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.
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(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 there!
Love your site and all the helpful information!! My 6 month old just stopped nursing due to a cold. He is a preemie and I used to nurse him twice a day(doctor recommended max of three times) and pump 4 times. I started pumping 6 times in hopes that he would nurse again but he is not interested. I really want to drop one to two pumps but am scared to lose my supply. I normally pump around 3:30a, 7:30a, 10:30a, 2p , 5p, and 8p. I’d love it to eventually be 4a, 7a, 10:30a, 3, and 8. I’m really scared to go that long without pumping during the day but I’m doing it hard to keep up with all the pumping. Kinda picked strange times but that’s what would work best with my kid’s schedule. Any advice is much appreciated! Thank you!!
Hi Jessica! I think that new schedule sounds great! No concerns!
Hi Amanda,
Is it useful to continue to pump after the milkflow has stopped?
My milkflow stops after 5 minutes of pumping, can’t get a drip more out of my small breasts. This gives me about 50 – 60ml in total from double pumping. This way it would take me 24 sessions per day to pump for 120min. Sessions will be longer when I stop nursing, but not that much longer. My baby takes about 4min per breast and it seems to be just enough on most days. But supply is very tight and I want to give her more generously. Though my extra pumping seems to make it worse, as my breasts get too empty before my next nursing session. And I pump a bit less then she takes from the bottle. She is 4,5 months now and grows well. But I have to get back to work soon and was hoping to continue to give her my milk. (So does she btw, she hates formula;))
Thank you for this website, it has given me new insights!
Hi Leonie! If you’re pumping after you nurse (assuming your baby is getting enough milk, which it sounds like she is). Then you’ll have usually had. one letdown while nursing, and another while pumping. If you’re NOT nursing beforehand, then I would keep pumping to see if you can get a second letdown. More on letdowns here, I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-boost-milk-supply-letdowns/
Hi Amanda
Is taking a 5 hour break at night at 3 weeks pp too much ?
Hi Amanda
Coming back to your blog with second baby 🙂 thanks for keeping it up!!
So am currently 9 days pp and pumping 7 times a day for 30min each session so that’s a totdd add l of 210 min a day, way above the recommended 120min. Do I have to reduce the time from now so that when I drop sessions later supply won’t be impacted? I’ll have to keep sessions at 30min once I start slowly dropping to 4ppd.
Hi Asma! Congrats on #2!! I think you can gradually decrease the time to avoid impacting supply while also not pumping quite so much. I have some more info on how to do it here – I hope this helps! Good luck!
https://exclusivepumping.com/120-minute-rule/
I am four months pp. My little one sleeps all night so I would like to drop my over the night session but I am terrified to do so. I produce about 50 Oz a day and I really don’t want to lose that because I’m banking on being able to stop early and use my freezer stash to feed her for a year. What are the chances my supply majorly drops? This mama needs to sleep all night! I currently pump 7 times in a 24 hr period for approx. 140 minutes.
Hi Nicole! I can’t guarantee anything – but I think now is as good of a time to try as any! Just make sure to add the time back to your remaining sessions (maybe a good chunk at your first morning session of the day). I would say 30% chance of a drop, very small chance of a major drop. This is based on my gut/experience not research, so take it for what it’s worth!
Hi Amanda
I currently nursing my 4 month old and I wanted to know if I decided to pump full time.. would I still follow your sample schedule for 4-6 months? And pumping 5 times a day ?
Hi Ruth! Yes, that’s what I’d recommend! Good luck!
Hi Amanda! Your website is so helpful, thank you so much for all this wonderful information. It is also really nice to know that there are other people that exclusively pump like me 🙂
Question for you- my baby is 11 weeks old. I am an over supplier and make about 60oz per day and baby drinks about 25oz. I pump at 4am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm. I’d like to get rid of the 4am. How would you suggest I shuffle the schedule? Since he’s young, I don’t mind adding it back somewhere else if needed. Let me know your thoughts! Thanks!
Hi Charlie! I’d do something like 6am, 10am, 1pm, 5pm, 9am. (Or if you get up later – scoot the 6am and 9pm back to whatever works for your sleep schedule.) I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda,
At 3 mpp, I’m trying to get a longer stretch of sleep and replicate your 3-4 month schedule. I’ve been pumping 11pm and 5am for about a week but I’m still waking up soaked from leaking. Any tips for navigating this? Will this stop as my body adjusts? I’d love to eventually get to 10pm and 6am but I don’t know how my body will respond.
Hi Joanna! Have you tried a breast pad that won’t slip? I do think the leaking should get better, but it might not go away completely until you wean.
https://www.davinandadley.com/collections/nursing_pads/products/copy-of-light-absorbency-paisley-nursing-bra-liner-single-liner
Hi there, when you transitioned to 3 pumps per day at 11 months old, did you still pump the same amount of ounces as you did when you pumped 4 times per day? If not how did you make up the difference to give baby same amount of ounces or did your baby take less milk around 11 months? Thank you for all your information!
Hi Sofee! I did pump less when I dropped from 4 to 3. I had oversupply at 4 pumping sessions and was a just enougher at 3 sessions. I gave my baby the same amount of milk with both sessions.
I am still in the first 3 months, so pumping 8, 20 minute sessions to keep up supply. However, I recently got the motif luna and it empties me faster. When I pump with it, is it ok to reduce the session time to 15 minutes, or will that hurt my supply?
Thanks!
Hi Amanda,
This might be a stupid question but how do I know when my milk has stopped flowing while pumping? I always see that you should wait 5 minutes after you milk stops flowing before you end each session but I honestly can’t see into the storage bottles to see if it’s stopped. Am I overthinking this?
Hi Jennifer! I think it’s fine to just pump for total time (say, 20 minutes) and maybe keep going if you think you’re in the middle of a letdown, but otherwise stop. Unless it takes you a very long time to get the milk flowing, this works for a lot of people. Maybe try that and see if it makes any difference? Good luck!
Hi Amanda,
Lots of amazing information here. So firstly, thank you for that 🙂
In the sample schedules, when you say for example, 3-4 months what do you mean? Is it beginning to end of month 3 and 4?
Hi Nina! Sorry for the confusion! I used that schedule from about 11 weeks to about 15-16 weeks, if I’m remembering correctly. Trying to do the 6pm after work got to be too much so I didn’t keep that schedule for long. Hope that helps!
Hi There, I’m so glad I found this post! I’m considering weaning from exclusively pumping soon but am still a bit torn about it! I am wondering if I might be able to sustain a 2 pump per day schedule for a while before totally weaning to zero… but I’m curious about the timing. You say here that when you drop a pump session you should increase the time of the others so that you’re still pumping the same amount of time per day (I assume 120 minutes). Does that mean when you were down to 2ppd you were doing each for an hour?
Hi Ellen! When I went to two, I was weaning, so I didn’t pump for an hour each time. I would stick to 120 minutes when trying to maintain your milk supply, but it’s not necessary after that. If 60 minutes is too long to pump, I might wait to drop to 2 sessions. Hopefully that makes sense!
Thank you so much for this sample schedule! I am a first time mama and an exclusive pumper. I am planning to pump until my baby is 6 months old- how would a schedule like that look like? I am assuming I would also have to pump way after she is done so I can keep dropping sessions.
Hi Maria! Here’s more info on weaning that might help! I would give yourself about a week for each pumping session that you need to drop:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Hi Amanda,
My baby is 2.5 months old and I am having 6 sessions and each session takes around 45 mins to empty both the breasts.
Is there a way I could make this faster.
Hi! This might be helpful!
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
HelloAmanfa I’ve had a hard time pumping with elastic nipples and never having pump3d with my first I dropped sessions too soon until I found your site and messed my supply up before 3 months pp so been trying to play catch up as baby almost sleeps through the night and I had 1am be my last pump until 6 or sometimes even 7 depending when she woke up so now I pump till 2am or 3am and wake up to pump 6am or 7am depending on whenever she wakes up or I do. She’s 3 months and a half. I don’t make that much milk only 40 oz or less and I pump 8-9 times a day. How much milk should I have per day? I want to pump till baby turns 2 then finish. I also have needle pains in breasts randomly and my nipples are always so sore especially after pumping and wearing clothes. It also takes me a while to empty the whole breast sometimes 50 min or 45 min usually.
How can I enjoy my baby’s sleep without ruining my supply and how can I fix the nipple/ breast pain and somehow have my supply be motr than 40 oz a day I worry when she gets older if she needs more oz.
Thank you for this site it’s been a life saver once I found it!
Hi Kat! I think that 40 oz is actually a great supply – that should likely meet baby’s needs going forward. I think you could probably drop a session now – just make sure to add the pumping time back to your remaining sessions so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. You’re doing great!
Thank you so much for your reply!
Are the needle pains when not pumping normal? I’m using 21mm now for flange on my baby buddha but my nipples always stretch like my entire nipple/areola is in there. I got use to the pain but when I’m done pumping and in between they’re so sensitive and sore everyday. How do I go about fixing that or is that part of Pumping with elastic nipples?
Its a relief to hear 40 oz okay to last 2 years!! I’ve been so worried.
By adding time you mean pump longer like 1hr per session? I wanted to decrease the time I pump since I feel chained to the pump. I usually have 6/7 8/9 10/11 12/1 3/4 5/6 8 10 12 2/3 (/ = or depending on her wake up) if I can aim for 20-25min it would be amazing and just having 7 or 8 sessions without decreasing my supply.
Thank you so much!
Best,
Kat
Hi Kat! It definitely sounds like elastic nipples. Have you tried any silicone flanges at all like Pumpin Pals or LacTeck? I would say have pain related to pumping isn’t normal.
How long are your sessions now?
No I haven’t tried them but will look into getting those! I’ve tried 24mm and 21mm and both seem to stretch them out.
I usually pump for 1 hr or 45 min is my minimum. It’s Exhausting! My break is at night after my 1am or 2am feed I usually wake up 6am or 7am whenever baby wakes she sleeps at 6:30-7:00 and drinks usually once sometimes twice rarely.
Till she wakes at 6am/7am then she naps
I try the electric heated massager to help.
Hi Kat! Ugh I’m sorry. I’m glad you have a heated massager. You might be doing all the things on this list already, but I thought I’d pass it on just in case:
https://exclusivepumping.com/pump-breast-milk-faster/
Hello, I am currently 5 weeks PP and im producing 12oz every 3 hours when I am pumping. I am trying to switch to pumping every 4 hours because I have such a big oversupply. Is this possible to accomplish?
Hi Cassie – yes, I would stretch out the time between sessions slowly if it’s uncomfortable. So you could start with 15 minutes or half an hour – whatever you can handle. Then when you body adjusts add extra time, and so on, until you’re at four hours. Good luck!
Hi there! I am 4 almost 5 months post partum and my schedule for the last 2 months has been 4a, 10a, 2p, 6p, 10p. This week I dropped my 4a and went to 6a instead. I have noticed that my output at 10p is much less than my other sessions throughout the day. I typically have 10-12oz in the morning, 6-8oz at my mid morning pump and 5-6oz during both afternoon/evening sessions. I know it’s normal to produce less in the evening, but it’s discouraging to see 3-3.5oz at my 10p pump. Is there anything I can do? I really don’t want to drop a session.
Thank you!
Hi Allyssa! That’s pretty normal and kind of just how the prolactin hormone works. Can you think of it in terms of 24 hour output and not pumping session output? Here is more info. Congrats on your baby, it sounds like you’re doing a great job!
https://exclusivepumping.com/milk-supply-highest/
Hi Amanda,
My baby is almost 4 months. I pump 5x a day, but hoping to drop a session. When I went from 6x to 5x a day, I didn’t notice much of a change. My current schedule is 6, 10, 2, 6, 10. I’m hoping to continue until 1 year. Today I pumped at 6 am as usual, but couldn’t pump until 11 am and produced 7 oz. I usually produce about 5 oz in a session except my 6 am is between 10-12 oz. Overall I get between 30-35 oz, which is enough for my baby without supplementing. Would you recommend a change in schedule or would dropping a session be okay?
Hi Amanda! I think my answer would depend on how long you think you want to pump. If you’re thinking 6 months or so, then I think that’s fine. If you’re thinking a year, I might wait a little longer. But it’s obviously totally up to you – this is just what I would do in your shoes. I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda. Thank you for all your great info. I am 5 wpp pumping 7 times a day and making about 45 oz a day. Would it be okay to drop down to 6ppd?
Hi Brionna! Congrats on your baby! I would suggest waiting until your supply has regulated. More info on this here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-is-milk-supply-established/
What kind of schedule should I use. I am a very much over supplier and I want to pump until I have enough for 13 months.
I started pumping November 4th 2021 and my stash currently will get me to May 17 2022. So I’d like to have enough to get me through December 2022 and be done as soon as I get that far.
Hi Stormie! It’s hard to answer without knowing how old your baby is, your current schedule, and your current supply?
He is 3 months old and I have 3360 oz saved up.
I pump at 4am 8am 12pm 4pm 8pm 12am
I’m sorry I have 2348 save in total of what I have used and have stored is 3360
Are you looking to drop a session? It sounds like what you’re doing is working well in terms of supply and meeting your goal – are you wanting to pump less? Not pump in the middle of the night? If neither of those is a concern I would just keep doing what you’re doing 🙂
I’m wanting to start cutting sessions out but I’m not sure where to go. Do I got to pumping every 5hrs or can I go to 6hrs? And for how long should I do that?
Hi Stormie! I think I would cut the 4am.
Hi! This is my 2nd time EPing. Can I ask how much your supply changed (if any) going from 6 ppd to 5? Or how much your supply changed when you dropped the MOTN pump? I’m almost 5mpp and I’m still pumping 9-10x a day because I actually have an oversupply and I’m terrified of losing it! But I’m SO TIRED and want some extra sleep. I had mastitis 3x with my first baby, so I’m also scared of getting that when I drop my MOTN pump. Eek!
Hi Liz! I didn’t lose supply from either of those – only when I dropped from 4 to 3 sessions. Supply is so weird and everyone is different though! I hope that helps ❤️
Hi,
I’m currently 6 weeks pp and am pumping 8 times a day (12, 3, 6, 9, repeat). Recently, it seems that my supply has been dropping. It could be because of a recent clogged duct (48 hours old) or perhaps it could be my supply stabilising? I’m not sure what is the cause. I was producing more than 800ml to 900ml per 24 hours and now it’s below 800ml.
Should I wait a few days to see if my supply increases or should I consider power pumping up increase my supply?
Also, when do you think I can start reducing my pumping sessions while maintaining my supply?
Lastly, clogged ducts keep coming back on the same boob. It’s not really a lump but more like hardness and it feels flat (if you know what I mean). Is this something I should be concerned about? I’ve nursed, hand massaged, had hot showers, hot compress and did epsom salt soaks. Any other advice on prevention and treatment?
Thanks!
Hi Jill! Congrats on your baby! I would go ahead and power pump now!
I think once your supply is where you want to be, it would be okay to drop to 7 sessions.
Have you tried lecithin for the recurrent clogs at all?
Are you using a hospital grade pump? I was having issues with still feeling full, only pumping foremilk, and feeling lumpy using the medela freestyle flex, I was massaging and pumping for like 30 mins trying to get things moving sometimes. Then when I was almost ready to give up I thought heck let me try the medela symphony and so I rented it. GAME CHANGER. no clogged ducts, empties faster….the only thing that sucks is you have to be plugged in to the wall. But I wish I had known this earlier, most pumps are not meant for exclusive pumping, it wears and tears the parts and motors. Get the hospital pump if you can!!
I am currently an almost exclusive pumper, though my baby currently nurses first thing in the morning. Beyond that, I pump 4 times a day so my schedule is roughly 7am nurse, 9:30am pump, 1:30pm pump, 4:30pm pump, 8:30pm pump. I’d love to drop a pump but with the first feed being a nursing session rather than a pump, I’m worried my supply will take a significant hit (I currently have a small oversupply) since I can’t force the baby to eat more at 7am. Thoughts on this?
Hi Hannah! I think this could be okay, but it really depends on how old your baby is and how long you think you want to breastfeed/pump. If you’re within a few months of your goal I think it would probably be okay (though obviously I can’t guarantee anything). Make sure to increase the length of your remaining sessions so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same, and I would probably drop the 4:30pm and move the 1:30 back a bit, if possible. Good luck!
If you have time, you could also think about pumping after baby eats in the morning? I get the more from my first pump of the day than any other time. That may allow you to go drop one of the other pumps with less worry (although you’d still be pumping 4x day, just fewer minutes)
Hi Amanda,
Thank you so much for you response. Funny that you ask but no I have not had my period yet! Is that strange?
Anything I should be doing?
Hello,
I seeking some advice please 😊 I breastfeed my baby until he was around 5 months and then introduced pumping (bottle) as well as breast. He wasn’t gaining a lot of weight and was only on the breast for 5min so I started pumping milk and give it on a bottle. I ended up switching to pumping exclusively. Baby is now 9 months old and although i haven’t changed my pumping schedule much ( 2am, 6am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 9pm) I feel like I’m producing less milk. I now have to be 45min on each Breast to get 140ml!!! Sometimes even less 90ml!! I feel like it’s such a long time pumping to get little milk. Also noticed that one breast hardly produces anything and the other breast is where most milk comes.
Do you have shy advice please??? Also, at nine months on average how many ml should a baby be drinking please?
Many thanks
Hi Claudia!
Oh I’m so sorry that you’re dealing with this! Have you gotten your period back at all? I’ll link to some ideas on increasing milk supply that might be helpful:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
As far as how much baby should be drinking at 9 months – it really depends. Anything from 20 to 40 oz a day can be normal, and the amount of solids that baby is taking can vary a lot too.
Hi, there used to be a same pump settings chart in this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for it but can’t find it, I’d love to have that information again because it worked so great for me with my first child.
Hi Sarah! Was it this post?
https://exclusivepumping.com/breast-pump-settings/
Hi there! My baby is currently 44 weeks old and I’m pumping 4 times a day (5.30am, 10.30am, 3.30pm, 9.30pm). My supply has been dropping recently and I’m gradually depleting my freezer stash, and the fatigue is catching up with me. I’m wondering if it would be okay to drop the early morning pump and roughly stick to the same schedule for the rest? I’m worried as that would leave up to 13 hours between the evening and late morning pump. Im okay with supplementing with formula, but I’m just wondering how much my supply will drop with this schedule and whether I’d develop clogged ducts. Thank you in advance!
Hi Chelsea, you can’t really know until you try, but that schedule would make me pretty nervous for the reasons you mentioned. What about dropping one, pumping at 7am instead of 5:30 and moving the 3:30 up a bit? Just an idea.
Hi Amanda,
I had a difficult delivery and couldn’t keep up with breastfeeding in the beginning, so we switched pretty early on to formula – that way my husband could help out with the feedings. And I complemented by pumping what little milk I could produce.
At the moment, my supply has dropped significantly, I have missed pumping sessions. I just couldn’t keep up with pumping 8x per day while my body was trying to recuperate these last weeks. I am currently taking fenugreek, but have not seen much of a difference. Is there a way to bring the supply back up?
My baby is now 5 weeks old.
Thank you
Hi Diana! Congrats on your sweet baby! It sounds like you have been through a lot!
I think you can definitely bring your supply up. If you are able to pump 6x a day, I would try to do that. I’ll also link to what I would try, in the order that I would try it. I hope this helps!
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hi Amanda, I’m 2mo PP. How important is it to keep the exact a same times every day? Some days I am 15-30min late to a pumping session. I’ve heard that you should strictly stick to the schedule and stay within 10-15min of the scheduled time. Sometimes that’s just not realistic with a newborn and it creates stress. Can I pump a little earlier or later than a scheduled time depending on how the day is going? Just curious about your thoughts on this.
Thanks!
Hi Lindsay! It’s fine for the times to vary a little bit. Nursing babies don’t nurse at the exact same time every day – sometimes a nap goes long or you’re running an errand, etc. I don’t know of any evidence-based information that saying you have to be within a 10-15 minutes of the schedule time. 🙂
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for your site! I really appreciate your sample schedules. Do you have a sample for 7PPD, or is it okay to go from 8 to 6?
Thank you!
Hi Mimi! I would drop to 7 first – I didn’t have an exact schedule for 7 sessions because I was kind of dabbling in pumping when baby ate at that point. But you can just drop one of the 8 sessions (I would start with the night ones) and respace them. I hope that makes sense and is helpful!
How do we drop from ten sessions to six sessions in 24 hours, esp dropping the middle of night pump? I’m kinda stuck at 8pm 2am 7am and would like to remove the 2am pump as my freezer stash is building up too quickly and i would like to sleep longer! My baby is nearly 5 months. Thank you!
Hi Samantha!
Here’s what I usually recommend for dropping the middle of the night pumping session – I would start with this! Good luck!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
I am almost 4 weeks pp and my baby is now 35 weeks in nicu she was born at 31 weeks. I’m pumping cause she’s not home I’m pumping every three hours ands at night every 4 but I’m still only getting about 2-3 ounces per session all tigether! Idk what to do to help increase my supply I tried doing every 2 hour session but only got .5 to one ounce total
Hi Kayla! Congrats on your sweet preemie! Here are some ideas that might help:
https://exclusivepumping.com/increasing-milk-supply/
Hello! Can you help me by letting me know what kind of volumes you were getting and how it changes over time? I know it’s different for everyone. But I’m wondering how much supply changes as we drop pumps. I’m 6mos pp and just considering dropping to 5 ppd. Out of curiosity how much were you getting when you dropped to two pumps a day? For context, I had to work very hard to get my supply up and it feels scary to start dropping pumps. I was pumping every two hours for a long time and I’m now down to every four hours but feeling like I need a longer sleep overnight. I don’t know what is realistic to expect supply wise as I begin dropping sessions. Thanks for your website – it is so helpful.
Hi Vanessa – I think my supply stayed pretty consistent when dropping from 5 to 4, but then I lost supply every drop after that. I think when I dropped to 2 I was making 20oz per day. But it varies SO MUCH. Literally some people make 7oz pumping 8 times and a day and others make 7oz pumping once per day. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful!
Hi there! I am currently exclusively pumping for my now 5 month old, after transitioning from exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4 months of his life (due to latch/decreased milk transfer issues from a tongue tie).
I started off with a pretty aggressive pumping schedule, 8-9 times a day with power pumping sessions every evening to build back my supply. I dropped to 7x a day a couple of weeks ago and am now trying out 6x a day, pumping every 4 hours including waking for a pump between 3-4am (roughly 7:30a, 11:30a, 3:30p, 7:30p, 11p). With this schedule I am now pumping about 60 oz in a 24 hour period (20-25 minutes a pump).
I’d like to drop the 3-4am pump now, because I desperately need a longer stretch of sleep. But, I am still trying to build a bit of a freezer stash since I started exclusively pumping later. I’d like to try and keep my supply about the same. I know everyone is different, but do you think I could drop the 3-4a pump and go down to 5 pumps a day? Or should I drop the 3-4a pump and add one back in the day, to keep 6 pumping sessions a day? I really like being able to go longer stretcher without pumping during my day, but I’m just nervous to make any moves at this point because I don’t want to decrease my supply too much or trigger weaning. Any advice is much appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Lauren! Obviously I can’t guarantee anything and there’s always a risk, but at 5 months with your supply I think 5 sessions per day is fine. Just make sure to keep your total pumping time in a day the same. Good luck!
Help! I have a question about my pumping schedule. I’m currently 4 months pp and pump 5x: 6am, 9:45, 1:30, 5:15, 9pm. I would like to push the 9PM to 8PM, but I’m concerned that 10 hours is too long between pumps? I’m often super engorged by 6AM and I’m leaking and it takes me 30-35 minutes to empty my breasts. I am in desperate need of that extra hour of sleep, just not sure if I’m “allowed” to go that long between pumps or how to help my body get used to it? I have a 8-12oz daily oversupply, so not worried about supply.
Hi Brittany! What if you try moving it back to 8:30 one night and just see what happens? Worst thing is you’d have to get up at 5:30, but might be worth a shot. If that goes well, you could do another half hour?
Hi! Thank you so much for giving us a lot of information related to exclusive pumping.
I have a question about dropping the night pump.
My daughter is 4 months now and my pumping schedule is 6am,10am,2am,6pm,10pm and 2am.
And pump about 20 mins per each sessions and I only have 100ml each time.
I don’t mind my supply would drop a bit as I don’t have enough supply at the beginning.
What I worry is I might get a clogged duct or something worse.
I would love to drop my 2am one and get some good sleep.
I wonder how it should work.
Hi Eva! Here’s what I would recommend doing:
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hey! I pump 8 times a day and make about 64-70 oz per day. My baby is 8 weeks old. I have a really good stash going. I want to go to 6 pumps per day. Should I do every 4 hours or do a long stretch at night? My baby gets up once a night.
I would do a longer stretch at night and just get up whenever baby gets up! Make sure to add the time back so that your total pumping time in a day stays the same. Congrats!
currently i nurse (ebf) and am thinking abt transitioning to a more pumping style. my LO is nearly 5 months old and i have no idea how to transition! all i know is baby goes to sleep 8pm, wake 1030/1130pm, 2am, 4am, 530am, 7/730am, and than she has 3-4 naps so feedinngs with that. lately shes been up all yhe time at night and i jus want more of a schedule and i thinking pumping can help with that. but if i do transition how long do i pump for and i see ur recommendation is 5 pumps but i have noticed undersupply too so idk what to do or where to start.
Hi Mary! Here is some info about how to transition to exclusive pumping if you think that’s what you want to do. Good luck!
https://exclusivepumping.com/how-to-start-exclusively-pumping-breast-milk/
Hey Amanda! Question about weaning from 4 to 3ppd.
Currently I pump at 6/11/4/9ish. I have a slight oversupply and make about 45 to 50opd. I have been having issues with mastits lately and would like to begin weaning. Here’s the curveball-I am returning to work in 1 month. After speaking with my teacher collages, my prep and lunch will all happen before 11am. School gets out at 245 but I guess we will have many days where we need to meet after school.
Would you say 6/330/9ish pump schedule would be too much of a stretch? I’d like to stay on at least 3ppd until a year (currently almost 9mpp).
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jamie! Congrats on making it 9 months! I think at 10 months (when you go back to work), it should be okay with that oversupply. However, I obviously can’t guarantee anything. But you should have a good sized freezer stash in case you do see a drop? I would consider lecithin for preventing mastitis. Good luck!
This site is amazing–thank you so, so much, Amanda! I have been an exclusive pumper since my baby was born (despite a ton of lactation consultant visits she seemed to have “transfer” problems?) and cut down from 7 to 6 pumps a day about two or three months ago. My baby is now almost 8.5 months old and I’m wondering about cutting down to 5. However, I’m just barely producing enough (she eats 28 oz. a day, I produce about 30) and I do have a history of clogged ducts and mastitis. My current schedule is as follow: 6 am (1-hour pump), 10 am (1 hour 10 minute power pump), 12:30 or 1pm (30 minutes), 3:30pm (30 min), 6pm (30min), 9pm (30min). What do you think?
Hi Jess! I think it’s fine to drop a session now! There’s always a risk that your supply will go down, but I think at 8.5 months it’s a good time. I would ditch the 6pm and see if you can maybe move the 3:30 back a little (though I know this can be a hard time with work etc., if you can’t it’s fine). If possible, you could add some time to the 3:30 and 9 sessions, but you’re already pumping a ton so I understand if that’s not possible. Are you taking lecithin at all for the clogged ducts?
Oh Amanda, I cannot thank you enough for the reply! This is great news! I’m most keen to drop the 3:30pm pump, which is tough with daycare pickup, so I might shift the 12:30/1pm to 2pm and see how I do. I haven’t tried lecithin—but I’m eager for anything that might help forestall mastitis again (it was the WORST! Knocked me out far more than the c-section). Is there a particular dosage and brand I should look for?
Awesome! Any brand is fine, Dr. Newman says 1200mg 4 times a day. Good luck!
Hi! My daughter is almost 3 months old and I’m looking for advice on my pumping schedule. I currently pump 7 times a day 6am, 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:15pm, 8pm and 10:30pm. I had added the 7th about 2 weeks ago to try to re-establisg a freezer supply after being dairy free for a month and not being able to use what I had previously stored. It has helped me get an extra 3-4 ounces a day to freeze. My question is if I drop back down to 6 sessions but keep the total pumping time the same, would I still be able to store as much? I just went back to work and pumping 4 times during the work day does seem like a lot. Prior to adding the extra session I was pumping about 30 ounces a day and she drinks 29 ounces so I was keeping up with her and sometimes having a little extra to freeze. Thanks so much!
Hi Brandi! There is no way to know for sure what will happen, but I think there is a good chance it will be fine. I wish I could tell you for sure!
Hi Amanda! I’m so glad I found your page. I never knew that I could drop pumping sessions. Im still pumping 8x a day and my daughter is almost 6 months! I pump around 7:45a, 11a, 2pm, 4:30p, 7pm, 9pm, 11pm and 3am. It’s the 3am pump that’s the hardest for me because I keep sleeping through my alarm lately. Help!
Hi Nicole! I think you can drop it! Here is how I would suggest doing that!
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hey Nicole!
Im a fellow EP mom myself and had commented on here earlier so I saw your question to Amanda. I hope you do not mind me responding as well — my baby boy is 5 months old today, so when I saw that you are still pumping 8x/day with a 6 month old, I have to give you MAD PROPS!! What a rockstar momma you are!! I have no idea how you are doing it! I started with 7 pumps in the beginning (just could not fit that 8th in somehow) then I dropped to 6 then 5 a month and a half ago. It was the one in the middle of the night, and can I just say that was LIFECHANGING!! As Amanda recommends, you will increase the time you spend pumping the other sessions and I did that. My supply did not go down. It was a huge help though to sleep that extra time! A few days ago, I dropped to 4 pumps, pumping 45 minutes each time (I used to pump 30 minutes before for each pump) and it is going well. Amanda’s site (also check out her insta!) has been such a great resource! Best of luck to you and you are amazing!
Hi Amanda! Thank you for your amazing work, I’ve been spending hours on your website and find it SO helpful!
Could you recommend me something in my situation?
I’m trying to switch to the new pumping schedule “every 4 hours” instead of “every 3 hours”. But I’m already having clogged ducts almost every day and my boobs are getting really sore even if I try to wait for 3.5 hours. I’m taking lecithin 4 capsules/day, but it doesn’t seem to be changing much.
My baby is 2 months old, but I’m so tired of constant sleep deprivation.
Hi Polina! Have you tried making a super gradual shift? Like starting with every 3 hours and 15 minutes, and extending it until you can get to 4 hours?
Hi Amanda, I love your site and Instagram. I am EPer with twins who are almost 6 months – since 3 months I have been telling myself I want to stop but my babies get so gassy with formula (they have it 2x a day because preemies). I have elastic nipples and pumping used to take me so long to empty out. I recently increased suction and it goes so much faster, but my nipples are so raw and hate me. But I keep thinking I will stop soon so I just deal with the pain. Question, I only pump 4x a day (8am, 1pm, 7pm and 12am). If I went to 3x/day and kept the timing the same, do you think I will decrease my supply? I purchased your weaning guidebook to prepare for weaning but am getting emotional with the idea of stopping!
Hi Moni! Congrats on your sweet twins! Dropping from 4 to 3 is tricky – some people do see supply loss there, even with the total time the same (I did). But others don’t. If you’re thinking about weaning anyway it might makes sense to give it a try and see if you’re happier with 3, even if it does affect supply somewhat?
What flanges are you using for the elastic nipples?
Amanda, I use the medela flex one and I got beugen inserts but they stick to my skin (and nipple) and it feels like a bandaid getting ripped off the raw skin, so i stopped using them.
Hi Amanda! Thank you for your website. I dont feel alone.
Quick Q…so when you drop down to 2 pumps per day, each should be around an hour to add up to 120 mins?
Im not there yet but just thinking ahead. My boo is almost 4 months and I dropped the middle of night one (life changing!!!!) so Im down to 6 and playing with possibly going down to 5. Is my milk amount out supposed to stay same if I go down a session as long as time spent stays same?
Hi Bina! If you’re still trying to maintain your supply, you would want it to be 60 minutes. Yay for getting more sleep! Anything can happen when you drop a pumping session, but keeping the time the same gives you the best chance. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your site. It’s truly helped me. I am 8 months pp, and I am currently struggling. My partner would like me to reduce the time at the pump. I have elastic nipples and currently pump for 30 minutes at 5:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 10 PM. I’ve had mastitis twice, and power pumped my way back after both times back up to my previous supply (I’m an undersupplier so I supplement about 4 oz of formula). I’m starting to decrease again and I’m not sure if it’s related to my depression or trying new flanges due to my elastic nipples.
If I reduced down to 5 ppd, it seems like I could use your current schedule on the site — 5:30, 9/9:30, 12, 3, 10PM. I worry a little bit about that schedule because I’ve been prone to clogs and still have yet to fully get rid of everything since my most recent bout of mastitis. Should I just drop my 6 PM pump, by slowly reducing time and pushing it towards another pump time? Or would you suggest a different schedule?
Hi Tammy! Congrats on your sweet 8 month old! Question – are you taking lecithin for the clogs at all? Wondering if that would help you drop the 6pm without issues. Just an idea.
I am taking sunflower lecithin already.
Love your site! I am an ER PA and go back to work in a month, when my baby is 12 weeks. Currently she is 8 weeks and I pump seven times daily (4 AM, 8 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 5 PM, 8 PM, and 11 PM). It is going to be SUPER HARD for me to pump at work given the demands and I was wondering if you think I could manage one pump during a twelve hour shift, and when this would best be scheduled. My shift is 11 AM to 11 PM. Any ideas?
Hi Raquel! I think you could do it if you pumped right before, right after (like in the car) and once in the middle (if possible) and then pumped 3 times outside of that. not sure if that’s possible? The other thing I thought of – lots of healthcare professionals use the Willow pump with spillproof bags and pump and work at the same time. I know that’s expensive so just throwing it out there!
Do you think I should pump 4x and get more milk or keeping at 3 is okay?
Hello,
My baby has eczema and they suggested to give my baby hypoallergic formul fir the time being and pump and store my milk to see what he is allergic to. I was pumping 4-5timss a day getting about 30oz total but now I’m down to 3 pumps because life has been hectic getting 24oz. I pump 30-45mins per session, do you think it’s Ok to still pump 3 times or best to say good by to this pumping journey since he drinking formula?
Hi Ninh! I think it’s fine to keep pumping on the schedule you’re on now as long as you want to!
Hi Amanda
I pump 7AM,10AM,1PM,4PM,7PM,10PM, and would like to keep a early AM pump session at least for now . How would I incorporate that ? Thank you