Exclusive pumping can have a big learning curve. There are a lot of dos and don’ts, hacks, and tricks to figure out when you first start pumping. Here are the top 10 mistakes that exclusive pumpers make, so that you can avoid them!
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1. Using the wrong size flange
Pumping with the correct size breast shield is essential for both avoiding nipple pain and maximizing breast milk supply. However, often pumping moms don’t realize that breast shields come in different sizes, and just use whatever comes with their pump.
If you are having discomfort while you pump, this diagram can help you determine the best flange size for you. Alternatively, you can buy several different sizes (or a set of Pumpin Pals) and see what size is most comfortable for you.
2. Not making sure your baby will take your milk before building up a big freezer stash
Some breastfeeding mothers have excess lipase in their breastmilk. Excess lipase causes the taste of breastmilk to change more quickly to sour or soapy, causing many babies to refuse to drink it.
If you have excess lipase, they are ways to work around it! If you scald your breastmilk before it goes off, it’s likely that your baby will take it without any issues. However, once it’s gone off, there isn’t anything you can do.
Many exclusive pumpers have built up a large freezer stash, and THEN realized that they had excess lipase.
Therefore, make sure that your baby will take frozen breast milk early on, so that if you need to scald your breast milk before freezing, you can do so.
3. Limiting the length of your pumping sessions to 10 minutes (or 20 minutes) or less
Pumping moms are often given the advice that they shouldn’t pump longer than x number of minutes – often 10 minutes or 20 minutes.
The intent of this advice is to prevent nursing moms from developing oversupply, and it doesn’t apply to you as an exclusive pumper. Nursing moms are already spending time nursing and then pumping on top of it, whereas you’re just pumping. Feel free to ignore this advice!
If you’re exclusively pumping (unless you’re weaning), you should be pumping for a total of two hours per day. To determine how long your sessions should be, divide 120 by the number of times that you pump per day.
If you find that you’re getting an additional letdown near the end of your pumping sessions, it’s okay to keep pumping if you have time, are comfortable, and don’t mind. Don’t pump so much that you burn yourself out, but it won’t hurt anything to keep pumping for longer.
4. Focusing too much on building a freezer stash
“Feed your baby, not your freezer.”
Building up a freezer stash can be great for peace of mind, especially for exclusive pumpers that have anxiety around having enough breast milk to feed their babies.
However, it’s easy to get a little obsessed with how much milk you have stored up and growing your stash. If you find you’re worrying about this – meaning that the milk in your freezer becomes a source of stress rather than peace of mind – try to focus more on feeding your baby and on today rather than preparing for tomorrow.
5. Not prioritizing your mental health
If you are really struggling with pumping – the time it takes you away from your baby, the need to figure out how to get your pumping sessions in, the mental load – it’s okay to drop pumping sessions or wean. (You can always start dropping pumping sessions and reassess with each dropped session how you’re feeling and whether you’d like to drop another one or stay where you are.)
The most important thing that you can give your baby is a happy YOU, not an extra 2 oz of breast milk.
(Also, see your doctor if you think you may be experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety. They can help! I speak from experience.)
6. Not using a hands-free pumping bra
If you’re exclusively pumping, you need to be using a hands-free pumping bra. You get so much of your life back when you’re not sitting there holding your breast shields in place for two hours every day!
7. Taking a medication that impacts your supply
There are some medications – such as oral birth control that contains estrogen or certain decongestants – that can decrease breast milk supply.
Before you take any medication, ask a medical professional about its safety with regard to breastfeeding. Your best bet is to call the Infant Risk Center or use one of their apps. They use an evidence-based approach to give you the risks of taking any medication while breastfeeding, including the risks to your supply.
8. Frequently skipping pumping sessions
Sticking to your pumping schedule is important for two reasons. First, regularly removing milk from your breasts helps you establish and maintain your milk supply. If you are often missing sessions, you’re telling your body that you don’t need as much milk anymore, and your supply may drop over time.
Second, missing pumping sessions can make it more likely that you’ll get a clogged milk duct or mastitis.
Therefore, stick to your schedule as much as you can. (If you do miss a pumping session every now or then, it’s no big deal. Just get back on your schedule and make up the time later than day if you can.)
9. Dropping pumping sessions too quickly
Dropping pumping sessions can sometimes have an impact on supply. This is especially true if you’re going longer periods of time without lactating (such as overnight), as you can sometimes get your period back.
If you’re not weaning, it’s a good idea to wait at least a week or two in between dropping pumping sessions so that you can see if dropping the first session has any impact on your supply before dropping the next one.
10. Weaning before you were ready
Exclusive pumpers who decide to wean and then change their minds halfway through may have a difficult time bringing your supply back up. (The older your baby is, the more likely it is that it will be a challenge.)
If you decide to start weaning, make sure that you’ve thought it through and are sure. Also, make sure that your baby will take the milk you plan to transition him or her to before you start. You can always take it slowly and reassess after dropping each session, as described above.
Did you make any exclusive pumping mistakes when you started out? Tell us about them in the comments!
Can you mix pumped AM milk with pumped PM milk??
Yes! Just chill the PM milk so they are the same temperature when you mix it.
I have a 3 month old who was NICU for 4 weeks hence I’m exclusively pumping as he struggles at the breast. I have a great supply so much so I wonder if I have oversupply. However I trend easily to clogging; in the beginning and still now. I take lechitin, pump every 3 hours religiously. The question I have is is there any way I can ease into a 4 hr schedule w/o risking clogs and mastitis? Even at night (that is when I get far more full), I sleep only abt 2.5 he increments to sustain the 3 he schedule. The clogs I have had have been so painful and I want to avoid these! Thank you, great article.
Hi Kelly! I think you can, I would just do it gradually. Maybe stretch to 3.25 hours, then 3.5, etc. Increase the length of your sessions as you move further apart. I hope that helps!
I’ve been eping for my son since we came home from the nicu. He’s now 10weeks old and I make just enough for each feeding sometimes extra now and then but not enough for a freezer stash. I came down with a stomach bug and was in so much abdominal pain I couldn’t bring myself to pump and missed several pumping sessions that night. Luckily I had enough in the fridge to get him threw the night. But as I began pumping again I’ve noticed my supply drop more and more with each pump and I’m down to 2 ounces when he’s taking 4. How can I get my supply to come back up.
Hi Melissa! What is your pumping schedule like?
Every 3 sometimes 4 hrs I pump I don’t really keep a set schedule. Because sometimes the times vary with his feedings. I power pumped last night and twice today. Hopeing it brings back my supply. It took a power pump just to get his last feeding.
Hi Melissa! I hope it helps! Here are a few more ideas that might be helpful!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hello,
I am not an exclusive pumper, but man do I feel like I am… My LO is 7.5 months old and our schedule looks like this:
I get up at 3am to pump.
We nurse at 6am, then get ready for work and baby sitter.
I pump on the way to work, on my 3 breaks at work, and on the way home from work.
We nurse sometime between 6 and 730.
I stay up and pump again at 1030.
Through all this, I am lucky if I get 15-18 oz, which is roughly what she goes through at the sitter. I pump on average 15-20 minutes, depending on what my break schedules allow at work and if I get 3 oz per session, it has been a great day.
When I have done weighted feeds, she can transfer as much as 6 oz on one side. I have taken several different supplements to try and boost supply, made lactation cookies, and I do take lecithin for clogged duct issues (though I haven’t had one since I had mastitis in June.). I have also done hand compression while pumping, though I don’t feel like it has made much of a difference in output…
I was using a medela pump in style, but now now I only use that in my car. I use a Spectra S2 all other times (it’s more comfortable) which I have hacked to use my medela flanges and gear. I currently use a 21 cm flange after measuring my nipple following Medela guidelines.
I can’t seem to keep up and would really rather not supplement with formula if I can help it. Do you have any recommendations on how to get the milk that I KNOW is there out…
Thank you,
Megan, a very tired momma
Hi Megan! When you’re pumping the 15-20 minutes, how many letdowns are you getting?
One thing I think would work (but might be annoying and time consuming) is to do hand expression for 5 minutes after you pump. There are YouTube videos that might help!
You asked what pumping mistakes I made early on. Here’s mine :
My baby was in the NICU on formula. I convinced them to transition to breastmilk and then to breastfeeding, which meant I didn’t need to pump anymore. Turns out I was pumping more than the baby was eating, so when I dropped all my pumps and just breastfed, my supply plummeted.
I didn’t realize it for about a week, but by then my baby was dehydrated, so I had to switch to bottle feeding and pump to get my supply back up. I pumped about 12hrs per day (approx. 20 min. on 10 off during the day) for 3 weeks to get my supply back, and then was able to slowly scale back to 5 pumps per day and still get 40 ounces until my thyroid malfunctioned at 6 months.
Hi there,
I just started exclusively pumping and saw it was mentioned to try and skip a night feeding to get more rest. Is there a way to avoid that painful feeling in your boobs or that’s just inevitable? Thanks!
Hi Vanessa! You sort of have to train your breasts to go longer and longer to get away from that painful feeling (versus just skipping it). You could try pushing it back an hour to get more sleep maybe?
I find that sleeping on my back without a bra reduces breast fullness pain.
I have a 5 week old little one and I’m EPing. I only produce enough to get him through the day/night. I don’t have any to store in the freezer. Is there something wrong with my ducts, why don’t I produce enough to fill my fridge/freezer? And how long does he get my milk, 3 months, 5 months, a year? Just wondering how long I should be pumping for.
Hi Rose! Congrats on your baby! You are doing great – lots of women don’t make enough to feed their babies, so it’s great that you do! If you wanted to try to increase your supply here are some ideas:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
This is probably a very selfish question… I have been pumping exclusively for the last 8 months consistently (about 5 or 6 times/day). From time to time, I notice that the pump does not bring down all the milk, and have had to hand pump to get all out. How does a combination of hand pumping and pumping affect the shape of my breasts after? (Will they look droopy?)
I don’t think that’s selfish at all!
I can only speak to my experience but everything went back to normal afterwards (except size – it’s like the kids sucked all the meat out). But the purple nipples, shape, lopsidedness was not an issue after weaning.
Hope this helps!
I’ve been exclusively pumping for 10 days and I really need to increase my supply to keep up with my little guy. He’s 3 weeks and almost 11 lbs, started at 8 13. I just started fenugreek and I really feel like I am Goldilocks with the flanges. I am using 28s (spectra pump) but have tried 24 and 32. I struggle with clogs on the right side but I pump every 2-3 hours day and night. Any advice for a gal who really wants to make it to the 8 week mark?!
Congrats on your baby Becki! A few ideas:
* maybe try lecithin for the clogs?
* You could try pumpin pals if you want to keep looking for a flange that fits. Maybe coconut oil would help with 28s work better for you?
* I would try to go 4 hours once at night if you can so that you can get through one full sleep cycle and stay sane. Obviously the baby might get in the way of that, but if you can make it happen it will really help!
I hope that helps let me know if you have any questions!
I find that lying on one side or holding my baby against that side causes clogged ducts.
My daughter is 5 months old and I’m exclusively pumping. I went from 6 to 5 pumps a day at 3 months and I’ve heard/been told that you should wait until 6 months to drop down to 4 pumps. I’m consistently producing what my baby eats…more often than not a little extra as well. My pump times are currently 6:30 / 10:30 / 2:30 / 6:30 / 10/10:30. I would like to drop the 6:30 pm pump now, if it’s okay not to wait until 6 months. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Hi Danielle! There’s no hard and fast rule that’s true for everyone, so I wouldn’t worry about that 6 months / 4 pumping sessions “rule”. It’s more about your tolerance for risk and weighing how annoying the 6:30 session is (that’s a rough time for sure) versus the risk of losing supply. Anything can happen when you drop a session – your supply could drop, stay the same, or go up – and there is no way to know ahead of time which group you’ll fall into. You can always try it and keep a close eye on supply and add it back in as necessary? Good luck!