Breastfeeding:Exclusively Pumping

What do I need to pump exclusively?

Many women want to provide breastmilk to their baby but, for a variety of reasons, are unable to actually breastfeed. Although you may have planned on nursing your baby rather than pumping, you should be proud of yourself for providing your baby with the very best nutrition. Exclusively pumping breastmilk for your baby still provides all of the vitamins, minerals and immunities as it would if you were actually nursing your baby from the breast.

It is important to select a quality breast pump that will keep up with the daily demands of pumping. It is best to find a hospital-grade pump that will allow you to pump both breasts at once. The breast pump is going to be a critical piece of equipment that can ensure your baby gets all of the breastmilk they need to develop and grow properly.

If possible, begin pumping within the first six hours after delivery of your baby. If you do not have a quality breast pump, ask the hospital staff if they have any for rent or sale. Try to pump atleast 8-10 times in a day. Ideally you should be pumping every 2-3 hours, just as a newborn infant would nurse. You should not go any longer than 5 hours without pumping, especially in the early weeks. Before the actual milk comes in, aim to pump each breast for 10-15 minutes. Once the milk comes in, you should aim to pump for approximately 20-30 minutes per breast. You should be able to pump approximately 25-35 ounces of milk a day. The more often you pump, the more milk your body will make. However, the less often you pump, the less milk your body will make.

Common Problems:

Breast Tenderness & Engorgement: Pump more often to drain the breast completely. Full breasts can become sore, engorged and even infected if not cared for properly.
Slow Milk Production: Decrease the amount of time between pumping sessions. If you are pumping every 4 hours, begin pumping every 3. If you are pumping every 3 hours, try to pump every 2 hours to increase milk production. Make sure that you are using a quality pump that can handle the demands of daily pumping.
Too Much Milk: Increase the amount of time in between pumping sessions or decrease the amount of time spent pumping at each session. Having too much milk is better than not having enough, Excess milk can be stored, or frozen, for later use.

A Fussy Baby: Because what you eat and drink is passed through the breastmilk, pay close attention to your diet. Avoid spicy and greasy foods that can cause your baby to have gas. You may notice other foods that cause your baby to be fussy. Eliminate these foods from your diet so they are not passed through the milk.

Comments: Breastfeeding - Exclusively-Pumping

Comments 1 to 24 of about 135.
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escribo86 - 489 days ago.
I don't know where else to ask this...I couldn't breastfeed my daughter and so I had my milk dry up, little bits of it would leak out onto a pad in my bra for a week or so and then it eventually went away. What little itty bitty bit that did come out smelled awful, like bad milk or cheese. I'm pregnant with our second child and I'm only 21 weeks along and all of a sudden I smelled that smell again when I took my bra off and sure enough just a little tiny bit that had actually dried up and I had to pick it off came out of my nipples. Is this normal? For there to be this leaking this early on? And also for it to have that odor?

jlevine - 530 days ago.
hi ladies!! I have a pumping question!! My baby is 2 1/2 weeks old and would never latch due to a tongue tie, so I have been pumping pretty much since day 1! I pump and then bottle feed her. How much should i approx. be making do you know? She eats about 3 oz every 4 hours and i pump about 4-5 oz every 4 hours! because i'm pumping and not nursing, how will my body know when to make more, once she starts eating more? should i pump more often? I'm so confused about this! lol I breastfed my 2 year old up until he was 8 months old without a problem and rarely had to pump so I;m not too educated on the pumping! any help, advise and or input would be great! thanks! :)

smmiracle822 - 545 days ago.
Ashleywbhs2008-I would suggest pumping at least 20 minutes when you are pumping. Maybe do it every 2 hrs for a few weeks until your supply really gets going. But do at least 20 minutes. Also does your pump have a letdown button, if so when the suction slows down, hit the let down button and keep doing it that helped me alot. When I first began pumping when I went back to work, after about 10 minutes I was 'empty' but then I would hit the letdown button and I would get more :) Also have you ever met with a lactation nurse at your hospital? My son would never latch on but I used a nipple shield which worked well but they work best when a lactation nurse looks at your nipples and gives you one that properly fits you. I wish you luck!

ashleywbhs2008@yahoo.com - 546 days ago.
Hey everyone. My little boy is a week old today and wont take the breast right. They told me at the hospital that my nipples didn't protrude enough for him to latch on. My questions may be stupid but I can't really find an answer for them. How do you know when your breast is empty while pumping? I pump 3-4 hours even through the night and im still only getting about 4ozs at the most from both. I usually pump about 10-15 minutes on each side. Is it possible my milk isn't completely in yet? I am having to supplement with some formula because im not making enough milk to keep him happy. Any suggestions to increase my output? Sorry for all the questions im a first time mom so this is all new to me. Thanks! Any help is greatly appreciated.

starby - 577 days ago.
Anyone else e-pumping?

sherri79 - 825 days ago.
I had no choice but to pump, and now I am glad that I am but I am still trying to figure out how long... My baby is only 2 weeks and trying to figure out how long, I am currently pumping 10 - 15 mins at a time 5 times a day and wondering if this is long enough.... the pump I have is a double, and only holds 5 ozs in each bottle...any suggestions would be great thx

charmara - 848 days ago.
maggiek- how long does it take to empty fully? I pump for about 15-20 minutes depending on how much time i have.

charmara - 848 days ago.
I have to pump. I can't breastfeed because my baby can't suck strong enough and I also have to put thick it in the bottle so he won't aspirate. I was able to with my other 3 and I am missing it with this one :( my biggest fear is not being able to keep up with the pumping. It's hard to find a schedule to pump, feed baby and get other kids taken care of. I have done it so far, but how long can this last? Ugh, I am feeling defeated.

heather12 - 929 days ago.
When I was e pumping I just got a sports bra cut holes where the nipple shields would go. Cheap and easy...worked GREAT!

DiandClover - 959 days ago.
For anyone who pumps I suggest you look up a product called the PumpEase - a hands-free pumping support 'bra' that allows double pumping with NO HANDS! Wish I knew about it when I was exclusively pumping for my son! If you live in Canada, the creator of the PumpEase, Wendy Armbruster, will be featured on Dragon's Den on CBC October 13th. Here is the Facebook page if anyone is interested in reading more about it: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PumpEase

jessicac21 - 978 days ago.
mommi2be!-That happened to me to :( I know how you feel, i feel like a failure and im missing the bonding. I am pumping every 2 to3 hours and having to supplement because he is a hungry little guy.

mommi2be! - 990 days ago.
I feel horrible. I was BF perfectly fine and intriduced the bottle and was able to go back and forth i didnt give my baby my boob for 1 or 2 days and now she wont take it any more. I feel like i have failed and miss the bonding experience. I do plan to keep on pumping to give the nutrients my baby needs. Any one else in the same place as me?

maggiek - 995 days ago.
Hi katiebear, When I pumped I made sure I had it on full to get the most out at one time.... It hurts at first but you get used to it.... But I must say to keep your supply up, you have to pump every 3-4 hours and empty fully.... Hopefully that little baby of yours will be ready to latch any time soon! :)

maggiek - 995 days ago.
Hi sophieanna , I pumped for 6 months and it worked well for me. I made sure I pumped right from the start every 3 hours to keep the supply up. I also made sure I emptied each breast fully!

katiebear - 1035 days ago.
stuck pumping over here because baby has a poor latch. ...weak lower jaw. I'm hoping he strengthens it through some random nursing and using breastflow bottles. I was pumping every 3 hrs but I can't stand it anymore. pumping 3-4 times and praying to GOD my supply stays and this boy gets strong and switches back over eventually. ...my sil told me she coudl get 10 ozsin ten mins ...really? is that possible? Maybe she had it totally cranked up. OUCH! I'm getting about 30 ozs a day and babe(6 weeks) eats 3-4 every 3-4 hours.

BabySaunders - 1165 days ago.
I was EP for 3 weeks and got my supply super high. I was at 60z a day and not the 25-35 that it says here. Well that was fine while pumping, however I JUST got my son to finally latch on and breastfeed. Now I'm leaking all over the place! Technically I could continue pumping, but my freezer is FULL and I'm so sick of pumping every 3 hrs. Any advice on how to stop leaking? I can't do anything because I just squirt like crazy.

dayzahnise - 1183 days ago.
hi, ladies i hope all is well. my baby is almost 7 weeks and when i was in the hospital i did breastfeed. when i got home i started formula. (DONT KNOW WHY) so when he turned 3 weeks i started using the breast pump. then i stoped agin. when i look down at my baby and see him with a bottle of formula i dont feel the bond is there so i started using fenugreek pills. i got them at the vitamin shoppe online. i also got a herb tea called organic mothers milk. it works like fenugreek. its just tea. it helps to keep your milk supply high . good for mothers that are relactating.

babybellybliss - 1196 days ago.
i had been doing the fermented oatmeal..it tastes terrible, i make sure to drink at least a liter of water a a day, and i started fenugreek yesterday at supper time i think it can take a few days to work so we will see. i am getting frustrated with only pumping small amounts.

Mama2B 01-10-10 - 1197 days ago.
babybellybliss--have you tried some of the recommendations to increase milk supply? the herb fenugreek is supposed to increase supply... up to 500%. it's comes in the forms of seeds, teas, leafy greens, and pill form. it's most potent in pill form. i myself haven't been able to find it in a store yet, but i only checked walgreen's and a local food supermarket. i highly recommend this, as well as drinking TONS of water. some of the ladies in the one month forum swear by old fashioned oats too. apparently they mix it with water and let it sit out for 7 hours, then warm it up and eat it. sounds wierd, but i'm thinking about trying it. i don't have a supply issue by i want to mass produce so that i may freeze it and be done pumping early. good luck, and let me know if something works for you!

Mama2B 01-10-10 - 1197 days ago.
i am confused about figuring out what size shield to use. when i was in the hospital, they gave me new shields that were one size up from standard. i am bigger busted, but not enormous (i don't know what size exactly, but i overflow out of a 34DD). i have average sized areolas and nipples (i think). sorry if TMI btw. the thing is that when i start pumping, it fits fine. but as i continue pumping, the suction enlarges my nipples. basically, my entire areola get sucked into the shield and looks like a giant nipple. it fills the width of the shield and rubs against the sides. is this normal? i feel like since it does this, it really doesn't matter what size shield i use because it's going to fill the tube due to the suction. any thoughts? oh, and to help with the friction, i usually use a little lanolin before pumping so that 2 dry surfaces aren't rubbing against each other. also, when i'm done pumping, the tip of my nipples usually look purple-ish. if i press on them gently, it goes back to normal. i think it's blood getting sucked to the surface? is that abnormal too?

babybellybliss - 1197 days ago.
i rented a hospital grade pump and i am still lucky to get an ounce or ounce and a half :(

emilyloubabynumber2 - 1198 days ago.
Mama2be 1-10-10:Pumping should never hurt. No matter how long or how much you are doing it. I would suggest you see a counsultant. You might be using the wrong shield size for your breasts. Also to help with the redness and soreness for now, when you are done, use some of your milk on y our nipples. It will help them heal.

Mama2B 01-10-10 - 1198 days ago.
i'm still EP. god i'm so tired of it. i got lazy and started doing it 4-6 times a day instead of 8. i just CAN'T do it every 3 hours! my nipple STILL hurt and are constantly pink and irritated... and i am almost 7 weeks PP. my let down has really slowed down too. it takes a good 5 or 10 minutes before i can get streams instead of drops. also, it takes me AT LEAST 30 minutes to empty, sometimes more like an hour. i know they don't recommend pumping that long and that is probably why my nipples are so sore, but i don't like to leave milk in there because then my supply drops substantially. i also want to make sure to get all of the hind milk since i had a low birth weight baby. i am so desperate to quit pumping early that i think i'm going to get some Fenugreek just so i can pump MASS amounts of milk and freeze it for later use.... and i mean TONS of milk... like 10 - 12 oz a pump session.

Mama2B 01-10-10 - 1198 days ago.
they say a hospital grade one. i really liked the medela pump my hospital had, but they are like $400. i have the medela pump in style. it's an electric dual pump... probably the most popular one. but even that is $275. i bought mine used on craigslist and just boiled all of the plactic parts.

babybellybliss - 1200 days ago.
and what is the most efficient pump to use?