When you’re exclusively pumping, it’s important to make and stick to a pumping schedule in order to maximize your milk supply and minimize issues like clogged ducts. Here are some sample pumping schedules that you can tweak to fit your life.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More info here.
(Not an exclusive pumper? These posts on pumping schedules at work or combining nursing and pumping might be helpful for you instead.)
Before I give you some sample exclusive pumping schedule, here’s what to consider when putting yours together.
How often should you pump when you are exclusively pumping?
This depends on a few different things:
- Your baby’s age. When you have a newborn, you may be pumping as frequently as every 2 to 3 hours; as your baby gets older, you may not need to pump as often.
- How long you plan to pump. Pumping more may help protect your milk supply long-term, so you may want to be more conservative when dropping sessions if you plan to pump for a year or more.
- Your milk supply. Pumping more frequently may be beneficial to milk supply.
If you have a newborn baby, aim for seven to ten pumping sessions per day.
Then, after the newborn phase, you may be able drop some pumping sessions. (You will be able to see examples of how often I pumped at different ages in the sample schedules below.)
How long should you pump?
Most exclusive pumpers should aim for a minimum of 120 minutes pumping per day, unless they are weaning.
So just divide 120 by the number of pumping sessions you have, and set that as your goal.
Note: Some people prefer to pump for more than 120 minutes per day, and that’s fine. Also, some people find they are able to maintain their milk supply long-term pumping less than 120 minutes. Everyone is different, so just take this into account as a general guideline, and go from there.
If you find that you still have a lot of milk in your breasts when your pumping time is up, here are some things that might help you pump faster.
How long of a break should you have between pumping sessions at night?
Pumping in the middle of the night can be important for establishing your milk supply, especially when your baby is a newborn.
In the newborn stage, I would aim for one or two sessions at night.
I did two from birth to about eight weeks, then transitioned to one from 8-12 weeks. Then at 12 weeks, I went back to work and stopped pumping at night.
(More info on dropping middle of the night pumping sessions here.)
What type of pumping schedule should you have?
There are a few different ways you can structure your exclusive pumping schedule:
- A set schedule where you pump at the same time every day
- An “every x hours” schedule, where you mark your next time pumping from your last pump time
- A schedule where you pump whenever baby eats
Different set-ups might work for you at different times in your pumping journey.
I found that a schedule of pumping when baby ate was easiest for me in the newborn phase, when life was so unpredictable, but a set schedule was better once I’d gone back to work.
This article contains examples of set pumping schedules, but any of these ways of doing it are fine as long you get the sessions and pumping time in! Do whatever works best for you.
Sample pumping schedules with a newborn
I usually recommend aiming for eight or nine pumping sessions in this stage, with seven as the lower limit and ten as the upper limit (as noted above).
With less than seven sessions, it may be difficult to establish your milk supply. With more than ten, you may get overwhelmed and burn out. However, these are just guidelines to keep in mind – everyone is different.
Below is a sample pumping schedule with eight pumping sessions in 24 hours:
7am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am
A schedule like this will give you three and a half straight hours of sleep (from about 12:30am-4am, once you’ve finished pumping). These times can obviously be adjusted however you like.
Below is a sample pumping schedule with ten sessions in 24 hours:
7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 12am, 3am, 5am
This schedule will give you four and a half straight hours of sleep (from 7:30pm-12am), with the added benefit that if you have a partner he or she can care for the baby during this time before going to bed themselves.
(More information about how often and how long to pump for a newborn here.)
Sample pumping schedules with an older baby
Below are some sample pumping schedules for older babies. These aren’t rocket science, and you can adjust them to a schedule that fits your needs; I’m just including them as an example of worked for me as my baby got older.
(Note: As you drop pumping sessions, in order to maintain your milk supply, you should increase the amount of time that you pump in each session so that your total pumping time per day stays the same. Again, you may want to refer to the 120 minute rule.)
Six pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 3-4 months):
6am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm
Five pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 4-6 months):
6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 10pm
Four pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 6-11 months):
6am, 10am, 2pm, 10pm
Three pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 11-12 months):
6am, 2pm, 10pm
Two pumping sessions in 24 hours (I used this from 12-14 months):
6am, 7pm
How important is sticking to a pumping schedule?
Sticking to a pumping schedule can be a challenge – as the parent of an infant, you are likely sleep deprived and busy, so it’s easy to forget to pump.
At the same time, if you frequently miss a pumping session, it could lead to decreased milk supply.
This is because breastfeeding supply (the amount of milk that you produce) is driven by demand (how much milk you remove). If you skip sessions frequently, you’ll be consistently removing less milk, thus decreasing demand.
Leaving milk in your breasts longer than usual can also sometimes result in a clogged duct or mastitis.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to try to stick to your schedule if you can. However, if you do need to miss a pumping session, you can try to do a make up session later than day or add the missed time to one of your later sessions.
(Want to download this information so you can refer back later? Sign up below and you’ll get an email with these sample pumping schedules in your inbox!)
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.
- KidsHealth. “Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often?” https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breastfeed-often.html
Comments & Chitchat
Hello!
I am currently exclusively pumping, been doing it since birth. I pump every 3 hrs, 8pumps/24hrs. He is currently 2 months old. I will be returning back to work when he is 3 months. I plan to drop a pump session or two but was wondering when would be a good time to do so? Thanks!
I think you could do 1 now, and 1 when you go back to work, unless undersupply is a concern?
Nope. I think I have a decent amt stashed in the freezer (about 200 bags,6oz each). I’m pumping 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, 1am, and 4am. I’d like to drop the 4am feeding but unsure how to time the schedule so that I don’t get clogs. I’m currently taking sunflower lethicin. Any suggestions?? Thnx
I would slowly drop the 1am and move the 4am up to 3am.
Hi so I’m exclusively pumping for my month old son. He stopped latching the moment we came home from the hospital since I was so engorged and he ended up with congestion and still is congested. I pump about 8-10 times a day for 20min at the moment I’m making between 37-44oz a day. I would like to keep my supply up but eventually would like to lessen the amount I pump. When would be a good time to drop pump sessions without it affecting my supply?
Hi! I think you could go down to 7-8 now and 6-7 in 4-6 weeks. 🙂
What do you recommend for a 7 pump schedule for my 2 month baby?
Hi Carolin! I would do something similar to the 8 pump schedule – something like 7am, 11am, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am – here I dropped the 12pm and moved the 10am back to 11am. But you can obviously adjust to meet your needs. 🙂
Will nursing him in addition to EPing cause an oversupply? I don’t want that to be the cause of more clogged ducts.
Hi Ann – are you talking about comfort nursing, or mixing nursing and pumping (not really EPing)? If it’s the former, it shouldn’t be a problem. If the latter, you’d replace the pumping sessions with nursing sessions.
I’m EPing, and we are at 7 weeks pp. I do 8 pumping sessions a day, but I’ve been getting recurrent plugged ducts. It’s been as bad as 6 different ones in a 48 hour period. I’ve been able to get them out with warm compress hot showers and vigorous massage. However I feel that the only way to prevent or get them out is by having the baby nurse. Will this cause me to have an oversupply? I don’t want that to be an issue. Am I getting them because I’m EPing. I’ve looked at all the other possible causes and can’t pinpoint one that could be the culprit. I’m getting desperate not to get them anymore.
Hi Ann! That sounds awful, so sorry! Have you tried lecithin? It might help. Also totally fine to have the baby nurse to get them out. More ideas:
https://exclusivepumping.com/clogged-ducts/
Hi, with the 6x pump schedule, did you ever get blocked milk ducts from 10pm – 6am gap?
Thank you.
Hi Catherine! I got one blocked duct during my pumping “career” (actually a few more with the babies I nursed than the one I EPed for) and I believe it was later on when I was down to 4 pumps per day. Everyone is different, but that was my experience. Hope that helps!
Another thing to think about… It’s worth switching out your rubber/silicone pump parts to see if that helps. I have a Spectra and the duckbill valves it came with were hard to pull off – I was pulling by the triangular part and that wore them out fast. The replacement parts I found on eBay are better – there’s space at the top of the duckbill valve so it’s easier to get your fingers in there to pull it off. There are guides online to let you know how often you should switch them out. I found my supply slowly dropping over time and once I realized it was the pump parts and replaced them it took a while to get back to where I had been. Also, maybe work in an extra pump in the morning when your supply is highest to give it a boost? Good luck!
Hi,
Thank you so much for this post. There aren’t a lot of resources for exclusive pumping.
My baby is 3.5 weeks old, and I have been exclusive pumping since day 1. I pump every 3 hours (8 times a day) for 20min. I have been getting about 2.5 – 3 oz total, which used to be fine. Now that baby is eating more, however, I can’t keep up (as supply has not increased) and am having to start supplementing with formula.
I developed mastitis in the right breast and now never get more than about 3/4 of an ounce from that breast.
I am taking fenugreek and “let there be milk” drops and have tried a couple “power pumping” sessions of 10min on 10min off. I have also been trying heat compresses and massage before pumping.
I’m not sure what else (if anything) can be done. Overall, this has been one of the more frustrating things I have ever done. I’m feeling so disappointed and discouraged.
Hi Katherine! You are doing all of the right things! I’m sorry you’re frustrated – you are doing a GREAT job!
What dose of fenugreek are you taking? Oatmeal might also help a bit.
Is 4 months to early to drop down to 4 pumps per day? I have an oversupply and am not worried about loosing some of my supply (if that were to happen) but I don’t want it to impact my supply long term.
I am currently at 5 pumps right now but finding it a little hard to manage being back at work.
Hi Jacqueline! It depends on your goals – if you want to go to 6 months then definitely, if you want to go for a year, it’s a judgement call. The big risk is getting your period back earlier and that having an effect on your supply. If you decide to go for it, make sure to up the length of your remaining four sessions! Good luck!
Hi there. Question for you about the 6 sessions per day schedule—the idea of going all night without pumping sounds great but do I need to worry about clogged ducts for going that long without pumping? (Ive had them in the past though not entirely clear on the cause.)
Should I ease into a schedule like that? Currently I’m doing 6-7 pumps per day but not going more than 5 hours usually.
Thanks!
Abbey
Hi Abbey! Yes, I would ease into that schedule. This can help with how to do that and minimize the risk of clogged ducts:
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Good luck!
Hi there! Just curious your thoughts on my ability to drop to about 7 ppd at this time. I’m about 6-7 wpp and was originally pumping 8ppd and getting 70-80 ounces pretty consistently. I like in an apartment so I will run out of space to store the extra very soon (already have 1000+ ounces stored). For my sanity and a little extra sleep ovetnight, would you say it’s safe to drop to 7ppd? I mean even if i drop some, I should still have plenty for baby right? Like I shouldn’t drop to only like 30 ounces if I do that ans still pump to empty? Just wondering as I want to start getting on a schedule i may be able to better maintain when i return to work at 9 wpp. Also how long do you think I could space out the over night pumps for sleep without getting a clogged duct?
Thanks for any advice you have!
Hi! Yes, I would go for it, you should be fine. Just add the time from the session you’re dropping back to the other 7. 🙂
For the spacing overnight, how long are you currently going?
I’ve actually been pumping 20 min unless I get an additional let down near the end. Do I still need to increase the time? Sorry for all of the questions and thanks so much for your expertise!
Thanks! Do I need to add the session to the day time or am I ok to stick to 7 sessions? Sorry it won’t let me reply directly to your response.
I think you could either stick to 7 and add the time from the eighth session to those 7 pumps (so if you were pumping for 8 times a day 15 minutes each, you’d add two minutes to each of the seven remaining sessions) or move the 8th to the day. Either should work. 🙂
I am 8 weeks post partum and have finally been pumping 28 ounces for the past two weeks pumping 8 times per day. My baby is eating 31 ounces and I need to increase supply still. Power pumping works but my nipples are too tender to do that now. Have I been at 28 ounces long enough to try cutting out one of my two night sessions and still able to work to increase supply? I’m exhausted and desperate for more sleep but still want to be able to increase supply. Thanks for your input!
I think at 8 weeks you should be good with one night session. Obviously no guarantees and anything can happen, but you never know, the extra sleep might help. Good luck!
Thank you so much for this post – it’s hard to find such good info about pumping!
My question is simple but I wanted to provide some background as I’m in a bit of a special situation:
My daughter is just about 9mo and I’ve been doing a combo of breastfeeding and pumping since pretty early on, as she had a lip and tongue tie and I have vasospasm/Reynaud’s of the nipple. We had her ties revised and I’m now able to nurse twice in the morning, but later in the day is tough even when I know I have plenty of milk. I think my daughter gets frustrated by my slower letdown then plus she’s tired so more fussy. I’ve tried a few times to BF around the clock (5-6 times between 5am and 7pm) but I always end up throbbing in pain.
I’m grateful for a wonderful IBCLC who diagnosed the ties and set us up well to keep my daughter fed and happy and to maintain my supply with pumping for so long…but am looking forward to pumping less.
I’m currently nursing twice in the morning, around 5am and 8am, and have been pumping 3x a day past this for a while (11am / 4pm / 9pm). I’m making about a bottle per day beyond what my daughter needs and I’m getting sick of pumping so would like to drop one of them. Do you think nursing twice in the morning then pumping at 2pm and 9pm is a good schedule? I’m on day 2 trying this out and am somewhat uncomfortable for a few hours before each pump.
Thank you for everything!
Hi Claire! I do think that would work. I think the discomfort will lessen over the next few days as your body adjusts, but if you need to you can pump for a just a few minutes to take the pressure off. The one thing I would recommend is keeping your pumping time the same – so if each of your three pumping sessions were 20 minutes, I would make the two that you have left 30 minutes (if possible, I know this can be hard). That will help keep your supply up. Let me know if you have any questions!
Hi Amanda thanks for replying..5th month is running for my son now I’m in 5 session per day I’m producing 42oz per day , because of time issue I couldn’t able make 5 sessions I was only able to attend 3 session though I reduce the pumping session I was producing the same.but I heard I shouldn’t reduce it will affect the supply in future now I’m back to 5 sessions per day..I want my supply for 1 year if quantity of milk decreaed that’s ok . If I follow ur schedule is 3 to 6 months (6 sessions ) and 6 to 11 months (4 session) can I keep up for 12 months please suggest
I think that will work!
Hi Amanda could you please tell me the quantity of milk you were getting in first month to till end..starts from 8 times session to 1 time session..
Hi! I started at 35oz, dropped to 24oz when my supply regulated (around 3 weeks? a month?), gradually up to 50 oz (I used fenugreek and stuck to my pumping schedule religiously). I believe 50 oz was when I was at 4 pumping sessions per day, and it started declining after that. At 4 sessions I was at about 45oz, 35oz at 3, 20oz at 2 and 10 at 1. Hope this helps!
I already pump 20minutes each session. Should I pump 25 when I cut back to that?
I would start with that and see how you feel after a few days. If you are getting letdowns between 20-25 minutes, I would keep that extra 5 minutes. If you’re not getting more milk and feel like it’s not necessary, 20 is fine.
My Little one is only 6 weeks old. I have just now stayed on a consistent pumping schedule with 9 pumps for about a week. I plan to supply breast milk until she can drink cows milk at a year old. I’m supplementing at night, but hope to cut that’s back to just one formula bottle(maybe even exclusive BM again with a little extra). I want to build a freezer supply that can be alternated and used in the case of an emergency. After I reach my goal of 30oz, I plan to cut out that killer 2AM pump. Then between 10-12weeks cutting back another night pump. From 3-5 months I’ll pump 7 times. From 5-7 months I plan to pump 6. After this point I want to gradually cut back a pump every every two months or so. I noticed that you’re sample schedules didn’t go past 8hours between pumps until after a year. Is there a reason for that? At 5-7 months I was contemplating a night stretch from 9:30PM after my 9 pump to 6AM. Could I start stretching that far or should I keep 8hour stretches as a rule of thumb? I was contemplating even a 8PM pump to a 6AM pump for after 7 months.
Hi Melissa! I think 8PM to 6AM is fine. 🙂 You might want to make the 6AM a slightly longer session because you’ll have more milk to pump. Good luck!
Hi Amanda, Your website has been so useful to me, thank you!
Im just starting the 5 pumps in 24hrs routine and I notice you have 3 pumps pretty close together in the morning and then a large gap from 3pm-10pm and then not pumping again until 6am. Is there a reason for these timings? Can i spread it out more as long as I do 5 in a day or is it important to have the 3 very close together ones in the morning and then more spread out later in the day. I just dont want to kill my supply!
Hi Leila! That’s just because that’s what worked for me with my schedule at the time. You can space them differently! 🙂
Hi!
Thanks for your awesome blog. It’s been a great resource for me while on my EP’ing journey. I pump every 3-4 hours so I get 6-7 pumps in per day. Two questions:
1. I’m wondering how you go such a long stretch overnight without getting clogged ducts?
2. Also, is it more important to keep the time frame between pumps (3-4 hours) the same or just making sure you get in the correct number of pumps in per day (6-7) so you can have longer stretches throughout the day/night based on sleep and activities you do during the day? So, could my time frame between pumps vary as long as I fit in the correct number of pumps?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Michelle!
For #1, some women are more prone to clogged ducts than others, but the best way to stretch it longer is to do it gradually so that your body gets used to it. Do you find that you get a lot of them?
For #2, just make sure you get them in and they are reasonably well spaced, but totally fine to do 2 hours sometimes and 4 or 5 sometimes. 🙂
I did smell like maple syrup but I stopped taking it cause my son was very gassy. I was taking 6 capsules per day, same brand in your photo below.
Also, my left breast produces 90% of the milk. Which is frustrating.
Just now I pumped – 2 hrs since last pump – and got 30ml combined after 20 min. Super frustrating for how time consuming pumping is. My pump times are typically between 8am and 9pm every 2-3 hrs.
Ah, I see. I think that dose was probably not high enough for the maple syrup smell, but if your baby was gassy I wouldn’t increase it anyway.
Have you considered maybe a prescription medication, like domperidone or reglan? It’s a pain to get a prescription and domperidone isn’t easy to get, just throwing it out there.
One thing that is definitely normal is for one side to provide most of the milk. Frustrating but common!
Looking for some help! I have been EPing since day one but struggle to get much milk. I pump 5-6 times per day (every 2-3 hrs) and sometimes get only 20 or 30ml combined per session totaling around 300ml per day. My baby is about 10 weeks old and I have had to supplement with formula since the first few weeks. Is there any way I can get more output? I’ve tried fenugreek and the teas and have lactation cookies. My first morning session I can get around 120ml so I know I have the storage. But it gets frustrating when the rest of the sessions throughout the day get so little from 20-30 min. I also go back to work in about 3 weeks. Anything I can do?
Hi KC! What dose of fenugreek were you taking? Did you smell like maple syrup at all?
Hi! I’ve been following your website since I decided to exclusively pump for my LO. She’s 4 weeks old now and I’ve only been able to get in 6-7 20 min session pumps a day and my daily output is on average 25 oz/day. I’m getting a lot of help right now from grandma and hubby with feeding the LO while I pump or eat or try to sleep, but I’m having trouble balancing out a feeding and pumping schedule for the LO while I’m on my own. She tends to have trouble going down for naps during the day and sometimes I have just enough for me to squeeze in a pump before she wakes up again. I’m worried I won’t be able to keep up the pumping once the help is gone. It’s too difficult for me to feed her while I’m pumping~ all the equipment and tubing gets in the way (AND I’m terrified she’ll yank on something and pull my already sore nipples off!) Any suggestions on how to balance this out???
Hi! Question – are you using a hands-free bra when you pump? Also, have you tried having her sleep on your lap or in a bouncy seat near where you are pumping? (That way, you don’t have to worry her yanking anything.) A few other options – do you think you could pump on just one side while holding her? I have found it easier to baby wrangle sometimes with the range of motion less limited.
Another possible option would the be freemie, where most of the tubing is in your bra? https://exclusivepumping.com/freemie-a-review/
This might also have some ideas:
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-and-take-care-of-a-baby-at-the-same-time/
Hi there! How many minutes do you pump on a four pump schedule? My supply dropped with five but I hardly get much at my 9pm pump and my baby is almost 7mos old- he has a milk protein allergy so my diet is very limited- we are supplementing with hypoallergenic formula and I’m planning to ween down the pumping… thank you!
Hi! I would do 30 minutes on a 4 pump schedule until you want to start weaning.
Hey! Thanks for your posts… They have been super helping during my breastfeeding journey.
My baby is currently 11 weeks old. I’m started pumping 8 times a day, then 7 and now 6 times for the last 2 weeks. I’m pumping about 55-60 oz per day. Obviously way more then my little one needs and I’ve completely filled my deep freezer already. I did drop my 3am pump this week and am pumping last at 11pm then at 6am. How long should I stay at 6 pumps before going to 5? Even though I’m producing so much I’m afraid of losing it! I always hear that you should pump 8-12 times for the first 12 weeks but that seems so excessive at this stage. I am only pumping but I do put my daughter to the breast for comfort ?
Hi! I think you can go down to 5 now, though then I would stay there for a few months. Make sure to increase the length of each session so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. Good luck!
Thanks for your thoughts! I’d like to make it to a year so I’m going to be risk-averse too 🙂 sticking with my 4 a day plan! Thank you for all the help!
First of all, thank you so much for all the information! Thanks to your website I’ve been pumping successfully 4 times a day for my 6 month old. Right now my schedule ever since he was 4 months has been 8am (I nurse him first, then do a full pump), 12pm, 4pm and 10pm. I pump for about 35 minutes each. I get about 27 ounces total with 5 ounces leftover to freeze per day. My 12pm and 4pm pump each give me 4 to 5 ounces max and I’m wondering if I drop the 12pm if my supply will drop drastically if I go down to 3 pumps? I know everyone is different but do you have any thoughts or suggestions? Thank you!
Hi! My big worry at 3ppd at 6 months would just be long-term supply. So if you’re shooting for pumping for a year and not giving formula, I don’t think I would drop to 3. Your period could come back, other hormonal changes, etc. If your goal is, say, 8 months, or you don’t mind formula, I would say go for it. It just depends on what you are thinking about doing and how risk-averse you are. (I am very risk-averse, which probably clouds my advice, so consider that too!)
I also forgot to mention that I only pump between 23-25oz a day. And she is eating about 24oz. So I really don’t want my supply to go down since I’m barely keeping up with her. Thanks again!
Hi Lauren! Yes, I think at 12 weeks you should be able to do that. I would probably move the 8:30am up if you can (and/or the 8:30pm back if you can) and would aim for about 8 hours between sessions at this point. You might want to ease into that if you’re prone to clogs, otherwise you can try going cold turkey. Make sure to increase the length of your remaining sessions in order to maximize the chances that you won’t lose supply. I would plan on the making the morning one longer for sure because it will take you longer to empty. (Anything can happen when you drop sessions and there is no way to know until you try what will happen with you – it can go up, go down, or stay the same. But keeping your total pumping time in a day the same is a good way to guard against losing supply.) Good luck!
Thanks! I plan on EPing until my baby is 6 months. When do you think I could drop to 4 ppd? 3 ppd? Etc.?
I think you could maybe do 4 in a month and 3 the month before you want to start weaning? I’m totally just guessing though, everyone’s different! Good luck!
Hi! My daughter is 12 weeks old. I currently pump 6 times a day: once in the middle of the night (2-3am), when I wake up 8:30am, three times during the day (anywhere from 3-4 hours apart) and once before bed (8:30-9pm). She is sleeping through the night so I get up just to pump because I get the most volume at that time (5-6oz) and first thing in the morning (5oz). I would like to decrease my pumps to five a day. Can I give up the middle of the night pump without decreasing my supply? How long is the longest I should go between pumps? Thank you!!
Hi i have a two month old that lets me sleep at least 3-4 hrs at night what would be a good pumpin schedule for me? And how many minutes are ideal to pump for??
Hi! I would do every 3-4 hours whenever he or she wakes up at night, and then during the day whenever is a good time for you, aiming for a total of 7-8 sessions a day. I would make each session 15-20 minutes. Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
Is there a difference in output between double pumping and pumping one side at a time? I have a Medela Freestyle but I find it troublesome to hook up the hands free bustier every time for both pumps. Plus it’s easier for me to use one hand to massage while holding the pump with other without the bustier in the way. I’m also confused about the flange sizes. The pump came with 24mm and 27mm flanges and I’ve been using the 27mm because my nipples would rub against the sides on the 24mm and cause pain. But with the 27mm most of my areola also gets pulled inside the flange tube. Then I started to rub a bit of nipple cream before using the flange and tried the 24mm again. This mostly took away the pain but a lot of my areola still gets pulled inside. My nipples always look stretched and mis-shappened after pumping.
My baby is nearly 4 weeks old and has been taking 3oz at each feeding since week 2. I can get about 1 – 1.5oz from right breast and 2-3 oz from the left, averaging about 3oz total each time (I pump 4x at night, and let baby latch during day). This amount has been pretty consistent and I haven’t been able to increase production even with fenugreek from GNC (2 capsules of 610mg capsules 3 times a day). I don’t see a difference in amount whether pumping for 20 min or 30 min. She feeds every 2 hours or so, so I’ve been supplementing formula at night. I’ve been having her feed from the breast during the day but it really messes up my pumping schedule since I have no idea how much she takes and she hasn’t been able to empty the breast each time (and supplement with milk pumped during the night). She always falls asleep right after latching on. And there’s some nipple confusion problem from the bottle feedings as well. I think exclusive pumping might be a more feasible option at this point. I’m going to go ahead and get your book to read, but in the mean time, would you kindly recommend a pumping schedule for me? I would love to be able to get a longer stretch of sleep, it’s desperately needed 🙁
Thanks so much!
Hi Christine!
The only difference between double pumping and single pumping is that single pumping takes twice as long – if it works for you despite that then by all means go for it. 🙂
About the flanges – you could try Pumpin Pals and see if that helps with the discomfort? The stretched/misshapen thing is totally normal, that’s just going to happen. Everything will go back to normal when you’re done pumping.
Re: the fenugreek, did you smell like maple syrup at all?
For a schedule, I would do 7-8 sessions a day and give yourself a 5 hour stretch at night. When that is depends on how your baby sleeps and/or if you partner (if you have one) can take the baby during any of the wake-ups. Basically pick a 5 hours stretch (or as long as you can) where your baby will either most likely sleep through it or, if they don’t, you aren’t in charge, even if that means you go to bed at 7 or 8 pm for awhile. It won’t last forever, just for a few weeks until baby starts sleeping longer.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you any other questions.
Hi Amanda,
Thank you so much for your blog. I have a four month old.
I have been EPing since his birth, with some nursing. He was born at 35 weeks with a 2 week say in the NICU, so we had a hard time establishing breastfeeding, but I still try to get him on the breast everyday. Some days are better than others and he does not empty the breast, so I have always pumped as well. I pump 7 times a day regardless if my son’s breastfeeding. He usually only takes the breast 1-2 times a day.
I’ve just discovered your blog. As I mentioned, I had been pumping 7 times a day for 15 minutes (the LC at the hospital told me to do 15 minutes, probably not understanding this would be come my primary method of feeding my son), which does not add up to 120 minutes. I have been doing this for months and produced about 23-30 Oz a day.
I have two questions:
1) Is it possible to drop down to 6 pumps at 20 minutes? How would pumping more total time affect my supply – as s I would be be going from 105 minutes to 120 minutes a day
2) On your sample schedule you have the 4 hour breaks between pumps at the beginning and end of the day. Is there a rationale to this? I would prefer to have the 4 hour breaks during the day when my husband is at work.
THANK YOU again Amanda for this wonderful resource. There is very little support for
EPers — and most LCs don’t advise on pumping.
Hi Lisa! Yes, going down to 6 sessions at 20 minutes each sounds like a good idea. I would guess your supply would stay about the same or go up a bit, but there is no way to know for sure until you try it.
There is no rationale – that is just what worked for me. Totally fine to vary it up to what works for you. Good luck!
Thank you Amanda!
Hi I have an almost 4 week old and have been EP-ing since birth related to latch issue. At first, I did pump every 2-3 hrs. Then my milk came in and I could pump every 2-4 hours. For the past 2 wks I pump every 3-6 hours, about 5-6 pumps lasting 15 min per day. I pump almost 40 oz which is way more than baby can eat. So I have a freezer stash started. I try and go every six hours at night. Should I change anything? I don’t want any more supply. Thanks!
I think what you’re doing is fine. I would not drop a session yet – I would wait until the 8-12 week mark. Your supply is still establishing itself at this point and dropping a session could have a pretty big impact. Just as an example, I went from 35-40oz a day to 24oz a day overnight at 3-4 weeks postpartum because I had been missing sessions. So I wouldn’t do that yet. But absolutely, when you get to 8-12 weeks, you can drop the overnight session. Good luck!
I usually pumped 15-20 min and yesterday I did 30 min each and my first morning session was about 40. I was hoping it would level out bc it was going so good, but I have to be realistic about a work schedule too. Maybe adding a power pumping session for a few days? I could keep that up once I go back to work too.
That sounds like a good idea!
So I dropped to 8 sessions which made me lose approx 2 oz on Thurs and 4-6oz on Friday from what I’m typically able to freeze each day. I’m worried that I’ll continue to drop and not be able to support her, however I know there is no way I could continue to pump that much at work. Would this be concerning to you? I already take the MothersLove supplement three times/day. Thanks again for your help.
Hi Megan – yeah, that would make me a little nervous. It should level out, but I understand where you’re coming from. How long are your sessions? Did you increase the time of the remaining 8 sessions so that the total amount of time that you pumped in a day stayed the same?
Hi Amanda
I have a 9 week old daughter whom I have been feeding pumped breast milk I usually do exclusive pumping, 7 sessions each 20 mins and I am able to get 42-45oz milk per day at this point. I am going back to work from the first week of Dec and she will be going to daycare. I am wondering if I can drop my sessions to 6 and pump a little longer. Do you think my milk supply will be affected if I do 6 sessions instead of 7 now? I am hoping to feed her breast milk atleast for a year. Kindly let me know your thoughts on this.
At 9 weeks I think that should be fine. (No guarantees that your supply won’t drop, but odds are it won’t if you increase the length of the other sessions.) Good luck!
My baby is 5 weeks old and I’m currently pumping 9-10 times per day and making approx 40 oz. I will have to go back to work at 8 weeks. Do you think it would be ok to drop to a 6-7 pumping schedule? Is that too much of a drop? If my supply does drop, do you recommend increasing the schedule again or do you give it a day or two to see if it normalizes? Thanks for all your info! So helpful!!!
Hi! I think that’s fine if you do it gradually. If you do see a drop, I would give it a day or two and then add the session back. Good luck!
My LO is 6 months. I’m pumping now 5 times since back in end of August till now but I think I may reduce to 4 times pump 25 minutes per session. She eats 30oz (6oz per day). I pump currently 30 to 36oz.
My LO started with solids last week. For her nutrition I know that Breastmilk is the main meals and the solids is just an add on until her solid meals increase. She eats 2 to 4oz of solids a day. (Sweet potatoes and green peas she started great and now started apple sauce). She eats twice a day in solids. So I give her BM always first and then I wait like a half hour to an hour and I give her solids. I believe according to what I read when she turns 7 months I can feed her three times.
So can I drop a session based on this to 4 pumps a day or should i continue to pump 5 times a day until 8 months?
The freezer stash I have always rotated and I have a month and half of milk in my freezer at the end of the month.
Your thoughts ? and also if I do drop to 4 pumps, can you advise how long will it be 25 minutes or 20 minutes?
Btw your blog and breakdown is so helpful.
Hi! I think you’d be fine to drop to 4 sessions a day at this point. They should probably be 30 minutes each. Good luck!
Hi, my baby is 3 months old and I had been pumping 8 times a day 3 hourly interval since week 1 till week 12. I dropped one night pump to 7 pumps per day at week 12 and my supply dropped from about 1000ml to about 950ml. I am going back to work next week and would like to drop one afternoon pump to 6 pumps per day at 4 hourly interval. May I know whether do i need to stick to 4 hourly interval? What if i have to drag some pumps to 5 hours apart sometimes (still maintaining 6 pumps per day), will this affect my supply?
Hi! I think that should be fine. Supply is super variable from woman to woman, so I can’t guarantee you won’t lose any supply if you don’t stick to a 4 hour interval, but I don’t think there will be any dramatic changes.
Hi,
I am currently pumping 5 times a day (6 am, 10 am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm). I have about 900ml-1l every day. However my baby girl is 1 month old and she only takes half of the milk (I monitor everyday). So I have about 400ml to store everyday. However as we live in a small appartment, the freezer is small and actually it’s full now. Moreover I find the 7pm difficult to manage and I get lowest amount of milk. Should I drop the 7pm session? If yes, how long should I pump for the other sessions (30 minutes each to maintain 120 mins total?). I found it hard to stick to the pump 30 minutes. I have handfree bra but my child has reflux and easy to spit up so I need to held her up right to feed and cannot feed her while pumping. Should I drop the session now and add back later if my baby’s demand increase? Any advice?
Many thanks
Hi! Yes, I think that sounds good. The longer you can wait before making the change, the better it will be for your supply long-term, but I understand if you are going crazy and can’t wait any longer. You could do another session at another time that may not make sense (like at noon) but when your baby is sleeping if that is easier, too. Good luck!
Hi im expressing with some formula. I have a 4week old baby and i use to get enough milk now i feel like I’m getting less. I can get 4oz in a sitting. I express 4 times a day for 1hour minimum. Im now trying fenugreek. Am i doing anything wrong. We had a very rough start with breast feeding as he was badly tt.
I think I would try pumping more often for less time at 4 weeks – like 6 times a day for 30 minutes maybe? Are you pumping in the middle of the night at all? It might not be a bad idea to have one middle of the night session at 4 weeks – I think you could drop it around 8-10 if you wanted. What is your dose of fenugreek? Do you smell like maple syrup at all?
Hi I’ve been pumping 10 times a day for 20 mins a session getting around 27oz every 24hours meaning I have some to store away too. my baby is now 5 weeks old I would like to cut down the number of sessions what would you recommend ? Thank you
Hi! At 5 weeks pp, I think you’d be totally fine to go to 6-7 sessions a day.
I’m not on a set schedule but I do pump every two hours for 20 minutes, and stop around 2 a.m. and then I will sleep until I’m awakened which can be 2-4 hours(my partner lets me sleep), I’ll also nap but sometimes this makes me pump after 3 hours a couple sessions a day. Will sleeping or waiting this amount of time reduce my supply? My baby is 3.5 weeks old and I take 630 mg of Fenugreek twice daily.
I think that’s totally fine. Are you taking fenugreek to increase supply? That dose is probably not enough. If you aren’t actively trying to increase supply, you probably don’t need to take it. More info here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/fenugreek-for-increasing-milk-supply/
Hi!
My baby is going to be 4 months next week and I have noticed that the past week or so my supply has dropped. I have been exclusively pumping since my little guy was 1 month.it took a long time until my milk fully kicked in and was able to start a freezer stash at 2 months. I normally am pumping every 2 hours in a 24 period so I was pumping around 9 times a day five or take. I just felt so overwhelmed pumping all the time and tired that I decided to decease my pumping sessions well now I’m regretting that. I no longer have the felling of full breast, it takes me over an hour and half just to get a combined 6oz at times. I’ve been pumping maybe 3 times a day… and the most I get is around 14oz for the whole day in a 24hr period. I am having to pull from my freezer stash, but my baby is eating around 6-8oz a feeding. How do I get my supply back up? Should I start going back to pumping as much as I use too? I do not take any supplements
Hi Jessica! Congrats on your baby! I think if you feel strongly about getting your supply back up I would go on a 6 ppd schedule of at least 120 minutes a day, and I would probably try taking fenugreek to kick-start things.
Hi Amanda,
First of all, thank you so much for your website! I wouldn’t be able to do it without you. I exclusively breastfed my first 2 children and I’m currently doing the same for my 3rd. He is 1 week old and I’m pumping 7 times a day for 17 minutes as of now. I ave about good enough milk supply to where I can freeze a couple oz a day. Because of that I’m wondering if it would be too early or ok to drop it to 6 times a day for 20 Minutes. I’m trying honking it might be too early as he’s only a week old and it might start decreasing my milk supply but I’m not really sure. Thanks!
Congrats on your brand new baby! So exciting. So the only way to find out what will happen, unfortunately, is to try it – so it’s all about how you feel about the supply risk and how annoyed you are with pumping 7 times a day. I would say it’s worth a shot if you don’t mind supplementing with formula. If you feel strongly about only giving breast milk, I’d probably wait until 6 weeks. Sorry I don’t have a clear answer!
Hi, when you dropped down to 2 times per day, were you pumping an hour at a time? Do you always pump for two hours each day or just in the beginning?
Hi Dani! I did not because I was weaning, and I did lose supply when I dropped down. The two hour rule is for if you’d like to keep your supply the same.
Hi Amanda! My son is 5 months old and I have been exclusively pumping him since he was 4 weeks old. Initially, I had oversupply where I was pumping 40oz a day and he was only eating 25-28oz. During my 6 week PP checkup, my doctor put me on combination birth control which caused my supply to drop dramatically. I ended up stopping the pill after 3 months because during growth spurts I wouldn’t make enough and had to supplement. Since stopping the pill, my supply has increased to about 38oz a day and my son eats around 30oz. I currently pump 6x a day (6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm). I would LOVE to pump only 5x a day so that I only pump twice at work, but I am worried about having supply problems again. Do you think I will be ok to go to 5 pump sessions a day? Should I do it over the course of a week? How quickly will I know if my supply has dropped and can I get it back? And thanks for your website! It has been a lifesaver for me!
Hi Beth! I think that will be okay. Just make sure to increase the length of your remaining sessions so that your total time pumping in a day stays the same.
I would say if you see a drop two days in a row, to put the dropped session back in.
Hi,
I am now pumping exclusively and not sure how long I should be pumping for. Baby is 8 weeks old and I currently have to supplement with formula.
I have been pumping every 2-2.5 hours during the day, usually seven or eight times a day. (I try to sleep at night when baby sleeps and only pump if he wakes up to feed). After about 10 minutes pumping there is no milk flowing. Do I continue to pump or stop?
I’ve also just started taking fenugreek, at how many days should I increase the dosage from 2 pills 3x a day to more? Today is day 4 and my supply today seems to have dropped, not increased. I am also taking Dom peridone which is working for me.
Hi Amanda! I would keep pumping for 5-7 more minutes as you might get another letdown.
I think you could increase it now. (Disclaimer: not a doctor) Good luck!
Hi Amanda, my lo is 1 month old and I’ve been nursing him since he was born. I’ve been tandem pumping (using Haakaa silicon pump) and collecting a bit of milk throughout the day for my DH to bottlefeed him at night (1 feeding around 3oz ) so I can get some rest.
I’ve been considering to switch to exclusive pumping. How would you suggest I start making the transition? I tried pumping (been using the Haakaa silicone pump) after nursing but I only get a very little amount each time.. he still nurses 10-12 times a day and I’ve been very exhausted..
Should I Supplement with formula for the first few feeds/days before I can pump a good amount?
Hi Elaine! I would just switch at one feeding from nursing to pumping and bottle feeding during that time. You’d want to use formula for sure at that first feed. Then, if you pump enough at that first session, you can feed it to your baby at the next, and so on. If not, you can use formula until you have enough for a feeding.