How Much Milk Should I Be Producing When Exclusive Pumping

When you’re exclusively pumping for your baby, you probably have many, many questions. 

And a lot of doubts…

Because exclusive pumping can be tough! (and not a lot of moms do it)

Let’s tackle one of the most basic questions out there.  How much milk should you be producing when you’re exclusively pumping?

Let’s break it down month by month so you’ll know exactly how much breast milk is typical to be pumping out for your growing baby!

PS: Want expert and insider tips allll about exclusive pumping? You’ll LOVE our Ultimate Exclusive Pumping Class! Take 10% off enrollment using the code: PUMPITUP

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How Much Milk Should I Be Producing When Exclusively Pumping?

Right after birth

You’ll only be able to pump and collect a small amount of colostrum. (perhaps only a few drops to a teaspoon at a time).  Usually hand expression is the best way to collect this.  Learn how to hand express.

Days 1-3 postpartum

Expect to pump less milk than you will later on.  That’s because milk production will ramp up and drastically increase between day 1 and 40.  You’ll go from pumping only about 1 ounce (TOTAL!) on day 1 (completely normal) to an average of 25-30 ounces per day at 5 weeks postpartum, when your milk supply is at its peak and baby reaches their maximum feeding volume.

NOTE: It may take practice to train your body to respond to your pump. 

Days 3 - 30

Expect your milk to come in somewhere between day 2-5.  During this time you should transition from mainly hand expressing to collect colostrum to using your pump to collect your breast milk.  You’ll probably start to get somewhere between 1.5-3 ounces of breast milk out every 2-3 hours.  All numbers/amounts are rough estimates and may change over the course of the day.  This is totally normal as your body produces the most milk early in the morning.

1mo. - 6mo.

Current research indicates that breast milk intake DOES NOT change with baby’s age or weight between one and six months.

Expect to pump an average of 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours. (or about 24-34 ounces each day). Aim to pump at least 24 ounces every 24 hours. 

Every mom and baby is different.  But babies who drink only breast milk during this age take in anywhere between 19 and 30 oz (or 570 – 900 mL) per day (24 hrs). 

This amount will remain fairly constant for the duration that your baby is exclusively breastfed—usually from about one month of age until 6 months or whenever you introduce solids.

The amount your baby drinks per bottle may vary somewhat from feeding to feeding, just as it does at the breast.  If your output decreases at all during this time, adjust your exclusive pumping schedule to increase the amount of pumps per day.

Want to get more milk out each time you pump? Try THIS cool little gadget!

6 months+

When your baby starts eating solid foods at around 6 months, expect their need for breast milk to gradually decrease.  Still offer breast milk before solids.  Solids will naturally take the place of breast milk in their diet over time.  

1 year+ 

Start offering solids BEFORE bottles of pumped breast milk.  Breast milk will still be beneficial after a year and can fill any nutritional gaps in their diet.  Babies drink an average of about 16 ounces of breast milk per day at 1 year.  At 2 years of age babies drink an average of 10-12 ounces per day.

How Often Should You Pump When Exclusive Pumping?

Breast milk is easily digested by babies and newborns typically eat every 2-3 hours around the clock. 

It’s best to mimic this schedule in the beginning and pump every 2 to 3 hours to help you build up a healthy milk supply, especially in the first 40 days.  

NOTE: Younger babies often need to eat more frequently than older babies.

As your baby grows, you MAY be able to drop a pumping session and space out your pumps depending on how your body responds and your baby’s feeding needs.

Option - Once your milk supply is established, some women decide to track how many times they pump per day instead of pumping every 2-3 hours.  This gives you a bit more flexibility when you pump.

NOTE: The number of times you pump is more important than the total time spent pumping, so even if you only have a few minutes to spare to fit in a pumping session it’s worth it.

How breast storage capacity affects how much milk you can pump at each session

Breast storage capacity is the amount of breast milk in your breasts when they are at their fullest. 

Capacity varies from woman to woman and is NOT based on breast size, but on the amount of room in your glands.  Women with a large storage capacity may be able to pump more milk out at a session than those with lower capacity.

How to bottle feed an exclusively breastfed baby

It’s VERY easy to overfeed a baby using a bottle. The way a baby drinks from a bottle is different from the way a baby breastfeeds at the breast. Babies can control the flow of milk at the breast while they can’t when drinking from a bottle.

In order to reduce the risk of overfeeding and more closely mimic drinking at the breast, we recommend using a slow flow nipple.  THIS is our favorite one by far.

What if your milk supply drops when exclusive pumping?

If your milk supply drops,there are several things you can do to increase it. 

• Increase the number of times you pump per day.

• Implement the SMUSH Method to double your output. 

• Eat a galactogogue. (milk-promoting herbs/foods). 

  We love THESE because they’re delish and boost your milk output.

NOTE: Always call your pediatrician with any concerns specific to you and your baby.

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