How often and long do you pump?

Question

I’m new to exclusive pumping. My 3 week old is going through a growth spurt it seems and I’m struggling to keep up with him. Would like advice on how often and long each pumping session is? I’m currently producing between 2-4 oz when I do a 15 min (sometimes 20 min) every 2-4 hours.

Answer

At that age, I think your pumping is fine. I'd probably do closer to 30 minutes, but if you're not getting anymore milk out after 15-20 minutes, then you don't have to pump that long. And pumping every 2-4 hours is fine. It's just recommended to pump 7-8 times a day for I think 12 weeks, though I'm not 100% sure on that. You just don't want to decrease pumps before then because your milk supply gets more established at 12 weeks and on so you don't risk a decrease in milk when you decrease pumps.

Answer

I pumped for the first week of pumping every 3 hours to establish my supply and then extended it to every 6 hours, which I’ve been doing for almost 6 months now.  I do each side separately and massage and empty out my breasts completely, 15 minutes a side.

Answer

For the first 12 weeks I pumped every 2.5-3 hours for 20 minutes (even throughout the night). I was unable to get the oz I needed during the day but the night pumps would help me top off bottles throughout the day until my supply regulated.

How often and long do you pump?

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