 3 week old (exclusively pumping). Could I work on dropping a pump now since I’m oversupplying by so much? Thank you for your helpful site – I’ve learned so much!
Hi Jessica – how long are your pumps now?
15 minutes each right now.
I think I would wait until at least 5 weeks, just to increase the chance that your supply will have regulated. (That means that supply/demand is what controls your supply, not postpartum hormones.) If you don’t want to wait that long I would just increase the length of the remaining sessions to at least 20 minutes. Good luck!
Thank you so much! I always pump over 5 oz in my right breast and at least 3 in my left breast, but sometimes I get about 5 oz from the left too.
So I can end up dropping both sessions and be ok? What about changing the time in between sessions from 3 to 4 hours?
This site is SO helpful!!
Yes, you should be able to! Say you had twins and were producing 80 oz for them – eventually if you were nursing they’d sleep through the night and you wouldn’t wake them up to feed them. Your body should be able to adjust. I think spacing to 4 hours is okay too. Just make sure that you keep the total amount of time that you pump in a day the same (so your sessions should be longer).