How long should I pump for?

Question

My LO is 3 weeks old so I’m pretty new at this. I don’t know how long I should be pumping for at a time or what’s considered the norm. Usually I get like 2 oz from one side within like 5-7 min. Should I pump for more time or less?

Answer

Depends. If you’re nursing it’s recommended by many lactation consultants to wait on pumping until about 6 weeks old since breast feeding babies cluster feed to establish your supply. Pumping during this process might not allow your body to keep up with the demands of your baby. If you’re exclusively pumping you should pump every 2-3 hours for no less than 20 minutes. Pumping for only 5-7 minutes will not fully empty your breasts and you won’t get a good balance of foremilk and hindmilk. Hindmilk is important because of its fat content. That’s the milk that comes after the foremilk. Plus not fully emptying you breasts will signal your body to produce less.

Answer

I always do 20 minutes and usually have emptied both breasts by then. If milk is still coming I'll keep pumping but never longer than 25 minutes.

Answer

Are u exclusively pumping or are u nursing then pumping

Answer

Depends on whether or not you’re exclusively pumping or not. When I was pumping 7-8 Times a day I would pump for about 15-20 minutes per side (or just 15-20 minutes if I was doing both at the same time). 
The main rule of thumb I learned for exclusive pumping is your total time should be at least 2 hours a day. Just divide that by how many pump sessions you do. I was usually closer to 3 hours, but my boobs have a really large capacity so I had to pump longer to empty them completely (which was fine for me because I was building g a freezer stash as well).

Answer

30 min each boob or 15 min each

How long should I pump for?

Let’s Glow

Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy

25+ million

4.8 stars

20+

Getting Pregnant

Pregnancy

1st Year (Baby & You)

Baby Products