Here are some common FAQs about exclusively pumping for a newborn baby, including how often to pump, how long your pumping sessions to be, when you should be pumping, and how to make exclusive pumping easier.
How often should I pump when exclusively pumping?
With a baby under three months of age, lactation consultants often recommend that you pump every two to three hours, or 8 to 12 times a day, because this mimics how often your baby would nurse if he or she were nursing.
My thoughts on the subject are a little different – to me, it really depends on when you are starting to pump exclusively. If you are starting it straight out of the hospital (maybe you decided on exclusive pumping before your baby was born), I would recommend at least eight but no more than ten pumping sessions per day.
If you start exclusively pumping a little later, and you’ve already established something of a supply – maybe too much, maybe too little, or maybe the right amount – I would adjust the seven to ten pumps per day guideline based on where you are at. If you have low milk supply and want to bring it up, it might be a good idea to start at ten. If you have oversupply, seven might be enough.
When should I pump?
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 I would transfer him to his bassinet once I unhooked. Other moms prefer to pump on a schedule, at certain times of the day regardless of when baby eats.
There are advantages to both methods. Pumping on a schedule means that you know when you’ll need to pump and can plan accordingly, while if you pump when baby eats, you might get stuck out of the house with no pump and need to re-adjust. 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 eliminates extra night wakings if your baby doesn’t wake up when you’re scheduled to pump.
Some sample pumping schedules are available here.
Many people recommend that one pumping session be between 1am and 4am, as most women tend to have a high output at this time. If you are concerned about supply and are not currently pumping during this time, it might be a good idea to try this.
How long should I pump for?
If you are exclusively pumping, you should be pumping for two hours or 120 minutes per day. 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. So if you’re pumping 8 times per day, you should pump for 15 minutes at a time.
Tip: If your pump doesn’t have a timer on it (like the Medela Freestyle), set a timer 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 overestimate how long you’ve been hooked up to the pump (at least, for me it is).
How much much milk should I be producing?
This varies widely. Ideally, at each pumping session, you would get enough (plus maybe a little more!) for baby’s next feeding. However, it often doesn’t work out that way. Some women will get 4oz for their newborns and others will get a few drops.
However much you get, you are doing great.
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, 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 widely.
If you don’t make enough breast milk and find that you need to supplement with formula, here are some tips for doing so.
How can I make this easier?
I think there are three things that make exclusively pumping manageable. First, get into a routine – make a schedule for yourself and stick to it as much as you can. Second, there are a few shortcuts that can help make things more doable. Third, there are a few products that really help, such as a hands-free bra, extra pump parts, etc. A full list of what you might find helpful as an exclusive pumper is available here.
Last but not least – subscribe to the Exclusive Pumping newsletter to get tips and support sent to you every two weeks. Being an exclusive pumper can feel lonely sometimes, but you’re not alone, so join us!
Hello! I have a 9 day old. She’s eating 3 oz every 3 hours, cleared to eat every 4 at night because she’s already back up to her birth weight. I’m producing 4.5-6oz. I was pumping every 3 hours, but am wondering if it would be safe to start pumping when she eats/7 times a day. Increasing time from 15 to 20 min. I’d be fine if the 20 min increases my supply but I’m really hoping to get more sleep, since she’s perfectly fine to sleep those 4 hour stretches.
I think that sounds like a good plan!
Hi Ive been pumping since the day I left the hospital with my son because he wouldn’t latch anymore due to him getting congested and me becoming engorged. My son is 4 weeks old and I am producing between 35-44oz. I pump 8-10 times every 2-3 hrs during the day and at night 3-4 hrs. I was wondering when would I be able to drop a pump without it causing me to loose my supply. My goal for now is to reach 6 months.
Hi Linda! I think you could go down to 7 right now and 6 in a few weeks and be okay! Just keep your total pumping time in a day the same.
I am 9 weeks post partum. Baby was born three weeks early. Nursing turned into hell, he hated it due to the effort required after we were instructed at the hospital from birth to give formula, sas he was small. So bottles were introduced in addition to breast. Now, he prefers bottle. Nursing ends with us both sobbing, and him not fed, so I gave up.
Despite, I want him to get breastmilk so I have resisted throwing in the towel. I have managed to get up to around 14oz a day by pumping. I have tried fenugreek, though I don’t think I took enough, no maple bender odors. I pump 8-10 times a day, “power pump” several nights a week in a row, after 9pm. I wake up during the night and pump when baby feeds. I hand express whatever is left after pumping.
Rather despairing as it sounds (via the Interweb’s) like I should be able to produce twice this amount at least. Baby is insatiable and every drop i have passes through his maws at an alarming rate.
I did not pump consistently for the first few weeks after birth. I was really struggling. Am I too far gone to up my supply? I don’t really know what other tricks to try? I have seen increases of a few ounces more a day over the last month, but nowhere close to what I read. Perhaps I get 1-2oz per pump session.
Help.
I’m so sorry Jess! You are doing a great job. I think 9 weeks is still early … I think the things I would start with would be oatmeal for breakfast and the correct dose of fenugreek. If that doesn’t work, maybe you could look in domperidone or reglan? Not as easy to get though.
Seriously, you’re doing great!
I’m doing 15 minute sessions each time
OK great! I might increase that to 20 minutes and see if it helps. Are you getting a second letdown when you pump? I was thinking the extra time might help you get one if not and therefore increase the amount you pump. Let me know if you have any questions!
I have a 13 day old baby. We tried breastfeeding and pumping, and supplemented with formula from when she came home from the hospital. I was initially producing 3oz per session, but now it’s dropped to below 1.5oz per session. I pump 6-7 times per day. IVe been drinking the mother’s milk tea and eating oatmeal. Any other suggestions? Is it normal to reduce so drastically in the first few weeks? Will my supply go up again on its own?
Hi Amanda! Congrats on your baby! It sounds like you are doing all of the right things! I’m not sure what happened there. Maybe your supply regulated really early? I think I would try fenugreek and see if that’s helpful – a fenugreek/blessed thistle combo might be worth a hot. How long are your sessions?
Hi,
I’ve been pumping 8 times a day (occasionally 7) for 8 weeks now. Will my supply have regulated yet? I produce between 1000 And 1200ml each day roughly and my baby currently takes approx 700-800ml so I’m freezing the remaining milk. My intention isn’t to freeze a huge supply so I don’t mind if I produce a little bit less. I’d love to be able to drop a couple of pumping sessions, can I safely do this yet or should I wait until she is 12 weeks old? I try to stick to a set schedule every 3 hours but lookingafter a little one means I often am late with my pumping session… does this matter as long as I am still doing 2 hours of pumping within 24 hours? I read somewhere about a woman who has reduced her pumps to 4 a day but still gets the same amount, I’d love to be able to do that… any advice on where to start?
Hi Cat! Do you feel like you’re leaking less, maybe like your breasts are less hard/full than they were at the beginning? If so, it’s probably regulated. More info here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
I think you’d be fine to drop to 6 now. Just make sure you increase the length of your sessions so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. Good luck!
This may sound like a dumb question, but how do you start on “Day 1”? I read the article about pumping after you bottle feed and using the schedule – I dig it, but how do you get started on the first feed if you don’t have a “reserve” from prior feeds?
I’m a first-time mom (due May 2019), so forgive my naivete. I’m just imagining: (1)baby is born, (2)baby is hungry (how soon after birth are they ready to eat?), (3) I have nothing to feed baby because I haven’t had a chance to pump anything. Sorry if that sounds crazy.
Not a dumb question! I wrote a post about pumping from birth that might be helpful:
https://exclusivepumping.com/exclusively-breast-pumping-from-birth/
I would start with formula until you have enough breast milk to feed. Colostrum can be hard to pump, and like you said, you need to be able to get ahead. Good luck!
hi,
my daughter suffered a cardiac arrest at 5 weeks and we have been in hospital ever since.
the down time has caused some brain damage which has affected her ability to swallow. i have been expressing for the past 10 weeks so she can still be tube fed my milk.
i am currently pumping four hourly in the day and was advised to get some sleep and leave it 8 hours overnight (8,12,4,8 and 12). my milk has sustained because i upgraded to an ardo double pump and i express about 100ml a 20minute session.
we are due to be discharged within the next few weeks so i will be solely responsible for my daughter’s care. i don’t think i will be able to fit in expressing every 4 hours at home.
would i be able to express every 8 hours, 3 times a day and still keep up a supply?
i have plenty stored up in the freezer if not but i would just like some advice.
thanks
Hi Lauren! I hope that your baby is doing better and am so happy that you’re being discharged! Regarding supply it’s possible, but it’s hard to say for sure. The big risk is that you’ll get your period back earlier than you otherwise would have (longer breaks between lactation sessions can do that), but it could also be fine. It just depends on your risk threshold. Also, it depends on your goals – if you’re planning to pump for another few months, I would be more likely to say go for it than if you wanted to pump for a full year.
I’m not sure about your baby’s health situation – are you able to hold her while you pump, wearing a hands-free bra?
iam 4 week pp is it possible to pump 7 times in the day and divide that by 120mins its so hard to get that 8th pump in without feeling like my nipples are going to fall off hahaha
Yes! You can do that. 🙂
Hi my daughter was born 2.5 weeks ago and I have been pumping since day 3. I pump 7-8 times a day for 20 mins each and have seen an increase in my supply from just a few ml initially to around 3 oz total (both breasts) per session. I am able to keep up with her needs with this amount, although not by a large margin (I usually have 1 or 1.5 feedings worth of a “stash”). If I keep up this schedule, will my supply continue to increase as she grows and starts taking 3-4 oz at the end of her first month? So far so good but I am worried I won’t keep pace with her. Thank you!
Hi SJ! I think you may continue to see an increase over the next week or two. If not, there are a few things that you could try (eating oatmeal, power pumping, fenugreek) that might get you to where you want to be. Good luck!
Hello my baby is almost one month . I was using nipple shield bc I have have flat nipples but the lactation consultant said to stop using them . My baby doesn’t have the best latch and his sucking doesn’t seem so efficient . He doesn’t seem to sleep so last night we gave him a bottle (breast milk) as slept so peaceful .
I’m glad the bottle helped him sleep!
I just wanted to take a minute and say how thankful I am for your site. I just had my first baby last Thursday. I thought I was fully prepared. I took multiple breastfeeding classes and read multiple books, but all just kind of skipped over pumping. So I went to the hospital with the full intention of exclusively breastfeeding. Plans changed when my baby was placed in the NICU for her first week. Plans changed again when the lactation Consultant noticed she had a posterior tongue tie after she wouldn’t latch, and I was told I would have to pump in order to get her the milk she needed. I was LOST. There were all these parts, and I was in constant pain because I didn’t know what I was doing. Not to mention I was only producing a few drops that some nurses scoffed at when I brought them to the NICU. With this, and not being able to be there full time for my baby, I’ve never felt so overwhelmed. Since then, I am so thankful to say we are now home, but I have still felt very overwhelmed by the whole exclusively pumping concept. Today, I ran across your site and you advice and tips have already helped me so much, and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your wisdom!
I’m so glad to hear that! Best of luck with everything and let me know if you have any questions!
Hi! My baby is 6 weeks old today. I have been exclusively pumping since day 1. I was producing well and then I got reoccurring mastitis and was on a antiobiotics 3 weeks in a row and still trying to build my supply back up. I’m pumping every 2-3 hours for 15-20 minutes. I pump 7-9 times a day. I’m only getting roughly 15oz-18oz a day and having to supplement the rest with formula. I am taking fenugreek, and I’m on my third batch of lactation cookies and have increased my water. Is there anything I can do to increase my supply?
Hi Nikole! Congrats on your baby and I’m so sorry that you’ve had mastitis! What dose of fenugreek are you taking, and do you smell like maple syrup at all?
Hi i am exclusively pumping and my baby is now 4 weeks. I am concerned about the milk supply if it might increase since my child is aksing for more. I pump 12 times a day each for 15 mins
Hi Ania! It sounds like your schedule is good. What kind of a pump are you using, and have you tried anything (like fenugreek or other herbs or anything) to bring it up?
Hiya
Your site has been a total blessing.
Quick question about pumping 15 mins per session…. should I split that between each breast, or alternate between each breast every other session.
Thnx!
K
Hi Kim! So glad to hear it! It’s 15 minutes for EACH breast, unfortunately. So if you’re single pumping, it would take you 30 minutes. Does that answer your question?
Hiya. Yes it does.
Thank you!
Hi Amanda,
My baby is 3 weeks old and I’m exclusively pumping every 3 to 4 hours for 20min and getting an average of 150ml/5oz for a total of 300ml/10oz from each breast each time I pump, except for those times I find myself falling asleep and waking up 45 min later. When that happens I wake up to the bottles overflowing in my lap, ugh!!! Do you think there is anyway I can reduce the number of sessions I’m doing a day at this point it should I wait longer to give my body time to regulate out how much milk it’s making?
Thanks,
Samantha
Hi Samantha! So you’re doing 7-8 sessions a day for 20 minutes each, and getting 70ish ounces a day? I think you’re okay to drop down to 6 sessions a day at 20-25 minutes with that kind of oversupply. Waiting three more weeks would be a bit safer, but that’s a lot of milk! Obviously, anything can happen, and that’s just my guess.
You might want to consider getting 8oz bottles so you don’t overflow! Good luck!!!
Every 3 hours for about 20-30 minutes. I’m getting about an ounce on each side for now which is progress. Just trying to keep positive and continue. I’m fine with supplementing but I want to make sure he gets some from me.
I am currently having a lot of issues with nursing my 4 week old son. We had his tongue tie released but we still can’t get a painfree latch. I have been fluctuating between nursing and pumping when I can’t tolerate the pain. I have some questions about length of pumping and output. I only ever get one drop at a time while pumping. There is never a stream of milk coming out and only once have I noticed a tiny spraying of milk. Usually by the 15 minute mark I have not produced enough to cover the bottom of the bottles. I have noticed I produce more milk between the 20 and 30 minute mark. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process slightly so I don’t have to pump for 30 minutes 8 times per day?
Hi Audrey! It sounds like you’re not getting a letdown with the pump? That is my guess from what you said. Some ideas to help you get one – warm compresses or the shower, a lactation massager or electric toothbrush, looking at pictures/videos of your baby. More info here – https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-boost-milk-supply-letdowns/ Hope this helps!
Hello,
My second baby boy was born this past Monday (June 25). I decided beforebhe was born to exclusively pump and have been pumping furiously every since. My question is how much should I be producing at this point (today is June 29)? He’s already eating 3 oz (breast milk and formula) but I’ve only been producing about 1 oz per session. I’m getting frustrated. Is it normal for my milk to come in this late?
Hi Jaime! That is definitely within the range of normal! What does your pumping schedule look like? You’re doing a great job, and congratulations!
Thank you so much! This is really helpful – I’ll definitely give that a go. 🙂
Hi Amanda,
Thank you SO much for your helpful website, it has been a lifesaver as I’ve gotten started with exclusive pumping!
My baby is four weeks old today, and I started pumping from the beginning. The hospital told me to pump 20 minutes, 8 times per day (which is a total of 160 minutes per day) which I have been doing consistently. However, I have a huge oversupply (over 50 oz per day) which is still increasing every single day. I am becoming more and more uncomfortable and less able to last 2.5 hours between pumps without serious discomfort.
A few days ago I decided to drop to 7 pumps per day (increasing to 23 minutes per pump to keep the overall time the same), thinking it might plateau my supply or at least slow it down, however, it has continued to increase and I’m pumping more now than I was on eight pumps per day.
Today I read this article above again and noticed that you suggest 120 minutes across the day – I am currently doing 160. Do you think that without getting mastitis or clogged ducts I could either:
a) keep up my 7 pumps per day, but drop to 17 minutes per side (bringing it to a total of 120 minutes per day), or
b) drop down to 6 pumps per day, of 20 minutes each (still coming to a total of 120 minutes per day)
I don’t want to do anything that would affect my long term supply as I’d like to keep this up for a year if possible, but I’m concerned that the supply is growing so much and I’m in more and more discomfort. Still, if that’s what has to happen, that’s what I’ll do!
Thanks so much!
Hi! I do think you can reduce you total amount of time pumping in a day, I would just do it slowly. So you’re at 23 minutes each, I would drop 3 minutes from one of those sessions one day, and 3 from another the next day, and so on. That way you can keep an eye on your supply and it won’t be a shock to the system to drop so many minutes at once. If you do see a drop and you get nervous, I would just hold steady for a few days and see what happens. Good luck!