Are you wondering how much milk you should be pumping? Here’s what influences the amount you pump, what is a typical quantity to pump, and how to know how much you should aim for.
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“How Much Milk Should I Be Pumping?”
I do a weekly Q&A on instagram, and this question almost always gets asked. I understand why people ask it, but I really struggle with it. I know you want a clear answer, something like: you should be pumping 3oz in each pumping session.
But this simple answer doesn’t exist.
Milk supply has a wide range of normal and depends on a few variables (we’ll talk more about these in a minute).
I’ll try to explain using an example.
Ann’s baby, Amelia, takes about 25oz of milk per day. Ann pumps eight times a day, getting an average of 4oz each time, for 32oz per day.
Bella’s baby, Beatrice, eats 32oz of milk per day. Bella pumps about 5oz, five times per day, for a total of 25oz per day.
Both of these are normal amounts for a baby to take and for a mom to pump. But one mom is an oversupplier, and the other is an undersupplier.
So what you want to focus on is NOT an arbitrary number, like 3oz each pumping session, but rather how much you are pumping relative to what your baby needs. Ideally, you want to pump about as much as your baby takes, plus a little extra cushion.
I know that you probably still just want some numbers. I’ll give you some typical amounts, but first, let’s go through four things that will impact how much you pump.
The Amount of Breastmilk You Pump Depends on These Things
Many women are concerned that their milk supply might be low if they don’t pump as much as they’d like. However, there are other factors that can come into play.
1. Are you pumping after nursing, or just pumping?
If you are pumping after nursing your baby (to build a freezer stash, or to increase your milk supply), then you should expect to pump LESS than you would if you are exclusively pumping or if you are replacing a nursing session with a pumping session.
Because your baby will already have removed some or most of the milk you have in your breasts, there will be less milk available for you to pump.
2. How your body responds to the pump
You might have heard that a breast pump will never be as effective as a baby at removing milk, so you shouldn’t judge your milk supply by the amount you pump.
While I don’t think this is true for ALL women – I had a bigger supply with the baby I exclusively pumped for than the two that I nursed – it is definitely true for some. Some women do not seem to respond well to a breast pump – they have hard time getting their milk to letdown, and the pump doesn’t remove milk as well.
These women will tend to PUMP less milk than they HAVE, because their breast pump isn’t effective in getting it out.
(If this is an issue for you, I suggest trying hand expression or a manual pump and see if that works better for you. Also, I would see if any of these strategies for getting a letdown are helpful.)
3. Age of your baby
The age of your baby/how many weeks you are postpartum can play a role in how much milk you pump as well.
Here are some timeframes regarding breastmilk production to keep in mind:
- Immediately after birth, your body will produce colostrum until your milk comes in. Colostrum can be sometimes be difficult to pump because of its thickness; also, because babies don’t need very much colostrum, your breasts produce comparatively little.
- After 2-5 days, your milk should come in, and you’ll produce more breastmilk.
- After about one month of age, the total amount of breastmilk that babies take in tends to stabilize and stay the about the same until they start solids (excluding growth spurts).
- Sometime in the first 12 weeks of breastfeeding (usually somewhere between 3-12 weeks postpartum), your milk supply will regulate. This means that your supply is more influenced by the demand (from your baby or your breast pump) than by your hormones. More on this here.
What does this mean for how much you should expect to pump?
- You should expect to pump relatively little until your milk comes in
- The amount you pump in the weeks after your milk comes in may change as your milk supply regulates (and, if you are nursing, as your baby begins to take more milk)
- After 1-3 months, the amount you pump should level out and stabilize
4. Your milk supply
Finally, and obviously, the amount of milk that you are producing will also affect the amount that you might pump.
If you’re struggling with milk supply, here are some strategies that might help.
Just Give Me the Numbers
Most babies take somewhere between 20-40 oz of breast milk per day, which is also typical breastmilk production. (Though some moms make more and some make less, and both are normal.)
How much you might expect to get in a pumping session would be that range divided by the number of times you’re feeding and pumping per day.
So say you exclusively pump, and you pump 10 times per day. You might expect to get 2-4oz each time.
Note that this is an rough estimate, and also that the amounts you get over the course of a day will not be consistent. You might get 5oz in your first session of the day, 4oz in the second, and then 2-3oz for the rest of the day.
This gets even messier as a way to estimate when you consider nursing. For example, if your baby just nursed and you pump right afterwards, you probably won’t get a full feeding, or 2-4oz. In this scenario, you might get closer to 1/4-1/2 of a feeding, or 1-2 oz.
So there is really no simple way to say exactly much you should expect to pump. But hopefully, this gives you a general idea.
Finally, I just wanted to say – it doesn’t matter how much other people are pumping or what the experts say you “should” pump. You are doing the best you can, and you are doing a great job.
Let me know if you have any questions about how much you should be pumping in the comments!
Stressed about establishing or increasing your milk supply while exclusively pumping? Always worried there is something else you should be trying? Check out my milk supply guide here (use code SUPPLY for 10% off)!
References- Bonyata, Kelly. “Growth sprurts.” https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/growth-spurts/
Hey there! I have a baby who was born at 27 weeks. He is almost three weeks old. At first, I was pumping and getting so much milk! But it seems my supply has gone down in the last couple days. In 15 minutes, each breast is getting 1.5-2.5 ounces out. This is every 2-3 hours. It was more like 3-5 ounces. Is my milk supply going down or just regulating? I cannot lose this ability. I feel it’s the biggest thing I do to help my baby since it’s all I can really do. I want to breastfeed by the time his stomach and sucking habits have developed. What do you suggest to keep a good flow going?
Hi Mary! congrats on your sweet baby! I’m wondering if maybe your supply regulated a bit early? I’ll put some links below that might be helpful for understanding that and what to do next.
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hope this helps!
I’ve been exclusively pumping since my son was born 5 weeks ago. He takes anywhere from 4-6oz Each feeding and he feeds about every 2.5-3 hours. When I pump I only use the double elvie pumps. I pump about every 3-4 hours so about 7x a day. I only pump until the bottles are full (they say 5oz but more like 4oz once in a bottle) it takes about 10 min and I get about 8-9oz total. So it’s enough to feed my son and have a little extra but I don’t think I’m necessarily emptying my breasts…. is this a bad thing that I’m only pumping until the containers are full? I think I have an oversupply but I’ve cut down on number of pumps and only pump for the 10 min (until the 5oz containers are full) and have enough milk for him. I also have enough leftover that I have a freezer stash.
Hi Mackenzie! It’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think that your supply will regulate down over the next few weeks (as late as 12 weeks) to what you’re pumping now. If that’s what you’d like, then I think that’s fine.
Hi Amanda,
My baby is 4 months old and I just started working. While I was home I was pumping and nursing every 2 hours. At around 3 months, we were feeding him 6 oz’s before bedtime, which lasted him a good chunk of time stretching the night feeding. Now that I am back at work, I tried a reduced pumping schedule (actually referencing one of your articles with a sample schedule, which was very helpful in managing my time at work!). However, I noticed that my supply decreased substantially. For example, during the night stretch of 5 hours, I would pump around 10 oz’s. Now, I pump 5oz’s. I am concerned, because my baby now eats approximately 30-36 oz’s and my supply is not sufficient after just one week. Our pediatrician recommended not to start solid foods until at least 5 months, which makes underproduction stressful. I am now trying to go back to my original schedule of pumping every 2 hours during the day and, of course, including power-pumping sessions 2-3 times a week. Do you think this will help? Would you recommend anything else to help with increasing my supply?
Hi Lina! I think it’s possible that maybe your supply regulated? But yes, I think that’s a good plan. I would try adding oatmeal in too. Good luck!!
Hi! Thank you so much for the information and the encouragement.
My baby is 9 days old and we are still in the NICU as she was 4 weeks early.
I was unable to breastfeed the first few days as she had to wear a CPAP machine 🙁
I feel like perhaps I am a late bloomer or low producer.
My baby latches beautifully and, once she is awake, drinks like a champ.
I feed and pump every 3 hours, pumping directly after I breastfeed. For pumping, I have ranges from 7 MLs to 20 MLs. Sometimes as low as 5!
I am working with a lactation consultant in the NICU but I’m worried I’m a low producer.
Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. My goal is to exclusively breast feed.
Thank you!
Hi Britt! It sounds like you are doing a great job. Congrats on your baby! Are you doing weighted feeds when she nurses? Does she seem satisfied or are you bottle feeding as well?
Hi Amanda. Would really appreciate if you could advice. Currently i’m pumping every 3 hours for about 35 minutes per session. I’m exclusive pumping. Is it ok to drop the session to 15 minutes instead but keep it more frequent in 2 hours gap only? Thank you amanda your post really helps me.
Hi Tika! YEs, I think that would be fine. Usually I would say to keep the total pumping time in a day the same but you are pumping so much I think that what you suggest should work (though anything can happen when you change the schedule around)! Good luck!
My baby is 8 weeks old. I use to exclusively pump but but noe I pump 5 times and feed him 4 times during the day and at night i breast feed him. The gap between last pumping session and nursing is between 5 to 6 hours. During nursing he doesnt take from both breast or even if he did, he doesnt empty it. Next two sessions are like that too. Also my supply is more as i pump more session. My concern is with this schedule at night and long gap between pumping and nursing and breast not getting empty completely, will my supply go down?
Hi Pooja! It’s impossible to know how much he’s getting, but I think it’s probably okay. You could maybe use a manual pump for a few minutes after nursing if you’re worried?
Hi Amanda! Thanks for the great information! My baby boy is 2 weeks old and has been doing great with the breastfeeding. A few days ago my husband started giving him a bottle of pumped breast milk at nighttime so that I can sleep longer. I’ve sleeping for about 5-7 hours at the longest at one time, but last night my husband let me sleep 10 hours! It was amazing but I’m worried about affecting my supply if I go that long or even the 5-7 hours. My supply so far has been good. I pump about 3-4oz within 5-10 minutes of pumping and that’s after nursing. If anything, I have extra milk stored up now. I guess my question is how long can I go without breastfeeding or pumping without affecting my milk supply? I know he’s still young and that once he’s older and my supply is established I’ll be able to go longer.
Hi Lucy! I think the 5-7 hours are okay for now but wouldn’t do longer than that until around 3 months. Hope that helps!
Hi , I have a 3 week old , I have trouble with latching because I have flat inverted nipples and I got the nipple shields but they hurt so bad for the first minute to nurse , I have mainly been pumping I can see my supply has came up a little bit because she is now drinking 2 1/2-3 oz per feed every 2-3 hours , it has just got to the point where that is all I pump per session , I would like to increase my supply so I can freeze for when I go back to work , I don’t go back until April , I have made the lactation cookies , drink penalty of water eat oatmeal every morning , I was drinking mother milk tea but I notice it didn’t help at all of anything it made it worst , but I read online that some women might not get the effects from the fenugreek like other? So I stopped drinking it I only drank it 3 times, I have 2 medela electric pump , haakaa and a Manuel , anything will help me I’m not sure if I’m doing this right or not , she has been exclusively breast milk since we left the hospital , I started pumping right when I went into my recovery room every 3 hours and I was getting milk from what the lactation consultant told me I was getting about a oz before I left the hospital , also I read that your milk doesn’t fully regulate until week 3-5 thank you!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for all the information, it’s so so helpful!
have a 16 weeks old baby and I’m exclusively pumping since almost a month and I still struggle to find my schedule. I pump for 15 minutes each side and I get a total of 150ml per session (my baby normally drinks 120-130) so I always have extra.
I’m currently pumping every four hours but there are days where my breasts will be really full/hard and clogged before the three hours and others when they will be soft and with no clogs before getting to the next session – in both cases I will still get the same amount of milk out of the session.
This changes every two days approx so I am not sure how to regulate my milk supply as my son is already over the 12 weeks but I think I’m still producing based on hormones?
Thank you
Clara
Hi Clara! Congrats on your baby and your supply – that’s awesome!
I’m not really sure what’s behind these fluctuations, but I don’t think there is anything you need to be doing different (or that could help things be more consistent). I would just roll with it. Congrats again!
Hi Amanda, I have a 2 week old baby boy. He takes around 2oz per session and i exclusively pump coz he doesn’t latch on. I am able to pump only 2-3 oz combined per session. Is it enough or do I have a low milk supply.. I am concerned because my milk doesn’t increase. I pump nearly 8 times a day. I do take lactation granules and drink nearly a litre of milk a day. I try to stay hyderated and i eat healthy. I just need to increase my supply. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much
Hi Rina! It seems like you are pumping more than your baby takes, which is awesome! You could try power pumping and/or eating oatmeal?
https://exclusivepumping.com/power-pumping/
Hello! I have a 12 day old and I started pumping because he wasn’t latching for long and after he would he would scream for more but wouldn’t continue to latch. The doctor suggested we supplement w formula. I am pumping every 3 hrs but not getting more than 1/2oz total after pumping on both. Some days I’ll get close to 1 oz but it’s infrequent. I am taking herbal supplements, staying well hydrated and watching my caloric intake and eating all the suggested foods. I’m getting sad and anxious that I won’t be able to keep up with his needs. He is already drinking 2-2-.5oz daily. Any tips would be great. Should I expect this to gradually improve since it’s not even 2 weeks postmpartum?
Hi Chrystal! Congrats on your new baby! It sounds like you are doing all of the right things, and I’m kind of wondering if maybe your body isn’t responding well to the breast pump. I would try a few things first – first, see if adding hand expression in to your routine helps. The other thing I would try is a manual pump – sometimes people who don’t respond as well to electric pumps have better luck with a manual one. You are doing a GREAT job!
https://exclusivepumping.com/hand-expression/
Hello, I think I am an oversupplier. I keep my pumping sessions to 10-15mins per side. One side produces significantly less than the other, which I am fine with. My question is, even at the 15min mark, the side that produces more milk continues to squirt milk with each suction. Should I just stop (I think it can go on forever if it really wanted to)? Does the quality of my milk decrease as an oversupplier (I.e. less fatty hind milk) I’m afraid of oversupplying so rather than pumping each time my baby gets a bottle, I am contemplating reducing it down to 5 sessions per day.
Hi Angel, it’s fine to stop at the end of 15 minutes. 🙂 The only time I would say keep going is if it took your milk a long time to let down and it just started spraying. But based on what you describe, I think it’s okay to stop.
Hi, I am definitely an over supplier…..I am pumping exclusively, and can pump up to 28oz in a single session. I currently pump 6x a day, my son is 10 weeks old, and I have 3000oz of frozen milk. I used to pump 9x a day, and even dropping to 6, I still produce the same amount, just more milk less often. I am running out of room in my 3rd freezer, I cannot stop eating due to hunger, and I can’t pump less often than I am now because I leak like a faucet. What advice do you have? Thank you.
Hi Jess, when you dropped from 9 to 6 sessions, did you make the sessions longer (i.e., keep the same total pumping time in a day)?
I never pump for more than 15 minutes. I am now 14 weeks PP and have 4000+ ounces of milk frozen, and only pump 4 times/day.
Hello Amanda, thank you very much for the helpful post. I have a very sleepy 2 month old who is struggling to gain weight. She was 3.4kg at birth and at 8 weeks was only 4.28kg. She’s only gained about 800g in 8 weeks. I was exclusively breastfeeding her before now but I started pumping and bottle feeding her the milk instead because she always sleeps on the breasts (I still nurse her with breast compressions but it’s really hard to get her to drink and not sleep). I currently pump for about 6 times a day and try to get as much as 120mL (4oz) per session, sometimes less though, about 100mL. My question is how much should she be drinking to catch up? It’s hard for me to know how much she needs and not to overfeed or underfeed her. Google is not helping that much too. Please help!
Sorry for the long story!
Hi Bukky! I wouldn’t worry too much about overfeeding her. I would just give her however much she wants (maybe start with 3-4 oz in a bottle, and adjust up or down depending on her appetite). If she’s taking less than 20 oz in a day, I would bring it up with your pediatrician. Hope this helps!
Hi Amanda, my baby is currently 6 weeks old and I’m pumping every 3 hours and I get nearly 6-7 ozs combined. Is that ok? Or is it considered as oversupply. I sometimes nurse and bottle feed the baby as I get sore nipples from breastfeeding. Please advise. Thank you so much.
Hi Valerie! It does sound like oversupply, but I wouldn’t worry about it at this point. I just wouldn’t pump AFTER nursing – if you’re replacing nursing with a pumping session, I would just keep doing what you’re doing for now. Congrats on your baby!
I have a 3 week old newborn who was born 1 month premature. I had intended to exclusively breastfeed but my milk has not come in fully when he was born and we needed to supplement due to low blood sugar. To make sure he is getting enough, we mix half and half. I’m worried I am not producing and pumping enough. I pump most 2.5 Oz in the morning and maybe an Oz or so during my daytime pumping. What can I do to increase the amount? Should I try pumping more often during the day? I would really like to stop using formula. I’ve done the cookies and teas. Worried my milk will dry out if I don’t continue working at it the right way.
Hi Chelsea! Can you tell me what your pumping schedule looks like now? Thanks!
Hi. My baby is a month old. He tends to fall asleep while breastfeeding which can take forever! I pump and then give to him the fresh expressed milk in a bottle. He takes 3onz. After he is done I usually try to pump a little more, but I find myself pumping up to 6 onz in 10 mins!!! Is this is ok?
Sometimes during night I just pump what he needs and give it to him, and don’t pump extra because I am too tired. Any advice? Thanks!!!
Hi Ziara! Congrats on your sweet newborn! I think if you are primarily nursing, pumping the extra 6oz *could* contribute to an oversupply. Do you nurse the rest of the time or do a mix?
My baby just turned one month. She was in the NICU for a week and a half. She eats 4.5 oz every 4 hours. She will latch but gets frustrated and gives up about ten minutes in so I’m exclusively pumping. I pump every 2 hours and 3-4 at night. It took me 3 days for colostrum to come in. I am still only producing 2 oz per session. I am taking fenugreek and sunoil and power pumping 1-2 times a day. How much should I be producing and what else can I do to increase my supply?
Hi Amanda, thank you for the information that you have on your website. It has helped mothers like me a lot. I have given birth to boy-girl twins about 2 months ago at 35 weeks gestation. my milk supply unfortunatly did not kick in even after several days of pumping. I gave up for 2 weeks and now I am starting again to relactate. How many days should I pump before I start seeing results . Right now I am able to pump only 5 times a day for 25 mins each and get 1 oz only after each session both breats combined. I am taking all herbal supplements that could help. I don’t know what else to do . I am on day 5 on my relactation journey. I have a 2 year old and hence not able to keep up with 8 pumping sessions but instead doing only 5. Please advise. And thank you for all your help and support.
Hi AJ! I would give it at least 2 weeks. You’re doing great!
Hi my baby is 16 days old. She has latching problem. Also sleeps in between nursing. So exclusively I pump for 3 to 4 times a day for 15 to 17 mins each session. My baby consumes 80 to 90 ml every 3 hrs. I’m able to pump 160 to 180 ml per pumping session. In between if the baby needs I nurse her with a nipple shield. Should I change my pumping schedule? Also I have a leaking nipple if I lie pressing my breast or after a hot shower.
Hi Thari! Do you know if your baby is taking milk when you nurse? If so, I think that’s great! If she’s not taking milk, I would consider pumping a bit more – the goal for exclusive pumpers is 120 minutes per day.
The leaking should be better over time!
Hi,
I couldn’t get my baby to latch so I’m pumping exclusively, my baby is 3 weeks old. I’m pumping 7 times a day (for 20 minutes and 2 power pumps) and I’m only getting 13-16 ounces of milk so I’m having to supplement. Is this normal? Can I still expect my milk production to increase?
Thanks!
Hi Shirley! Congrats on your baby! It sounds like you have a great pumping schedule. Have you tried any methods of increasing supply other than power pumping (like supplements, etc.)? I think your supply can increase but you may have to try a few different things.
Thanks for your reply Amanda!
I’m already taking domperidone and drinking fenugreek and mothers milk tea, is there anything else you recommend?
I would also try eating oatmeal!
My baby is in the NICU so I exclusively pump. We are 9 day postpartum and I’m only getting ~1oz Combined per pumping session (every 2-3 hours). The milk doesn’t squirt or spray out, but rather comes out in small drops.
Right now she is on 56mL (just under 2oz) feeds every three hours.
How do I adjust my pump to get the sprays of milk, and should I be worried about my supply?
Hi Rachael! Do you feel like you’re not getting a letdown maybe? Do your breasts feel hard at all when you’re done pumping or are they pretty soft and empty? Congrats on your newborn!
I’m a first time mom and exclusively pumping for my son. He is almost 5 weeks, and I’m pumping about 7 times a day. My breasts are very tender and sore and I feel like my day is just constantly worrying about getting my pumping sessions in. I’m wondering when I will be able to cut down my sessions (even if it means pumping longer than usual). I do 15-20 mins every 3 hrs. I’ve also officially froze my 55th bag of breast milk today! My goal is to pump for a total of 6 months and have enough freezer milk to last the next 6 months.. Is this a realistic goal?
Hi Laura! Congrats on your new baby! I think in the next few weeks you can go down to six sessions – but your breasts shouldn’t hurt. Is is possible that you don’t have the right size flanges? Or maybe using some kind of lubricant would help? Let me know if you need help, because pumping shouldn’t hurt. I do think your goals are very realistic! 🙂
I always see the idea of pumping after nursing, but what I can never find is how soon after. Should I wait 10 minutes? An hour? Pump directly after nursing?
I usually waited about 30 minutes. Long enough to get baby situated after feeding (i.e. down for a nap or whatever) and get all your pump stuff together. 🙂