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
Hi Amanda
I started pumping at 6 weeks post and I am currently 10 weeks. I would like to keep my 4AM pump session as I get about 8oz vs 3oz. What would my schedule look like at that point ? From 3 months onwards ? I noticed by 3 months many schedules have dropped that early AM pump
Hi Chelsea, what’s the rest of your schedule look like? Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks for this info, it’s super helpful. My LO is 7.5 months and I’m pumping 4X a day for 15-20 mins/session, totalling around 40 oz. He’s eating 3 solid meals a day and I have a healthy freezer stash. He’s drinking about 28 oz per day. Do you think I can go to 3 pumps a day? I’m hoping to supply him with breastmilk until he’s 12 months, but I’m fine only pumping for 11 if I have enough of a freezer stash. I’d like to wean off of pumping by the time he’s 12 months.
Hi Alexa! I think I would wait a bit if you can – I just get nervous because if your supply is affected it can be hard to get back at this point. You can definitely give it a try if you think that’s best for you! It just makes me a little nervous and personally I would wait.
Hi Amanda,
First of all thank you so much for all of your resources and weekly emails. I’ve been an EP since around week 2 since my little one having trouble taking to the breast and losing weight (now at 6 weeks). I was told by a lactation consultant to pump for 20 minutes 8 times a day. That was not realistic with a newborn so I went to 7 pumps per day at 20 minutes. Since I pump for about 140 minutes a day, will I need to keep that number as my target when I start to drop pumps in the future?
Hi Morgan! If you wanted to go down to 120 (that’s the lowest I would recommend), I would do it 5 minutes at a time. So drop 5 minutes one day, wait a week or so, until you get to where you want to be. Hope that makes sense!
Hi Amanda,
I’d like to get some advice on setting pump time with different shift works in a week.
I do shift work of two morning (7-15.30) and three late (10.30-18.30) shifts, and I can only pump once at lunch break and break time can vary +/- an hr.
I plan to have pump schedule for morning shift like this:
6am, 12 to 1pm (work), 4.30pm, 7.30pm, 10.30pm
And late shift:
6am, 9am, 1pm to 2pm (work), 7.30pm, 10.30pm
What’s your thought on having two different schedules in the weekdays, will my body get used to it or will that affect my supply? or should I aim to follow the same schedule? I’m just not sure how to set it with my two work shift times.
Also when I reduce to 4 pumps a day likely at 6 months, will that be ok to gradually reduce the time of the pump session that I want to drop, as I won’t be able to push back the time while I’m at work?
Thanks so much in advance and I look forward to your response!
Priscilla
Hi there!! Thank you so much for your site. I saw you answering the questions of other commenters (incredibly kind of you), so I thought I’d see if you’d answer mine…
I am 10wpp & my mental health is struggling big time. I take medication for depression & I’m concerned I’m going to sink down if I don’t make some kind of change soon.
Background: tried to nurse for 2 weeks, then triple fed for 5 weeks (6-8 pumps/day at 20 mins each with 1-2 power pumps), now EP for 2 weeks.
I started out EP with 7-8x/day at 20-30 mins, but still needed more supply. So I upped it to 9-10x/day, & started pumping until “empty”… it takes me 45-60 mins!!!! I have some different flanges & the LaVie massager coming in so I’m hoping that will cut my emptying time. Right now I’m pumping 9x/day – 4a, 8a, 10a, 12p, 2p, 4p, 6p, 8p, 11p. My supply has met my baby’s needs for about 7-10 days now (yay!). It fluctuates between 750-800mL/day. I did have a couple days of 650-700 randomly in there. Do you see any way at all I can drop a pump or two? If I do, I’m assuming I should avoid dropping my 11p or 4a pump? The support group I’m in on FB says to not drop any until regulation is complete but I honestly don’t know if I can even sustain this another two weeks until I’m 12wpp… if I even regulate by then. 9 hours a day is so taxing, I am not enjoying my baby much, & I’m completely exhausted. I’m about to throw in the towel & wean. That’s not at all what I wanted & I am broken-hearted at the prospect, but my baby needs a happy mama more than she needs my milk. I just want to know if I can give her both.
Can you give me any hope?
Hi Rachel! So sorry you are struggling with this. I think the lactation massage and flange might help. There are a few other things that might help. Lecithin is one thing that I think might get things going faster. I’ll put a link of some ideas:
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
If you can get sessions over with faster, that will make things a lot easier. Congrats on your baby!
Thanks so much for replying! I am hopeful I can empty faster. I will read that link. Also… you recommended lecithin, but I’ve read lecithin is not recommended for people with depression, so I’m wary to take it. And… Do you think I can go down to 7-8 ppd?
So my son is 9 months old. I have been pumping for 8 of those months regularly and for the last 2 months I have been pumping exclusively. I have always struggled with making enough milk. Once I decided to pump exclusively I power pumped every other hour 9 times a day to try to boost supply for 1 day and then pumped every two hours (from start to start) for 4 days. I was barely scraping out 22 ounces at the end of the day. I have since, through trial and error and going out finally, gotten to pumping 5 times a day and getting anywhere from 22-25 ounces. My son only drinks about 23 a day so it is working. The dicey part is every time I pump (yes even when I was pumping 9x a day) I have to pump about an hour to get what I need for the session. Is there ANY way to get the amount of time you have to spend pumping down at all without loosing ounces? I would like to be able to get my son to a year just breast milk no bottles of formula but it is so hard and my spouse is starting to get irritated by it because the house is falling apart..
Any ideas?
Hi Abigail! Congrats on making it 8 months so far! Here are some ideas that might help. I hope they are helpful!
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Your page has been a huge help as I navigate these new waters of exclusively pumping… My baby is only 2 weeks old and I started at 8 pumps per day and went down to 7 after a week because I’ve had so much supply. Even at 7 pumps a day I’ve been pumping 35-40oz a day! Think its safe to go down to 6 pumps? Should I keep the middle of the night pumps still? My current schedule is 7am, 11am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm, 1am, 4am (1 and 4 is when the baby is up to eat so I pump while feeding him). Thank you!!!
Hi Amanda! At 2 weeks post-partum, I think I would stay at 7 pumps per day for now. Your supply likely hasn’t regulated yet – here is more info on that! Hope this helps:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
I like your 6 pump schedule.
How do I drop my middle of the night pump?
Hi Jenny! This will walk you through it!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hi Amanda! Thanks for responding. No, I didn’t. I wasn’t sure if doing a fourth session or making one of my sessions a power pumping session? What do you think would be best? And would my supply go back up?
My son will be turning four months old on Sunday. I have been an oversupplier- both my freezer and my small freezer I purchased were filled! Therefore, I cut back from pumping four times a day to three times. I notice my supply has tanked! Can you give me some tips on how I should build my supply up again? Thank you!
Hi Colleen! I’m so sorry that happened! Did you go back to the four times a day schedule?
Hieee power pumping and schedule pumping are different??
I am 5 month old son.. my milk supply slashed suddenly..
I want to try power pumping. As I tried this pumping schedule. It doesn’t work for me as I get only 1oz to 2oz..
Could you please help me with my query?
I am using single avent Philip electric pump.
Thank you for your post it is really helpful.
Hi, yes, they are different. Here is more info on power pumping. Hope that helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/power-pumping/
Hi! I’m 9 weeks pp & I think my milk supply has regulated already. I did 8 ppd for the first 8 weeks. I’ve dropped down to 7 ppd just this week and wanted to go down to 6. Each session lasts between 15-20 minutes & by the end of the day I make sure I’ve done 120 minutes of pumping. I seem to get more milk when there’s more time between my pump sessions (for example, if I pump every 3 hours I seem to only get 4 ounces, but every 4 hours I get 6+ ounces) I seem to have an oversupply 35+ ounces a day, and my babe only drinks about 25 a day. Do you think it’s realistic to only do 6 ppd for now if I want to continue to pump for 9 months?
Hi Bernadette! At 9 weeks, I think that’s fine. 🙂
Hi, I might have an odd question but still have to ask for my sanity sake. I exclusively pump for my son who is about to be 8 weeks soon and I pump on demand, I guess, as often as he eats which is about every 3 hours, and I pump only one breast at a time, alternating them as the day goes by, does that have any effect supply in the future? Thank you!
Hi Olga! How is your supply? And about how many minutes would you say that each side gets pumped every day?
I pump 7x a day alternating so each breast is pumped about 3-4 times, I do it for 15 minutes so it came out to 105 min in total or about 60 min each, and I get 4 oz from my left and 5 oz from my right one, (left seems to be lazier). Thank you for your help!
Hello,
Thanks for providing us with such useful information. I wanted to know if you could help me with a potential schedule. I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding and my baby will turn 11 weeks on Saturday. I am considering switching to exclusively pumping because I have a forceful letdown and nursing sessions are not peaceful for my son at all. We both end up in tears. I’ve been pumping once a day around 10 pm and getting 8-10 oz in that session. If I were to start EP around 12 weeks (is that considered the same as 3 months?) how many times a day would I have to pump? Could I follow your schedule that you did at 3 months or do I have to start from scratch at 8-10 times a day? Considering I have an oversupply, could I do less sessions per day? I would love to give my baby breast milk exclusively for one year.
Also, would EP mean I can’t nurse my baby for soothing for example once in a while, say after vaccinations. Would that throw off the pumping schedule? Thanks so much for your time 🙂
Hi Yasmin! You can start at the 3 month schedule! You can definitely still comfort nurse your baby. Just pump afterwards if you think she maybe didn’t empty you. 🙂
I’m sorry! I think about 6 to 12 months.
Not sure yet actually.
Thanks for your response!
Denise
Hi Denise! I would do at least 4 sessions for now! I know you have an oversupply, just super nervous about your supply regulating!
Hi! Thanks for your quick response!
I’m usually pumping 20 minutes. Until nothing comes out.
Hi Denise – sorry! I meant, how many weeks/months do you plan to pump? Like a year? Or a few months? Thanks!
Hi! Love the website!
I’m 7 wpp, exclusive pumping and our son drinks about max 700ml per day. When I pumped 6 times a day I would pump about 1200 ml a day. Same with 4 times a day and if I pump about 3 times a day it’s still about 1000ml. This is too much, our freezer is getting full. Would I be able to go to 2 times a day, or would that mess up production?
Thanks!!!
Hi Denise! I wouldn’t go down to 2 because I think it might drop your supply significantly. I am a little nervous about you being at 3ppd before your supply has regulated, too. How long do you plan to pump?
Hi Amanda! I have two questions for you!
When you dropped down to your two pumps a day, does that mean you pumped an hour per session?
And, if I’m not able to consistently pump the same time each session (let’s say I’m down to four pumps a day), could I do like 45 minutes for one, 15 for another, and the last two at half an hour? Or are there issues for this?
Hi Amy! I didn’t, but I was weaning at the time. If I’d been trying to maintain supply I would have!
That’s fine!
Hi!
Thanks so much for a great article! I do have a quick question about the 3-4 month pumping schedule, I currently don’t work but will be going back to work within the next month or two. Since we aren’t on a strict schedule with my sons feedings should I still pump at the those times regardless of if he had just nursed? Or should I pump at the same time if he’s nursing.
Hi Jackie! So you mostly nurse but will just be pumping at work?
I love this. This is just what I needed. I want more
I just recently returned back to work and my little one is 12 weeks.I am pumping around 45-50oz in 24 hours. I would like to cut down my pumping sessions or the amount of time spent pumping. I have no idea where to start! I get the majority of my milk at my 2 and 6:30 pump sessions(9-10 oz).
Current schedule
6:30 am
9:45 am
12:45
3:15
between 6 and 6:30
between 9 and 9:30
2 am.
I think I would start by dropping the 6pm and pushing the 3:15 back a bit if you can make that work?
I could push it back to around 4 and pump again around 8,8:30 and then 1am. Would extending my night pump from 1-6:30 be going too long?
I think that would be fine!
I pump about 44oz in 24 hours. I pump 5-6 times a day.
1am
6am
10am
2:30pm
6pm(sometimes I skip this so I pump at 8pm instead)
9pm
Been doing this schedule since my son was 8 weeks old. He is now 13 weeks old. I just started to skip the 6pm most days since I started work again and its hard to come home and cook if i need to pump. I havent seen a dip in my supply yet. But when i plan on dropping the 6th pump i try to pump a few extra minutes so i average 120 mins a day. I have 3 weeks frozen in my fridge.
Hi!
My son is turning 8months next week and I pump 4x a day. I noticed that when I make it to 3x a day I get the same amount of milk – I tried it only for 2 consecutive days because I was busy.The total pumping hours is the same with 4x or 3x pumping session. Should I stick to 4x a day or I can switch to 3x a day? My only concern is will it affect my supply even-though I am pumping with same total hrs in a day?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Janel! It could be fine or it might cause a drop after a few days. The other concern is that you might get your period back sooner because of the longer breaks in lactation (if you haven’t gotten it back already). If you want to pump for a full year I might hold off a bit longer, but obviously it’s up to you and depends on how much four ppd is annoying you, etc. Good luck!!!
Hello, My son is 3 months old and I’m pumping every 3 hours at 1am 4 am 7am 10am 1 pm 4 pm 7pm and 10 pm. I would like to go down to 6 pumping sessions since I went back to work. How would I be able to do that? Any tips? Thanks in advance!
Hi Erika! I would start with dropping the 1am. Tips here!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
I was wondering why you cluster your pumping earlier in the day when you go to less pumps. Was this for convenience or do you get more production if you pump more earlier? Thanks.
It was just what worked best for my schedule/life! 🙂
I have been pumping every two hours since my daughter was born and now she is two months and I would like to cut back but still supply enough milk. I don’t want to do every two hours for another 13 months like I did with my son.
Hi Crystal! You can cut back the number of sessions but increase the LENGTH of sessions. More info here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/dropping-pumps/
Hi,
Question about the schedule. Would you consider your 6am pump night milk or day milk? I know breastmilk has different levels of melatonin throughout the day which can help influence baby’s sleep. I’m considering dropping my 2am pump (which is melatonin heavy) but I am concerned I won’t have enough night milk if I do that. Thanks
Hmmm good question! I’m not sure – I didn’t really separate the two. I guess it depends a bit on your sleeping pattern? Like if you go to bed at 2am and it’s still dark out at 6am, it seems like that would affect your melatonin levels? If you go to bed at 9pm and it’s bright at sunny at 6am, they would be different? I honestly have no idea. I wish I could help!
I’ve been separating night and day milk for the same reason. I pump at 10/11pm and then 5/6am. I usually get enough milk at the 11pm session to satisfy 2 night feedings. I have a 4 month old and feed her at 9pm, midnight and then 6am. I use the milk from the pumping session at 11pm for the 9pm and midnight feeding. If I didn’t get enough milk at 11pm for the night feedings, I add some milk from the morning session to those bottles.
Also babies start producing melatonin around 3-4months.
Hope this helps!
Hi Amanda
Do you thiink its safe to take a break at night longer than 8 hours after 3 months ? i am hoping to be able to extend my night break to 9h or 10h
Hi Amanda,
My baby is going to be 3months in two more weeks. I currently pump 8x/day for 30 minute sessions. I have been exclusively pumping since she was born. I don’t stick to a pumping schedule, however i just make sure i get in 8 pumps before midnight each day. I aim to pump every 2hrs, but as you know that can become difficult at times.
On the overnight when she does wake up my headband feeds her as i pump. She has been sleeping longer throughout the night so my last pump might be btw 10-1130pm and sometimes she doesn’t wake till 4-6am. Is it bad that i wait that long to pump.
Also, when she turns 3months can i cut back to 7 pumps a day? And for how long should each pump session last? I am afraid to cut back and have a decrease in supply. I read that by 3 months your milk supply is regulated not sure if that is true.
Hi Jess! What you’re doing sounds fine. I think dropping to 7 then will be fine. I think you could actually drop to 7 now. Good luck! 🙂
So when increasing the gap between the last evening pump and the first morning pump, should you go slowly or can increase by 1 hour at once? I currently go 7h without pumping at night and want to increase to 8h. Supply is fine and I pump 6 times a day @12 weeks
Thank you 🙂
Hi Sophie! I think an hour at once is totally fine – whatever you think your body can handle will work!
Hi Amanda – This is a great page and I really appreciate your efforts into this!! I have been EPing for my son since he was born and now he is about to be 6 weeks old. I am prone to clogged ducts and engorgement so worrying if I start to drop 1 or 2 pumping sessions, my breast would go super full and get clogged ducts and engorgement again – have you experienced this? My question might be stupid but do the breasts just hold all the milk in between each pumping session? For example, if my breasts already feel full for a stretch of 3 hours, would they be even much fuller for a stretch of 5 hours? My main concern is with that fullness of the breasts, I would feel super uncomfortable and get clogged ducts and engorgement while sleeping. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Miao! In your case I would definitely make the change gradually – this kind of trains your body to adjust and to be able to go longer. I will link to more information about how to do this!
https://exclusivepumping.com/dropping-pumps/
Hi,
I would like to ask is there any differents between manual breast pump and electric one. When I express milk with electric one I don’t have much milk and after a session when I tray to squeeze my niple milk still coming out,bet with the pump is not. What do you think would I get better result with manual pump or not?
Some people do seem to respond better to a manual pump. You can also try hand expression after using an electric pump?
Thank you for all your blogs. Been so helpful. FTM, baby is 14 weeks I currently pump 6x/day with a goal of making it to 6 months (1/2 wayyyy!) emotionally drained after being back to work 3 weeks here and looking to drop a session. Saw you recommend dropping the overnight pump and that sounds amazing. I’m just so nervous as that is the ‘money pump’ typically get the most out of that pump (9 oz vs the normal 5ish oz’s I get elsewhere). I’ve been getting about 33 oz/day so been able to FINALLY build a small stash for backup, just really nervous of messing it up by dropping the night session. Do you think it would be okay? That early 5am or 6am pump will just become the big one? Thanks for your thoughts and time!
Hi Kathy! I can’t guarantee anything, but that was my experience – the 5/6am became the money one. Anything can happen when you drop a session so you just kind of have to weigh the risk with the benefit of sleeping through the night (which is huge!)
Does the body increase milk supply more quickly if one sticks to specific pumping times? Right now, I pump right before bed (somewhere between 9:15-10:00PM), sometime between 2:30-3:30AM, sometime between 7:30-8:30AM, then every hour and 45 minutes from when I wake up so I can get 10 pumping sessions in. My times get thrown off by appointments and going out of the house for other things, as well as the baby’s needs of course. I’ve increased from about half a teaspoon 5 days postpartum to 625mls in the past 11 weeks, so I’m getting there, but would love to be producing as much as my baby is eating and would love to eventually get rid of a few sessions a day. Or, do you think I’m hindering my production by trying to sleep at night (going 5-6 hours in between sessions twice)?
Hi Megan! I think it’s fine that your pumping sessions aren’t at the same time as long as you are getting them in. Babies don’t nurse at exactly the same times every day, so it’s not something the body needs.
I think 5-6 hours at night is fine. You need to sleep.
Have you tried other methods for increasing supply at all? (oatmeal, power pumping, etc.)
I was reaching 50 plus ounces in 6 pumps per day now I’m at 40 is there anything I can do to get back to 50 ounces. My baby is 10 weeks. I already gotten my period twice.
Hi Daisy! If you think the issue is your period, you could try a cal-mag supplement? I’ll link to more info.
https://exclusivepumping.com/what-to-do-when-your-period-tanks-your-milk-supply/
Hey
My baby is 12 weeks old and i was 5 times per day schedule and about a week ago I dropped to 4 times per day. I pump 9am, 3pm, 9pm and 3am.
It was all going well, I usually pumping around 36oz per day.
But from 2 days i have noticed that my best breast( this side was giving me more output always with less massage-i use pumping pals on this side) is taking nearly 45 mins to drain fully. I usually pump for 25 mins and hand express for another 10mins until breasts are empty.
I use a medela symphony and checked all my pump parts and replaced the valves and membranes.
Still no difference. Can you help me to figure out why is this happening?
Having said that my other breast seems not effected, it still produces the same amount it used to be within 25 mins.
Hi Denise! Ugh, that is so frustrating!
Can you take a look at this and let me know if you think any of these might be helpful? I was thinking maybe the warming massagers or lecithin.
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Hi, I EP last week as baby girl went on strike because I went back to work and I was using the 8 pumps schedule. This weekend she started nursing again. (I was offering before every feed.) She will be 8 weeks in 3 days. I am getting very exhausted working full time and EBF. Is it too early to start the schedule with 6 pumps giving me 8 hrs sleep? She doesn’t sleep through the night yet but then my mom and husband can help me and I can sleep more.
I think at 8 weeks you should be okay!
Thanks Amanda!
I really appreciate your help. 🙂
I have a question! Does this schedule apply to those that have an oversupply of milk? I’m a FTM and I have been EPing since the beginning. My baby is about to be one month old and honestly not even my own baby gives me a headache the way pumping does! My breasts hurt sooo much and literally feel like they’re been struck by lighting. I can’t even wear clothing because it hurts so much to have anything touch them. I’m not sure if this is because of the oversupply or another unknown issue. I’m trying to figure out if I should stick to schedule or what I can do because I genuinely feel depressed due to how mentally and physically draining it is. Honestly, if there was no pain I wouldn’t mind it but the pain is just so unbearable.
Hi Carmen! I think this might be a flange sizing issue. Have you tried any different sizes at all? Pumping shouldn’t hurt, even with oversupply. So sorry you’re dealing with this!
Hi, I followed your post from day 1 of exclusive pumping, it helped me a lot. I started pumping around 1000+ml a day. Then when my baby is 3 months, I had to move out of state and with lots of hessle I could not pump 8 times a day and my supply decreased. Then again I started pumping 8 times a day, it hit close to 1000ml a day until when I got sick and I could not pump frequently. Now my baby is 8 mo and I started powerpumping 3 times and 3 20 mins pump, but still can’t hit 1000ml, it is close to 600ml now. I am also taking fenugreek seed. Nothing helps. I am wondering is it beacuse my baby is older now, is milk flowing drops with time?
Hi Tiana! That could definitely be a factor. HAve you gotten your period back yet? Or do you feel like you might soon? Hormones can definitely play a role in supply.
I have exclusively pumped from the start. My baby is 6 months old. I pumped 7-8 times a day on a schedule until he was 3 months old and I couldn’t do the no sleep anymore. I dropped down to 6 at that point. Around 4 months old I dropped down to 4 pumping sessions per day. That’s where I am at now – 5am, 11am, 4pm, 10pm. I had an IUD placed at 6wpp and have bled every day since he was born (not sure if spotting from IUD only or if my period has returned) I have mostly maintained 30-36 ounces a day since my milk came in. I have had mastitis twice with dips in supply from that.
With all that being said – I have two questions
1. Would it be safe for my supply to move my pumping sessions so I can finally sleep 8 hours? (Baby sleeps 12 hours at night with only waking once to eat)
2. Would dropping a pumping session and upping my time per session be more effective than moving my sessions?
Thanks!
Hi Abigail! I’ll try to answer your questions!
1) Yes, I think that would be fine!
2) I think I would move them at 6 months rather than drop one if your goal is to EP for a year. It’s just safer for protecting supply. If your goal is shorter than I think either is okay!
So when you went down to only two times per day, you pumped for 60 min each time to get to 120 min per day and had an output of 15+ oz per session? If not, what we’re the times and output per session when you decreased the times per day?
Hi there! So I was already on the way to weaning at this point so I kept my sessions at 30 minutes each. BUT yes, that is what I would suggest – 60 minutes for 2 sessions. I believe my output started at about 15 each and slowly decreased to 10 each because I didn’t pump for long enough. I hope that helps!
Hey
My baby is 4 months now a d iam exclusively pumping but last week i had an infection in my breast and it was killing me till niw i still have a red spot over my left breast and a hard area on the top of it btw it is the second time happened the first one my baby was 40 days
Now my question is do i have to wean him because it will happen again apparently
How can i wean from pumping without getting fever and have the stone breast ?
Smd if i will not wean him , can i pump only 4 times/24 hrs and still have milk supply for more 4 months or it will stop as my pumping sessions decreased to almost half
Iam so confused and i cant make a call so help if you can please
Hi there! You don’t have to wean, but it’s up to you whether or not you want to continue! Here is more information on weaning:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Hi! I am EP at the moment.
My baby girl is 17 weeks (4 months) now and I pump 5x a day. My schedule is: 5a 9a 1p 5p 9p allowing me to get my 8 hour stretch (which is technically only 7 hours since after pumping I still need to clean up, store milk and disinfect things and finally make it to bed). Anyways, my ppd is about 39-42oz which gives me plenty of milk. But lately my 1pm pump has been super difficult to keep up with due to work demands and my boss not respecting my pump time (even though I only pump twice at work!!!) ugh. Anyways, I was thinking of going down to 4 ppd but I’m worried about loosing milk supply. Any suggestions?
Oh… I forgot to mention, I got my period 2 months ago. Idk if this changed anything. I do see a bit of a drop whenever I’m on my period. How is it that so many moms don’t get their periods?!?!
Hi Nidya! How long are you thinking your want to pump? I think it would be okay at this point but long-term supply (past 6 months) would be my concern, especially with you having gotten your period back.
Sorry your boss is doing this!
If you are going to see a change in supply, how long does it take? My baby is 5.5 months and I dropped my MOTN pump about 6-7 weeks ago because I just couldn’t handle it after returning to work. Just this past week I’ve made less, about 5oz/day. I was pretty consistently making 40oz/day now closer to 35. I don’t think it’s due to my period, I got an IUD 7wpp and only have random spotting here and there. I’m still making a bit more than she needs, but I’m working on a freezer stash because I may have to start traveling for work again at 1year pp.
I think usually between 2-3 weeks… Could you maybe be getting your period back?
If I try to slowly go from 6 ppd at 11 wpp to 3ppd at 16wpp due to my ability to pump at work, will I kill my supply? Right now I pump about 10-15oz more than what my baby eats per day.
Thanks for your helps and all of your valuable posts!
Congrats on your baby Meghan!! It’s hard to say for sure – anything could happen (super helpful I know!)
How long do you want to pump for – six months, a year? The longer you want to pump the riskier it is (risk of getting your period back, etc.) Can you make the 3 remaining sessions 45 minutes or so? That would be the best way to protect supply, but I know it’s a lot.
Hi! Sorry for the long post! I’ve been exclusively pumping for nearly 7 months due to NICU and latch issues. When my milk came in, I went from nothing to oversupply. Within 7 days of pumping I was getting on average 17oz a day (I pumped 6 times a day for 15 min– 12AM, 4 AM, 8 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, and 8 PM). I had mastitis for over 2 months and recurring clogged ducts for about 4 months until I figured out pumping. After about 4.5 months I dropped my 4 AM pumping and saw no difference in my supply. I get anywhere from 43oz to 50oz a day depending on if my baby wakes me up a night–if I wake up I feel like my body starts to make more milk because it thinks I’m going to start the day. I have to pump for an hour in the morning to get all the milk out (I get on average 16oz). I pump for 30min for my other sessions since I seem to get another let down after 20min. When I accidently skip a pumping session during the day, I still get the same amount of milk… sometimes more which is crazy. I am thinking about trying to go down to 4 pump sessions a day, but am curious about how it would affect my supply. Granted, my son drinks about 22-30oz a day, but I donate my extra milk every month (anywhere from 500-550oz) and I would like to continue my donations since it has helped me feel better about pumping after not being able to breastfeed. Did you keep track of how much you pumped using each schedule (i.e. 8 pumps versus 4 pumps a day, etc.)?
This is really neurotic, but I have a log in Excel of every pump I’ve ever done and how much milk I expressed. By the end of my pumping journey I will know exactly how much milk I pumped. I also kept track of how much my son drank every day because he was a low birth weight baby and I wanted to make sure he was eating enough. I was so worried I wouldn’t have enough milk for him while he was in NICU so I started keeping a log.
Hi Jessica! I don’t think that’s neurotic at all! I love it. 🙂 In fact I would love to see your spreadsheet when you wean to do a case study on it!
I didn’t write it down anywhere but I believe my supply increased or stayed the same when I dropped pumping sessions until I went from 4 to 3, when it dropped. I would try dropping one at a time and see how it goes!
That’s so awesome that you are able to donate that much milk!
When you start to decrease your pumping sessions, does your milk supply drop too? Or do you pump an equivalent amount (ex pumping 2oz a session when 8x per day (16 oz/day) then say 3.5oz a session when 5x per day (still about 15 oz))?
You increase the length of the pumping sessions, and most of the time your milk supply stays the same – but anything can happen (it could decrease or even go up). 🙂
Thanks a lot for your post it is so helpful for working mom’s. Could you please provide pumping time with each schedule and if some of those times can be substituted with direct breastfeeding or this is aside from breastfeeding when with baby?
Hi Nina, to get the pumping time, you can divide the number of pumping sessions by 120. I’m not a nursing expert, but as long as your baby is taking the amount of milk that you’d pump, it would replace it. These are more for exclusive pumpers though. Hope that helps!
Alright! I may just hold off then 🙂 thank you!
Did you ever see a decrease in your supply when decreasing number of pumps, besides when you dropped to one pump? My goal is to make it to a year of breastfeeding, my son is 7.5 months now and I pump 4 times a day. Have been debating going down to 3 pumps, but concerned it’d drop my supply too much. Thanks!
Hi Lauren, great question! I did after dropping to 3, but I also got my period at the same time. Hard to know which caused the drop. Before that, no.
When you start decreasing pump sessions do you increase time of pump sessions? For example how many minutes are your sessions when there are 5 in a 24 hour period? Thanks
Yes! Your total pumping time in a day should be (at least) 120 minutes, so at 5, I was doing about 25 minutes.
Will do. Thank you so much!!!
Hi!
I love your page. It has been incredibly helpful during my EP journey. I was wondering if you could possibly help with a question I have.
My son is currently four months old.
The pumps where I receive the most ounces from are the last pump of the night and the first pump of the morning.
I recently just went from six pumping sessions to five. I took out my 3:30am Pump. My last pump for the night is usually at 10/10:30 before I go to bed. At first I tried waiting until 6am to pump but found that my breasts were too full and swollen.
I’m still pumping for 120 minutes a day even though I’m down to five pumps.
In the first morning and last evening pump should I only pump until the milk stops flowing or should I continue the full 24 mins at each of those specific sessions?
I’d love to be able to go without pumping from 10pm to 6am without my breasts being breasts being engorged.
Thank you for this awesome awesome site. I look forward to your response.
Hi Danielle!
Okay, so for going to from 10pm to 6am, I would slowly push back the MOTN time to get your body used to going longer. More on this here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
You should pump for the full 24 minutes. It will help protect your supply long-term. (Unless you plan to wean in the next few months.)
Hope that helps!