A reference of how often to pump, how long, and will it ever get easier?
(Please remember that I was an "exclusive pumper" (EP), so my information below can and/or should be modified for someone who is pumping in combination with nursing or formula feeding. In fact, even other EP'ers can modify to fit whatever works for them.)
One of the first things I had to learn is how often to pump, for how long, and when?
HOW OFTEN?
Consider that a normal newborn baby nurses on average 8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period. Most experts will recommend pumping about every two hours, and not going longer than three hours between sessions, for the first two months. The reason for this is stimulating supply.
Here's a golden rule about breast milk production - whether on day 1 or day 100:
The more frequently your breasts are emptied, the more milk you should produce. Waiting for them to "fill up" (sometimes painfully) will actually trigger your body to slow down, not step up production.
Therefore, for months 1-2, if you pump at least every 3 hours for about 20 minutes, you should establish and maintain a good milk supply. It’s insanely hard in the beginning, but you really do need to keep pumping every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. Plus, prolactin (the hormone that tells your body to make milk) is highest in the early morning, so you definitely want to pump then as well - this is that 2 am to 5am hour. If you can at least get one pump in during this time, it will really help you.
So, I'd say, the main goal in months 1-2 is to get a minimum of 7 pumps per day. From my experience, when I pushed myself to get in 8 pumps per day, my supply REALLY increased. But most of the time, I was just so tired and ended up with 7. If it helps chill you out a little, it's about the number of pumps per day, not necessarily the exact amount of time between pumps, that counts. On days I needed to run an errand or just wanted to get out of the house without dragging my pump along, I would pump every 2 hours in the morning and then have a window of about 4 or 5 hours in the afternoon to do everything and would then pump again every 2 hours in the evening/night to get my total of 7-8 pumps in for the day.
That being said, lots of moms stay sleeping in the middle of the night if baby is sleeping. I was a bit more masochistic, so I did get up regardless. You decide what is best for you. A lot of pumping (and motherhood!) is trial and error. This is why keeping info in an app or spreadsheet (or journal) is helpful. If you start sleeping through the night or going longer stretches and see a huge decline in your volume, you can always set you alarm to add another pump back in.
HOW LONG?
Everyone has an opinion, but most experts agree that you should pump for about 20 minutes. At a minimum, 15 minutes, and don't go more than 25. If you pump for 3-5 minutes after milk stops flowing readily, it can sometimes help urge another "let down" (this is when the breast releases the milk due to stimulation! I had to look that up). At the very least, it will maintain production as well as encouraging increase in supply (if needed).
So the standard advice is to pump for about 20 minutes; 15 minutes should absolutely be the minimum pumping time, especially when you’re working towards a solid, steady supply.
WHICH SETTING?
"More" is NOT always "better” when it comes to the suction settings on the breast pump. The higher/harder suction value does NOT necessarily equate into more milk. Sometimes "more" just means "ouch!" Most experienced pumpers keep the pump speed on a lower setting for comfort.
Test the various suction settings on your pump by using the dial. Remember, you have to stay connected 20 minutes, so if you're in a lot of pain, turn down the settings; you might actually get more milk because you are more relaxed! (I was between a 4-5 on my Medela PIS)
WHEN DOES THIS GET EASIER?!
Around the third month your maximum flow/supply will probably be established. This is when you can begin to drop the number of times per day that you pump and not see too much of a decrease in total output. (Again, this is where your app or spreadsheet comes in handy!) If you do the hard work in the beginning, I promise it will pay off when this time comes!
If you can't manage keep up the number of pumps per day in the beginning, don't sweat it. You may have to keep pumping a higher number of times per day to maintain a reasonable supply. Or, you may have such a great supply and so much frozen milk that you can drop pumps earlier. Or you may run out, or give up, get sick, or find something that works better for you. Everything is dependent on how each woman produces milk and how baby is doing. But it's rarely unfixable, so don't ever stress.
After month 3, I started walking down my milk production to a more "reasonable" interval. Baby #2 had a larger supply earlier on, so you might notice the difference. Baby #2 also had complications (un-healing split nipples) which forced me to stop earlier, too.
Month 1 – 8 times a day Month 1 – 8 times a day
Month 1.5 – 7 times a day Month 1.5 – 6 times a day
Month 2 – 6 times a day Month 2 – 5 times a day
Month 3/4 – 5 times a day Month 3/4 – 4 times a day
Month 5/6 – 4 times a day Month 5/6 – 3 times a day
Month 7/8 – 3 times a day Month 7 – 2 times a day
Month 9 – 2 times a day Month 8 – FAST WEAN
Month 10 - SLOW WEAN
After month 5, I did sacrifice some milk production every time I dropped a pump, but still held around 50 ounces per day (I made a LOT of milk). Note, once you start dropping pumps, you may need to pump longer at each session (because you’ve gone longer in between pumps and need longer to empty your breasts).
With what I was making, using and storing, there’s no way my baby would ever eat that much so I saw no reason to pump more often. The app also helped me calculate how much I needed to keep making to get to my goal of frozen stores (which was at least 1 year of breast milk for baby #1).
Ultimately, you will have to decide how long you want to pump (or even can), and how much you want to make. And whatever you want, or have to decide, will be great!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
I firmly believe that pumping is 10% physical and 90% psychological. If you try to keep as positive, as possible, I think you will have a better outcome. The sensitivity goes away after the second month, and the weight loss should stabilize by month 3.
The best part – I could eat ANYTHING I wanted for the next 7 months while I pumped – a great reward for a big sacrifice!
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