How much do you get when you pump?

LMPOY · January 2016

I feel like I am not able to pump the amount of milk I should be able to. I just started pumping in addition to BF but when I do I only get about an oz from each breast and then the milk just comes out really slowly. I know i have a good supply usually DS gets anywhere from 3-4 oz per feeding (based on lactation appointments). So my question is how long do you ladies pump for and how much do you get? Is there a trick to it?

ammnam14 · January 2016

I usually get about 2-4 oz depending on the time of day. DD is at 3.5 oz per feeding so I supplement what I can't produce. I try to pump for the recommended 15 minutes but sometimes I just don't have the time to sit there that long.

angelicac06 · January 2016

2-3oz total in 10 mins. Thats only if my LO has been off my boob for an hr (hes napping.) The longer its been the closer to 3 I get.

Gingermom15 · January 2016

I usually only pump at night when SO feeds Henry with expressed milk. I pump when he eats and usually get anywhere from 7-10 ounces combined, but that is at night when milk production is at it's highest.
Your body just might not respond as well to the pump as others, that is totally normal. When pumping just message your breasts and keep pumping for 2-5 minutes after milk has stopped flowing because you should get another let down. Be cautious of pumping after feeding though, you don't want an oversupply.

meansallison · January 2016

I get about 5 to 6oz. I was told to pump for 30 minutes. I'm exclusively pumping however for now due to my son being so tongue tied. Once he is out of the NICU and is clipped I will go back to BF so I probably won't pump for as long.

Taylovesbrad · January 2016

Holy moly you girls are lucky. I get 2 to 3 ounces combined in the morning and it goes down during the day. But my lo has a tounge tie that's getting clipped thursday so hopefully when he is able to empty my breast better my supply will grow.

ssn109 · January 2016

Jealous of all of you. I'm having a serious supply issue, I'm lucky to get even an ounce total from both. My left only produces a few ml each time. I'm having to work really hard to increase my supply, and it's going really slowly.

jkloeppel · January 2016

I only pump after LO has gotten her fill. I get .5 to 1 oz total of I'm lucky. I pump twice a day.

nik6499 · January 2016

It's important to remember that your production is linked to demand. Overtime your production will increase but we are all at different stages so everyone is going to pump varying amounts that are not really comparable.

LMPOY · January 2016

Thanks everyone! Interesting to see where everyone is at with this! I also don't feel my let down so not sure if this effects efficient pumping. Anyone else not feel their let down?

kdoak2015 · January 2016

I don't feel my let down and only get .5 oz combined after a feed.

redfallon · January 2016

How about 20 mL combined in 20 minutes...

momotheflyinglemur · January 2016

I have been taking fennel seed supplements and drinking all sorts of "Mother's Milk" teas and juice mixes. I usually get close to three oz per breast any time throughout the day when I pump. But mostly, I just empty myself out first thing in the morning, because my husband takes care of Odie at night.

teachmegs817 · January 2016

When DS was in NICU, I was pumping every three hours and bringing milk up to the hospital for him. I'd also pump after feeding him, when I was visiting him in NICU. My supply came in within day 3 and each day I was producing more. I was up to probably 1.5-2.5 oz. each time I pumped. By the time he was discharged I had a bunch of milk given back to me that was frozen from the hospital because I had so much and he was only taking 50-55mL per feeding. I got a little lazy with pumping and even nursing consistently because I had so much milk between what I had stored and what the hospital gave me. Today has been the first day in about 4-5 days that I've been pumping and nursing consistently. I hope I didn't screw up my milk supply in any way and begun to dry up, because when I pumped today, I barley got 30mL's out of my 6pm pumping. During those 4-5 off days, I'd pump first thing in the morning around 5-6AM and get about 5oz's.

theawc42 · January 2016

I think it depends on how old your LO is. Mine is 2 weeks and I try and pump first thing in the morning and at night after I nurse her. She will only nurse on one side per feeding and she's getting now about 3oz so that's also what I get out of the other side when I pump.

mrs14678 · January 2016

Yeah. 1.5 weeks PP. I usually get 2 oz combined each time during the day - about every 2-3 hrs. Usually first thing in the morning I get the full 3 oz he drinks each feeding. For the regular feedings, I do supplement with formula for whatever he needs extra that he's not getting from me.

Court11152325 · January 2016

I've noticed a lot of you are pumping at 1.5 weeks or so pp - I was told to wait until 3 weeks pp to start. If you're less than 3 weeks, are you EP? Or already working on your stash? Or some other issue?

I'm looking forward to building a stash and hope that I get a decent amount when pumping, but I'm waiting 1 more week to start.

teachmegs817 · January 2016

@Court11152325 I'm not sure who told you to wait, I wasn't forced by any means, but highly encouraged by the nurse in my recovery room to pump a few hours after giving birth to my son. From there on out, I was advised to pump every 3-4 hours until I began nursing him. Doctors and nurses kept reminding me that I may not get much for the first 3-5 days, as it takes about that long for your milk supply to come in. I nurse during the day (4-5 times) and then pump in between (usually 4 times a day). My LO gets expressed milk during 2-3 of his feedings and it's usually the last night time one and 2 early morning feedings or the 2 early morning feedings and first morning feeding around 6-7am.

JulieK79 · January 2016

Court11152325 said:
I've noticed a lot of you are pumping at 1.5 weeks or so pp - I was told to wait until 3 weeks pp to start. If you're less than 3 weeks, are you EP? Or already working on your stash? Or some other issue?

I'm looking forward to building a stash and hope that I get a decent amount when pumping, but I'm waiting 1 more week to start.

I EBF but pump once each morning and started at two weeks. When I wake up I am extremely full and need to pump so that I'm not uncomfortable. It has also helped me build my stash of breast milk for when I go back to work but I started at two weeks specifically to relieve the discomfort of how I felt each morning.

ATolentino89 · January 2016

I was told to wait too by a LC and my sons pediatrician. They said to wait until my milk was established and to pump the side he doesn't eat on but only add one pumping session and when he gets that bottle (by someone else,never me) to pump and freeze that for my stash. LO is one month old and I get 3oz combined. It's supposed to help from oversupply when I go back to work and pump there.

TomekiaB · January 2016

@Court11152325 I've only pumped to relieve discomfort. My nipples were to sore to EBF, after talking to a lactation consultant my let down is insanely fast and so DS was coping by pulling off the "good latch"
and would try to control the flow by sucking on my nipple like a straw.

The midwives and nurses had commented on a tongue or lip tie but said it was mild. I realized that DS was gasping and sputtering or otherwise acting like he was choking when I BF, so the lactation consultant has shown me some positions that he has better control over speed of milk which has helped him a lot in the past 2 days.

I also get pretty engorged at night, I pump just enough to relieve some of the pain or to loosen up the engorgement enough for DS to latch better. DH feeds a bottle when I pump and I try not to pump more or longer than DS would eat per breast.

mrs14678 · January 2016

Court11152325 said:
I've noticed a lot of you are pumping at 1.5 weeks or so pp - I was told to wait until 3 weeks pp to start. If you're less than 3 weeks, are you EP? Or already working on your stash? Or some other issue?

When I finally was able to be aware and angry enough about the incompetent communication between areas and saw my baby again 24 hours after he was born, 10 hours or so after they "took him to the nursery so mom and dad could rest", I was told that I wasn't allowed to breastfeed since his chart didn't specifically say I could. It was a horribly awful situation where he was mistakenly taken to the NICU, and no one told me why or where he was until the next day and I asked every hour on the hour for about 5 hours where my baby was and when could I see him and if they could tell me why I couldn't..... Then when I finally was able to go to NICU, the nurse was so extremely rude, loud, and self-gratifying that she wouldn't even listen to me...... So... A lactation consultant finally brought me a pump halfway through the day... Ugh! It still makes me mad. I'm working on typing up my hospital experience, and also a letter to the director of the NICU. I'm glad my baby didn't have a problem, and now I'm concerned for the babies in there that really do need care!!!

kit9452 · January 2016

I get about 2-4 oz each pumping session, but I also BF in between when LO wants to. I'm getting a bit frustrated as she is already eating 4 oz each feeding, so it's near impossible for me to build a stash. I pump so my husband can feed her in the evenings/night or for when we are out and about.

kksquared · January 2016

3 weeks pp and I get about 4-6 oz. if I pump one side while he eats I get 3-4 oz from that one side.

BrookeBrown2015 · January 2016

3 weeks pp also. I got 4-5 oz when he was in the nicu. The couple times I pumped in the past few days since he's been out I only got like 2 oz

oregonmommy-2 · January 2016

My baby is 3 weeks old today and I have been pumping once a day since about 3 days pp. I usually pump in the morning after his first feeding and I only get from 1 to 2 oz. I'm not sure if this is normal or if I will start to get more later.. He has been gaining weight so Pediatritian told me not to worry that he is getting what he needs from breast feeding.. But I feel nervous that I should be getting more during pumping..

enigmaanjel · January 2016

I maybe get .5-1 oz combined.

rmarie13 · January 2016

I pump about 4 times a day, whenever I start to get uncomfortably full. I'm mostly pumping and bottle feeding. On average I get 7-9oz combined after each 30 min session. In the middle of the night I bf DD because it's easier. Trying to build up a stash for when I go back to work.

esscapelle · January 2016

For you ladies that pump often, do you find that you have to sit at a certain angle to get more out of each session? ....I'm wondering if you have to sit directly straight up, or if you can lean back without it affecting how much you get out. Sorry if this is a dumb question!

Gingermom15 · January 2016

@esscapelle that's not a dumb question at all. I fine that pumping is more efficient if I alternate the ankles that I hold the shields. If I slightly angle them upwards for some reason it usually triggers another let down and I get quite a bit more milk. I like to sit leaning forward a bit when I'm almost done, but I'm
Not sure if it helps or if it's more mind over matter. I get the same amount this way as sitting straight up. If I lean back I don't get as much.

Taylovesbrad · January 2016

I hope you ladies have the Medela pumping bra.. it's amazing!

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