Exclusive Pumping- When Can I Drop a Session????

I always pumped the same amount of times my son ate, unless there was a supply issue, then more. Keep up the good work!

Wow...a pumping BRA???? My jugs won't let me do anything hands free except nurse.

Yep, it does get easier, and I know you know this, if you nursed your now 4yo. How in the world are you pumping 8-9 times a day, with or without a 4yo? Is your nickname Supermom?!

You probably played it by ear with your older child and didn't pay attention to the schedule. Now that you need more organization, you might want to talk with a lactation consultant to get an approximate schedule for growth spurts and such, just so you can know what to expect before it hits you.

I was just like you as well. I exclusively pumped as well. Worked very well for us. I was even lucky enough in the beginning to have an abundant supply. So much so that I have it in garbage bag in the deep freezer. If you get to this point freeze it up b/c my supply has since dropped. I had my baby in November and have graduated to 3 pumpings a day. My main goal was to not have to pump in the middle of the night. In the beginning I pumped every 3 hours which was about when my son ate. Since he is older & is sleeping thru the night I have cut down a bunch. I am using up my freezer milk and just keeping up with him now. I have a 4 year old & a 7 year old & I know it gets old having to sit for 30 minutes at a time to pump. I am not against formula feeding. I did it with my first two with no issues. Where did you find the pumping bra? That sounds awesome! PM if you have questions.

Congrats to you for having the commitment to doing this! I know how draining it can be to pump exclusively.

As for when you can cut back, a lot depends on your supply. Are you someone who can pump 6-8 ounces per session, or do you only get 2-4? While 2-4 per session is enough for a newborn, within a few months, your baby will need 5-8 per feeding. So you might want to continue pumping a lot to freeze it for later. Also, for at least the next month or two, your baby will eat 8-9 times per day, so you'll need to pump as many times as she's eating to make sure you have enough food.

I would say by about three months old, you can probably cut back on a pump session or two, assuming you get at least 5-6 ounces each time you pump. However, be prepared for any change in your routine to affect your supply, and understand that it might mean supplementing with formula.

Keep it up until it becomes too overwhelming/stressful/time consuming for you. You are doing a wonderful thing for your daughter, but short term goals are definitely the way to go.

yes it gets easier once you stop. your only going to be doing this for a few months of her life. it will get better once you stop. you have a goal and you have asked this question several times. if you feel your loosing your mind over it then quit or drop a session as you feel needed with the understanding that your milk supply might deminish or stop all together. do what you can and what is best for your family. even if that means its really hard for you all for a few months. i still feel you are blessed with milk ( i was not ). if you need someone to say its ok to stop because it is too h*** o* your family (which is what i need at times..an ok from others that it truly is ok) you got it momma! you were able to do this for a while now and i think you are doing a wonderful job. i personally wont think you gave up but did the best for your daughter for as long as you could. i belive your daughter is the one with latching issues? you adjusted but it might be too trying for your family and its ok

Yes, it does get eaiser. As she gets bigger and won't need to eat as often is when you can cut one out. You can do this! I too had set short term goals with pumping because I justq didn't like pumping but also new how good it was for my little one. I sneers up pumping for 13 months! I think I was down to 2-4 pumps a day and slowly decreased from there. It can be done and yes, very time comsuming! Good job!

Well, I must say I don't think it gets easier! Sorry! I did it with both my kids and I must say I gave up much sooner with my second. I do agree to pump at the same times your child eats, it makes it much easier. I'm sure you're already doing that, especially if you have the hands free bra, which is amazing!!!. Make sure you have plenty of lube for your breasts. I even put some lanolin on the inside of the flange before I started pumping and that helped. A lactation nurse told me to do this so it's okay.

Hang in there! Good luck!

Hi! Keep it up! I have 2 boys. One is now 3 and the other 1. The first one I fed breast milk exclusively for about 8 months mostly pumping. We nursed for 1 meal a day (the 2:00 AM feeding). It was just easier than the nipple shield, him not latching on very well until he was older, etc. The first one I had a regular home pump and while I pumped a lot (stopped pumping about after about 5 months as I went back to work and pumping there was just too awkward but I was able to have a couple of months frozen and then we transitioned to formula. The second one I pumped exclusively, he spent a month in the hosptal so aI rented a hospital grade pump for 3 or 4 months. At first I was pumping 8 times a day (at least) as I felt this was the only thing I could do for him. The hospital pump was much better, the made me stop bringing milk to the hospital. the little one didn't eat as much as the big one and I was able to save (freeze) 5 months worth of milk so while I stopped pumping at around 5 months he was able to have for about 10. That being said it was hell! I started cutting back at 3 months as I was running our of freezer space and it was getting harder to wake-up at night. At about 3 months he started sleeping through the night so that was good. The older one was in day care, which made things much easier. I guess long story short is that if it is important enough you will figure out a way. It was exhausting but I lost over 50 pounds with both boys pumping, which was more than I gained with each pregancy so I found another motivation as I figured #2 was my last and I didn't want to be an overweight mom so I worked on eating right (no exercise as I barely had time to think about it) but I am happy and wish I could have done longer but it was too much! Give your self a break! Even if you cut back now and supplement your babies milk with formula as least he is getting as much as you can give him. A 4 year old it a lot of work and you don't wan tot feel like you are shorting either one as that only adds to the stress of being a mom, recovering from childbirth and pregnancy, lack of sleep, wanting to bond with the new one, taking care of your house and husband, etc., etc. etc.! Take care of your self and I would start by cutting 1 pumping a day and spread out the others. Then a week or so later cut another one, etc. It will definitely reduce any pain. I wish you the best!

It will get easier around 8 wks. Pump as much as you need to get enough milk. 8 times a day should be enough, unless you do not get enough milk in a day. I had trouble pumping enough milk, so had to supplement, but most moms I know have excess milk and freeze it, so it just depends. I pumped 8 months with baby #1 and 6 months with baby #2, and both times I would have liked to have done more, but you do what you are able. I got worn out, wasn't producing much milk, and getting sick all the time, so I had to take care of myself so that I could be a good mother to my children in other ways. I have read stories about moms who have been able to get their babies to nurse as old as 5 months, even after pumping that long, so keep trying!

You get used to it but it doesn't take less time. I pumped exclusively for both of mine but never had a good milk supply. I would try and keep your current schedule as much as you can until 6-8 weeks at least. I read that is the amount of time needed to establish you milk supply. I also had a BF doctor say it was more helpful to do frequent shorter pumping sessions at first--but it can be harder to do it that way. I lasted about 5 months with my oldest and 10 months until my supply dried up totally. But don't give up if you have to supplement--I was only pumping enough for 1 full feeding with my kids and I could still see benefits with that small amount of milk (1-2 oz of breastmilk per day was enough to keep colds away).
I had a really good bra from La Leche League's web site--it was good for nursing and pumping. The rest of the time I used old no wire bras with a hole cut out for the pump (no wire so they fit under another nursing bra if necessary). Good luck!

You have gotten a lot of great advice so far. I also agree with the posters who have said to pump each time your daughter feeds. Around 6-8 weeks, I was able to cut down the number of pumping sessions. My baby girl is now 6 months and I pump 3-4 times a day for 20-30 minutes each time. That produces about 40 ounces of milk per day. In the beginning, however, I was only getting maybe 2 ounces each time I pumped. Keep up the great work! It is so hard in those early days, but it gets easier. Or it has for me anyway!

Another thing I had to tell myself in those first few weeks is that every teeny tiny ounce that I was able to get would benefit my daughter. If I had to supplement with formula, then it would be OK. The breastmilk combined with formula would actually benefit her by providing her the much needed antibodies and would help her digest the formula. The irony is that once I stopped putting so much pressure on myself about supply, the milk just came in like crazy! Stress and lack of sleep can definitely hinder your supply. Try not to stress and remember that you are doing a fantastic job by providing milk for your baby... no matter how much or how little you are able to get!