April 2014 Moms

How many times per day do you pump?

I am clearly a FTM with this question but I am only pumping two or three times per day as I feel like I can't keep up with two week olds hunger to have enough time to feed and pump! Is there a good rule of thumb on this or shouldn't just be trying to figure out a schedule that works for her as she grows and pump around that? I feel like I should be pumping more and that maybe my baby is addicted to boob!

Re: How many times per day do you pump?

  • I pump every time LO has a short feeding, a long nap, or I just feel "full". Totally depends on the day. We only have a few pumped bottles in the fridge at a time that DH uses once a night for a feeding (I BF the other ones). Works for us, as I have a good supply and DS gets what he needs! I'm not looking to stockpile at all either though.

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  • ksulliksulli member
    With a 2w old I wouldn't pump at all (barring a supply issue). General wisdom (aka kellymom) says wait 4w if your schedule permits as that's how long it takes for your supply to regulate. Pumping too much too soon (while also feeding on demand) will usually lead to an oversupply.

    What is your goal? That's the only way to assess if you're pumping enough or not.

    I pump once a day because I'm home for several more weeks and just trying to get accustomed to the pump and get a freezer stash started, plus milk for day 1 back at the office. Other than that I put baby to boob on demand, and haven't offered a bottle. If/when we offer a bottle I'll pump to replace that feeding.
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  • SerenlaSerenla member
    I started pumping to give DS a supplement other than formula. Now I pump oncea day to start a freezer stash and so DH can take one night feeding.



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  • Well I guess I'm pumping to have a supply so I can eventually go back to work- I'm a part time contractor so im by appt and I will need to go back to work at some point soon. Also to get dad involved as he does bottles at night. I just feel like a slacker! My LC said 15 minutes after evey feeding which doesn't leave me barely time to pee as at some points LO wants the boob every 1.5 or 2 hours! I like the boob on demand situation as that's what we're doing now.
  • Well I guess I'm pumping to have a supply so I can eventually go back to work- I'm a part time contractor so im by appt and I will need to go back to work at some point soon. Also to get dad involved as he does bottles at night. I just feel like a slacker! My LC said 15 minutes after evey feeding which doesn't leave me barely time to pee as at some points LO wants the boob every 1.5 or 2 hours! I like the boob on demand situation as that's what we're doing now.

    I started only pumping in the morning either before DS wakes up or after he eats (he usually only takes one side, so I pump the side he doesn't rest).
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  • Pumping takes 1/4 of the time that nursing does, so I totally get the appeal. They had me pump after every feeding when DS was in the NICU, and I like having them drained before bed. I don't pump after every feeding anymore.

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  • I currently pump about one to three times per day
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  • Teresa1896Teresa1896 member
    edited May 2014
    Once every day or two, just to start a freezer stash. If I didn't have to go back to work in 8 weeks, I wouldn't be pumping yet.

    And I agree that what your LC told you is nuts. You could end up with a crazy painful oversupply pumping that much, unless you had low supply to start with.

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  • Serenla said:
    Now I pump oncea day to start a freezer stash and so DH can take one night feeding.

    This exactly. I pump in place of a night feeding where DH gives the bottle (before bed, around 10 - puts her to sleep for loger). If I have time, I'll squeeze one in during a long night during the day.
  • I pump whenever I feel full if LO is taking a long nap or sleeping for a 3+ hour period at night. Sometimes that is 2-3 times a day and other times it's not at all (usually during growth spurts). I would love to build a freezer stash but I only have about 50-60 oz so far.
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  • Ugh! It's a lot right? I think my LC was a bit off her rocker and honestly maybe it was just to get my milk come in as it was at our first meeting. I got baby girl up to birth weight by day 5 so my hope is that I can do as needed to build supply at this point and for relief! I agree going to bed after
    Pumping is nice! Wouldn't it be nice to sleep the whole night too? I miss sleep. Thanks for all the advice ladies I kept thinking I was so behind not pumping enough, was really stressing!
  • I pump in the morning after he nurses. My boobs as insanely full in the morning... then any time they feel full. If i have energy i try to before bed too.... but that isn't often. He is 12 days old and I have at least 60 oz in the freezer now. It's starting to become an addiction. I get so excited seeing my stash.
  • 60 oz? So jealous! Nice work!
  • I pump 6-7 times a day. I am not BF at all. I also supplement with two bottles of Neosure a day per MD recs because my twin girls were born early and were in the NICU. I would guess that I pump anywhere from 24-36 ounces a day

    Ella - 10/19/10
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  • JmblueJmblue member
    I pump once a day, I don't want an over supply. I will pump every 2-3 hours when I go back to work though
  • spano41spano41 member
    I EP so 8-10 times a day. The last few days I have been slacking and only got 7 in though. Right now I am freezeing around 12oz per day but I don't really know what to do with all of it. We are running out of freezer space and DH does not want to buy a separate freezer :/
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  • How do you know if you have a low supply?? If I do pump I only pump after a feeding (sometimes a 2 hr session) and only for about 5 minutes total. I'll usually get a little more than an ounce or so .. Is this normal or low ?? LO is content after a feeding and gaining weight ..
  • It's harder than I imagined ! And without support I can totally see why people give up on it ! It's also stressful, I hate not knowing for sure how much LO is getting at each feeding and just relying on his cues to tell me that he's full!
  • My LC told me to pump twice in the morning and only do this two weeks before I go back to work. I have 4 weeks until I return and at this point he am pumping once per day to get used to the pump and only do it for 10 min.
  • Avion22Avion22 member
    I'm also getting ready to go back to work.  I pump once a day, about an hour after the first morning feeding (normally around 6:45), and get about 4.5-5oz total.  Half goes in the freezer for the stash, and half goes in the fridge for a bottle later in the day.  

    When I go back to work I intend to add a mid-morning feeding (maybe 9:30am), lunchtime (12) and early afternoon (around 2:30), then feed him again when I get home at 5-5:30.   I have no idea how much I'll get when I'm pumping at work, but hopefully between that and the freezer stash I can cover what he'll eat during the day.
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