Are you brand new at exclusively pumping, and not sure what exactly you should be doing? Here are some common questions about exclusively pumping for a newborn baby, including how often to pump, how long your pumping sessions should be, when you should be pumping, and how to make exclusive pumping easier.
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When I started exclusively pumping, I had no idea what I was doing.
For example, I didn’t know that you were supposed to take the pump parts apart to wash them. I had no idea why my breasts dribbled milk sometimes and sprayed milk sometimes. And I wasn’t sure what speed I was supposed to set my pump to.
Here are the basics that I learned over time about how to exclusively pump with a newborn baby to build and maintain a milk supply, so you don’t have to bumble through it like I did!
How often should I pump when exclusively pumping for a newborn?
It’s important to pump frequently when your baby is a newborn in order to establish and maintain your milk supply.
Generally, in the first few months, I would recommend aiming for somewhere 7 to 10 pumping sessions per day.
How many sessions that you want to do within that guideline depends on your particular circumstances. For example, if you find you’re not pumping as much as your baby takes, you might want to be on the higher end of 9-10 sessions per day. However, if you have twins or older children and are completely overwhelmed, 7 might be what you can manage.
As your baby gets older, you can drop pumping sessions and pump less frequently.
How long should I pump for?
If you are exclusively pumping, you should be pumping for two hours or 120 minutes per day as a minimum guideline. (Much more on this guideline here.)
So, to determine how long you should be pumping for during each pumping session, divide 120 by the number of times that you’re pumping and set that as your goal. For example, if you’re pumping 8 times per day, you should pump for 15 minutes at a time.
(It’s okay to pump for more than 120 minutes, too. You might just want to make sure you’re not getting burned out.)
You should pump for your full pumping time even if milk stops flowing, for two reasons:
- Your milk might let down again, allowing you to pump more milk. (Here is a full explanation of letdowns and how they work.)
- The nipple stimulation may help protect your milk supply long-term.
Tip: If your pump doesn’t have a timer on it, set one on your phone so that you can see how long you’ve been pumping and how much more time you have to go. It’s easy to forget when you started pumping or overestimate how long you’ve been hooked up to the pump.
When should I pump?
There are a few different ways to manage when you should pump:
- Pump whenever baby eats
- Pump on a schedule, at designated times every day
There are advantages to both methods. Pumping on a schedule means that you know when you’ll need to pump and can plan accordingly.
On the other hand, pumping when your baby eats is an easy way to ensure that you are pumping frequently enough, as it mimics nursing. It also gives you blocks of time in between pumping and feeding where you can get out of the house, sleep, etc.
When my son was a newborn, I pumped whenever he ate – my routine was to bottle feed him, change him, and then lay him down on my lap while I pumped. He would fall asleep, and then I would transfer him to his bassinet once I unhooked. Later, when life became more predictable, I switched to a more consistent pumping schedule.
(If you want help figuring out you schedule, I have a workbook that walks you through it step by step. Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.)
Do you need to pump at night?
If you can manage pumping at night, I would recommend it for the first three months or so, until your supply regulates.
This is both because frequent milk removal is important for establishing supply, and because many people tend to have a high output at this time. (This may be due to higher prolactin levels at night.)
How much much milk should I be producing?
Ideally, at each pumping session, you would get enough (plus maybe a little more!) for baby’s next feeding. However, it sometimes doesn’t work out that way. The amount that exclusive pumpers produce can vary quite a bit – some people will get 4 oz for their newborns, and others will get a few drops.
However much milk you pump, you are doing a great job.
How much breast milk will my baby need?
On average, most newborns will drink 1.5-3oz per feeding, or 20-25 ounces per day.
I did a survey on this topic a few years ago, and you can read more about the results here. The average for 0-1 month olds was 22.3oz; 1-2 month olds averaged 26.3oz.
(My son was huge and was up to 30oz by one month of age, so this can also vary quite a bit.)
If you don’t make enough breast milk and find that you need to supplement with formula, here are some tips for doing this.
What settings should I set my pump to?
Pumping settings can be a little confusing. There are usually three different things to pay attention to:
Most breast pumps have two modes – letdown/massage mode (light and fast) and expression mode (higher suction and slower). Many breast pumps automatically switch from letdown mode to expression mode after a minute or two.
When you’re pumping, you should set your vacuum strength to the highest speed that is comfortable. Slowly move it up to a higher suction until you start to feel discomfort, and then dial it back one setting. That’s the perfect suction for you.
There’s no “correct” setting to use for cycle speed, and some pumps (such as Medela pumps) don’t even have that setting. It’s best to just experiment and see what works best for you.
Much more on breast pump settings here.
How can I make this easier?
I think there are a few things that make exclusively pumping more manageable:
- Routines/systems. For everything related to pumping – pumping, feeding, washing bottles and pump parts, freezing extra milk – figure out a schedule or system for managing it so you don’t have to think about it.
- Help. If you have a partner or family member that can help, ask for help. Remember, you’re making the baby’s dinner every night, there’s no reason that others can’t help with the dishes.
- Products. There are a few products that can really make things easier, such as a hands-free pumping bra, extra pump parts, etc. Here are some things you may want to consider.
More on making exclusive pumping easier here.
I’m struggling with the emotional aspect of exclusive pumping. What can I do?
This can be really hard – it’s a loss, and it’s okay to grieve it. I did a short IGTV about coming to terms with this grief that might be helpful for you – you can watch it here.
Do you have any questions on exclusively pumping for a newborn? Ask them in the comments!
Want help putting together the perfect pumping schedule for you that saves your sanity AND your milk supply? Check out the Exclusive Pumping Playbook! Includes cheat sheets for setting up systems and routines to make things easier. Use EPUMP30 for 30% off.
Thanks for the information really helpful. If I couldn’t start pumping at the beginning can I start pumping exclusively at 6-7 weeks? My LO didn’t want to latch well and I didn’t pump on a schedule until I finally I found this website. Im afraid my milk will not come anymore. Thanks!
Hi Angelica! You definitely can. It might be a little harder to establish supply but many people are able to establish a supply later. Here’s more info!
https://exclusivepumping.com/relactation-pumping-schedules/
Thank you for this post and website. It has been extremely useful to me! I exclusively pumped for my son for 14 months, and have decided to go the same route with my newborn daughter after struggles with milk intake.
Question for you: I am 6 weeks postpartum and pumping about 44-45oz a day. For the first two weeks, I pumped every time the baby ate, but now I’m only pumping once overnight and 5-6 times a day, and my supply continues to creep up. I think I have a rather large “storage capacity,” as I could easily pump 16 oz or more in the morning with my son after dropping the night pumping, so going longer between sessions has never seemed to impact my supply much (it was actually quite difficult to wean!). I’m not sure if my supply has regulated yet or not, as I’ve never had problems with leaking, etc. With a toddler and a newborn, I am finding it difficult to pump even this much, but I do have the desire to do breastmilk for a year. Do you think it would be problematic to drop the night session (baby is sleeping great) and/or drop the total number of sessions at this point (maybe 6 only during day, or 1 night/5 day)? My average pumping session is probably 25 minutes long, so I am well over the 120 minute recommendation. Thanks!
Hi Alicia! Congrats on your sweet baby! This is a tough one because it’s hard to know for sure what will happen. I think my advice is that only you can decide if you want to drop the session – you kind of have to weigh whether or not you think your supply has regulated yet along with your risk tolerance along with your mental health (EPing with a toddler and a newborn is no joke). If you do decide to drop one, I don’t think I would drop the night one just yet – i would do one during the day and keep to at least 120 minutes. When you hit 10-12 weeks I think I would feel better about dropping the night session. I hope this helps and congrats again!
Thanks for the quick reply and suggestions! I’ll try to stick with the night session until I go back to work. It’s a bummer though – she just slept through the night and I wasn’t able to take full advantage 😀 Something to look forward to I guess…
Hi Amanda,
My baby will be 4 weeks old on Saturday. I have been exclusively pumping since she was about 1 week. Currently I am pumping 7-8 times a day, and get on average 8-9oz combined each session!
Even though my supply hasn’t regulated yet, do you think it would be okay for me to drop to 5 or 6 pumps a day since I am producing so much?
Hello! My baby is 4 weeks and I currently use the Medela PISA and yield 3-4oz per pumping session. When can I introduce a hands free pump (like Elvie) in conjunction with my Medela? Thanks!
Hi Ali! I think you could try it now. I’d just see how much you get in comparison with the Medela and keep that in mind as far as how often you’d use it. If you get the same amount, I think you could use it a decent amount. If you get a decent amount less, then I would use when necessary but not overdo it, if that makes sense. Good luck!
Hello,
Thank you for this post.
My daughter is 5 weeks old. I’ve been triple feeding her as she didn’t have the greatest latch with tongue tie/lip tie.
I was using a nipple shield, pumping and supplementing with breast milk. I am now working with a LC to wean the nipple shield and ideally supplementation – as she is trying to re-learn latching without the shield – I am really confused on when to pump and since not using the shield and the decrease in stimulation from her has changed my supply. I am trying to pump but it’s hard because when she wants to eat I want to try to get her to latch but if I just pumped there’s not a ton there for her. No one else seems concerned but I want to maintain my supply – what should I do? I am trying to pump 8 times a day but it’s difficult as she may wake up to feed and I had just pumped so putting her to breast becomes more difficult.
Hi Sophia! I would try to pump as soon as you reasonably can after nursing, so that there will be milk when you go to nurse again. So say you try nursing at 9am. Baby gets some milk but needs a top up with a bottle. I would then pump right after you finish with that (if possible) or even bottle feed WHILE you pump with a hands-free bra. Then repeat the process again in a few hours. It’s a lot, I know – hopefully you’ll be able to switch to just nursing soon. Good luck!
Hi Amanda!
We are at the point where we are letting our baby sleep until he wakes up to eat at night. We were curious if it made sense to feed the baby a little more each feeding or more the feeding before bed to see if that would help him sleep longer and hopefully drop 1 feeding during the night? Or, do they naturally do that over time without needing more at each feeding?
Hi Whitney! Babies are all so different, I would try it and see what happens. Just kind of test it out to see what works best for your baby. I could never get mine to sleep longer no matter what I did, but I hope it works for you!
My first pregnancy I EP and had minimal milk production. My question is how soon after you give birth should you begin pumping? With my first daughter I didn’t till at least a week or two after she was born. Should I be pumping while in the hospital to work on my milk production or can it wait till returning home after the 3 day stay? Thanks so much.
Hi Devon! You’d want to start while you’re still in the hospital. Here is some more information that might be helpful:
https://exclusivepumping.com/exclusively-breast-pumping-from-birth/
Hi I need help. I just had my daughter 7 weeks early at 33 weeks from preeclampsia. She is currently in the NICU and is 2 weeks and 1 day old. I am pumping every 2-4 hours with a medela lactina at home and the Medela symphony at the nicu. I have been pumping since an hour after delivery and i can get anywhere from 38 ml a session to 60 ml at a time both combined. I am pumping about 7-8 times a day including at night and I pump for 30 min to 75 min at a time . I feel like I should b le getting more by now and I don’t know what to do. I bring her milk ,2 times a day and I pump while im there also. Any suggestions are so much appreciated!!
Hi Laci! Congrats on your sweet preemie! Here’s what I would recommend trying to troubleshoot supply issues. I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hi Amanda, I just started EP today, I was supplementing with the formula bottles from the hospital and when I switched I fed out of a medela bottle. (2oz). She then seemed hungry and hour and a half later so I fed her another 2oz and then she became so irritable. Did I over feed her? She cried for hours and was giving cues she was still hungry but I had just fed her so much. What bottles do you recommend feeding out of? An do they drink more breast milk vs formula? I’m worried about over feeding her.
Hi Marissa! I think this is a question for your pediatrician, but I will say (answering as a friend rather than a CLC, since I’m not treating you) that I kind of feel like this is a different issue than overfeeding. I don’t think she would have taken the milk if she didn’t want it and was having hunger cues. Could it be something like reflux instead? I think the Medela bottles are fine to feed out of if baby will take them. I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda, thanks for all the info that you put out here. It’s really useful for new moms like me who are new to pumping. my little one is 7weeks old and i’ve been mostly EP-ing with a schedule of 7 times a day (2am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm 6pm and 10pm). I pump 25 mins each time with 2 massage and stimulation modes. I would like to drop a session without reducing my supply or getting clogged ducts. My yield is about 33oz a day and he drinks about 24. How would you suggest going about this? Thank you!!
Hi Jay! Maybe drop the 3pm and move the 12pm back an hour or two? Or you could drop the 6pm and move the 3pm back a bit? I’d also consider lecithin if you are prone to clogged ducts.
I pump 7-8 times a day. I used to single pump 15 minutes each boob. When I switched to double pumping my brain said the logical thing was to do 30 minutes. I’m now realizing this might be too long to be pumping. How do I lower that down without losing my supply and getting a clogged duct?
Hi Breanna! How long ago did you make the change?
Looking into EPing because my baby has bad reflux and seems to have less when using a bottle. Should I be pumping from both breasts every time or switching every other feeding?
My girl is a month old and when breast feeding we average about 8 feedings a day- to start I’d be keeping that schedule when pumping.
Hi Kelsey! Most people find it easiest to double pump, so I would do that. You want to pump each side for 120 minutes a day, ideally. Congrats on your one month old!
Hi! I’m so glad to find this website! I recently had a C-section and my milk has not come in. I am trying to do pumping but nothing has come down so far. Should I do the expression for the whole time until milk comes down?
Congrats on your baby! I would keep trying pump (even if you’re not getting anything) until it comes in and also try hand expression!
Hi Amanda,
I’m 18 weeks with my third pregnancy. I’ve decided to exclusively pump for my third baby. I’ve read so many of your articles, and they have been so much help in preparing my mind and home for this journey. However, I’m bit confused about pumping after delivery. Is it possible to pump colostrum or is it best practice to wait a few days until my milk comes in fully?
Hi Jenna! congrats on your pregnancy! Yes, you can try to pump colostrum. I would also try hand expressing and using a silicone pump like the Haakaa – just test it out and see what works best. Hope that helps!
I am so grateful I found this web page! I’m new to exclusively pumping and was very overwhelmed at the fact that my baby did not want to breastfeed so the next best option was to exclusively pump. I had no idea where to start but those late night pump sessions less me here!! I’m slowly learning all the tips and tricks to exclusively pump and I’m not feeling too overwhelmed. Instead I feel empowered and encouraged to keep chugging on. Thank you!!
Congrats on your baby Diane! 🙂
Thank you for this website. So useful!
I am very worried that I am over feeding my son when exclusively expressing breast milk. He just instantly satisfied with the advises 80ml per 3 hours so I upped the quantities. I am now trying 110ml / 4 oz per feed but he seems to want this every 2 hours. He is nearly 5 weeks but this seems like a huge amount. I just don’t know what to do and the lactation consultants don’t seem to be able to shed any light on how much he should be having. They say he can’t over feed…. but he is having so much that he must be!! If you have any advice on this I would be grateful. He was born 8lb 6oz.
Hi Pippa! Does that slow down at all at night? How much is he taking total in a day?
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for his info! My baby 3 months old, and I pump 5 times a day (6:30 am, 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6:3o pm and 10:00 pm). I produce so much milk that I freeze almost 25 oz in a day. I would like to cut back on a session. What hours do you recommend? How far should I spread them?
Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica! I would keep the 6:30am and 10pm the same and then have two sessions in between – the exact times don’t matter, maybe 11 and 4? But whatever works for your schedule!
Hi I am currently pregnant I’m thinking about pumping for only night feeding and formula during the day. When I have the baby How many times a day do you think I should pump if I’m only pumping for night time feedings and I will be going back to work roughly 6 to 8 weeks after I have the baby and there really is no where for me to pump at work. We only get 2 10 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch do you think I would be okay to only pump in the morning before I go to work and after I get home from work I work from 5 am to usually 2 pm. Do you think I would have a risk of getting a clogged milk duct. If I waited all that time to pump.