How often do you pump? (I’m strictly pumping)

Question

My baby is in the NICU an hour away from home. I am only able to pump right now, I may be able to breast feed later once she gets the hang of it all. She’s still trying to get hang of latching and drinking on her own. Just curious how often people pump, I was told every 3 hrs, but it seems near impossible... every time I get done change her, feed her, etc. I have to pump again.

Answer

Yes, if you don’t pump every 2-3 hours then you won’t produce enough for her. That mimics the frequency that a newborn nurses... and yes it totally sucks, but is also totally worth it. It hopefully won’t be for long and your LO is coming home soon! If she gets a bottle a lot of the hospital, when you try to latch her you may want to try a nipple shield because it will feel more familiar for her. Good luck!

Answer

Every three hours. Pumping is life kinda. It takes up a ton of time. That’s why I think BF is so much easier. 
Check out paced bottle feeding so that your baby might be more likely to latch once it’s time.

Answer

Every 2-3 hours. DONT go longer than 3 hours especially in the first 8-12 weeks.

Answer

Ideally, you should pump every time the baby takes a bottle to keep your supply up, it’s super time consuming, but definitely worth it. Good luck and congrats on your LO!

Answer

When my babies were in the NICU I pumped every 2 hours during the day, power pumped for an hour in the evening (15 minutes pumping 10 minutes off, repeat), and then every 3 hours at night.

Answer

I didn’t pump every 3 like they suggested and now at 2 months old I’m only able to give her one bottle of breast milk a day. I’m only getting maybe 3-4 ounces pumped a day

Answer

I personally pumped every two hour as well as fed my daughter straight from the Boob as much as possible while in the NICU. although I stayed with her in the hospital.

Answer

I exclusively pumped for my son, he was a preemie in the NICU. for the first 12 weeks I pumped every 2-3 hours, even though the night. in the beginning you're going to want to be consistent and the middle of the night pumps are the most important! good job momma and good luck :)

Answer

I pumped every 3 hours. You’re right....it’s basically your life. No time for much of anything else.  Once I got sleep deprived enough, I would sleep through my alarms for the middle of the night pumps. I wasn’t making enough milk so around week 3 I would also power pump once a day. After a month I could go maybe 4 hours. Then starting at 3 months I was going 4-5 hours. And at 6 months it was like 5-7 hours. That was probably pushing it because I make a few ounces less now at 7 months. I’ve been able to feed my baby just breast milk though, aside from the first two weeks I had to supplement with formula. But once the baby slept through the night around 2 months, I slept too....so there is an 8 hour break for me to sleep.

How often do you pump? (I’m strictly pumping)

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey