How long do you pump??

lbursey · July 2011

Lately I've been giving LO a bottle or 2 of expressed milk a day. Somedays it's been more. The days when I've been away for a hours and LO has had more than one bottle his poops have been green. Usually I pump for about 15 minutes and get anywhere from 3-4 ounces per side depending on how long it's been inbetween feedings or time of the day. But, I'm wondering if I'm not getting enough of the hind milk. Should I completely empty the breast or stop after 15 minutes?? Could the green poop indicate something else??

rainstar752 · July 2011

I pump until nothing comes out, even after breast compression /massage. My supply isn't great though so I need every drop I can get! It can take anywhere from 12-30 minutes.

11kacey · July 2011

I pump after I feed her for ten minutes. If I were pumping instead of feeding her I would pump for at least twenty minutes (just as long as she feeds).

DowagerCountessofNJ · July 2011

Green poop isn't necessarily indicative of a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. In fact, it's not necessarily indicative of a problem at all. If it was an imbalance issue the poop would be really frothy and green and your LO would be extremely uncomfortable due to gas.

To answer your question though I pump for 10-15 minutes depending on how fast the milk flows. I get anywhere between 6 and 8 oz. total. I also pump right after the first morning feeding when I'm fuller.

When you're done pumping look at the milk you collected...does it have a yellow or golden hue to it or does it look more blue or grey? If it's yellow/golden then you've got the hindmilk, if it's blue/grey keep pumping you have mostly foremilk. You can also tell if you got hindmilk after the milk has sat in the fridge for an hour or two and a thick layer of fat accumulates on top.

mari_gold · July 2011

Green poop is normal for a breastfed baby. Don't sweat it. As for pumping, I go for at least 10 minutes, if the milk has stopped flowing, and up until 20, if I have the time.

mesr · July 2011

i only pump for 7-10 minutes. by that point my flow has slowed to a trickle.

Telly21182 · July 2011

Some sessions I pump for 10-12 min and have drained myself, other times I gon25 minutes. I usually get anywhere from 5-10 oz per session, and 6-7 is the most common. Im actually planning to start trying to increase my supply so I can get more, since I've gone a week of EPing successfully!!

nic5606 · July 2011

I pump every 3-4hrs for 20-30mins and get 5-9 ozs usually. My lactation RN said pump 2 mins after the last drop and never stop pumping if you still have some milk spraying.

cvl105 · July 2011

I pump between 10-15 minutes normally. I pump once a day usually after I feed her. I usually get 4-6 oz, depending on when I pump, morning vs afternoon/night.

justme04 · July 2011

I pump until I dont see anything else coming out. Then I will massage my breast and try again for a couple of minutes to see if I can get anything else out.

RClaffee · July 2011

I take forever to pump! I have multiple letdowns, so as soon as I think I am ready to stop, I start gushing again. It can take up to half an hour.

FWIW, regarding the green poop, it doesn't necessarily mean that anything is wrong with your milk. One of my girls has green poop and the other has the typical yellow seedy ones. They eat about the same amount and both get pumped milk.

skidunks · July 2011

I pump until there's nothing else coming out. I also massage the heck out of them trying to get as much as possible. If I've just fed him it's usually around an oz per side. If I'm doing it in place of a feeding it's usually around 2.5-3 oz per side. I think it usually ends up being around 10 minutes that I pump.

butterfly62682 · July 2011

You are not supposed to pump for longer than 20 mins because it can cause trama to the nipples. This is what the leader of the La leche League told me, my doctor, and the research I have read online. This is especially true if you crank your pump up to full blast. Just watch out.

ShandaB · July 2011

I usually pump for 15 minutes although sometimes it's a bit less if DS is awake and cranky. I try to pump 3-4 times each day. I was trying to do it after each feeding but LO was too demanding so I didn't really have the time for that.

How long do you pump??

Re: How long do you pump??

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