How Much Milk Should I Be Producing When Exclusively Pumping
If you firmly believe that breast milk is the best food for your newborn/toddler, but you are not ready to breastfeed or do not want to breastfeed, what can you do? Exclusive pumping is a great way to give your baby the full benefits of breast milk without having to breastfeed him.
Exclusive Pumping Milk Supply
Until your baby is taking solid foods recommended at around 6 months, their milk intake will not vary very much. (Check out what are the best baby food maker to make purees) There is nothing to worry about as long as your milk produced can meet your little one appetite. According to lactation consultant Nancy Mohrbacher, your baby intake depends on by age and by one month will be by the weight.
1st Week – 1 to 2 Ounces(30-60mL)/feeding
4th – 5th Week – 3 to 4 Ounces(90 – 120mL)/feeding
Their peak daily milk intake will be about 30 ounces per day (900 mL). However, do note that some baby intake will be more or less than this figure mentioned. We have also written an article on How Much Breastmilk Should A Newborn Eat.)
This data will be useful to gauge if you are producing enough milk for your little one. If you feel that you are suffering from low milk supply check out breastfeeding supplements to increase milk supply. Another common and effective way will be consuming lactation cookies.
In this article, I’m going to share with you in details about exclusive pumping, and more information to help you as an exclusive pumping mom.
What is exclusive pumping?
Exclusive pumping is also popularly known as EPing. This is the process you pump milk using a breast pump (either manual breast pump or electric breast pumps. Then you can feed your baby the milk either using a bottle or any other alternative feeding methods.
However, it’s important to note that exclusive pumping is not easy. It can be time consuming and exhausting. Also, you might find it quite challenging to pump for a long time exclusively. Giving up isn’t an option because your baby will get fuller benefits from breast milk.
Apparently it’s #WorldBreastfeedingWeek. Sometimes breastfeeding looks like this, and NO, moms don’t pump “because it’s easy.” I did it because mine had problems latching. I’m still really proud of my #exclusivelypumping journey 2+ years later. ??? #WBW2018 pic.twitter.com/b1gOGl0ada
— Meru (@merucosplay) August 4, 2018
Why Some Mothers Exclusively Pump Breast Milk
You can breastfeed for a while and start exclusive pumping, or you can exclusively pump right from the time the baby is born.
Here are some of the reasons why mothers opt for this technique.
- You have a preemie that cannot breastfeed
- Your baby isn’t latching properly
- If you’re working mother and must return to work immediately
- You are worried about your milk production and prefer to see how much your child is getting.
- Breastfeeding your baby is painful but you can withstand pumping
- You have twins, triplets or more.
- You do not want to breastfeed.
You have a preemie that cannot breastfeed
As premature babies can’t always nurse perfectly, most mothers have to pump out the breastmilk as long as possible for the preemie. Research has shown that breastmilk from mummies that have premature babies tend to have more protein and different fats levels as later breastmilk. The breastmilk is very important and designed for the preemie, especially for the first few weeks.
Your baby isn’t latching properly
Normally this can be resolved by applying nipple cream or ensuring your baby is latching on with the correct position. Here are some signs of correct nursing.
- Your baby’s mouth is wide open with lips turning out
- The chin and nose are pressed against the breast
- Your newborn is suckling rhythmically and deeply with some short bursts and pauses
- You can observe him swallowing normally
- Your nipples are not painful after the first few suckles
Seek advice from your lactation consultant to learn the correct techniques especially for the first few weeks. If you prefer to learn from the comforts of your home, there is a short online breastfeeding class conducted on teachable by Certified Lactation Educator Stacey Stewart.
Related Post: breastfeeding pain relief for nipples
If you’re working mother and must return to work immediately
This normally happens after the third month. It will not be possible to do direct latching for your baby on a daily basis. You may need to pump to bottles at your work place, store in milk bags before bringing home to keep at the fridge. It is also important to know how long is warmed breast milk good for and guidelines for breast milk storage.
If you are looking for a comprehensive step by step video guide on Back to Work Pumping, you can check it out here.
You are worried about your milk production and prefer to see how much your child is getting
This is perfectly normal when you are breastfeeding to ask whether he is getting enough to eat. The problem of direct latching is the inability to know how much breast milk the hungry monster is getting. Here are some guidelines to ensure your newborn is perfectly fine
- Lose no more than 10kg of birth weight in the first few days after birth before gaining weight again
- Have proper stool movements for the first month. You can determine the stools by the color. (Source)
- Having six or more wet diapers daily. The urine should be near colorless or pale yellow between 5th to 7th day
- Not fussy and grumpy and crying too frequently for milk
- Nursing at least 8 to 12 times daily
Of course, exclusive pumping is one great way to know how much your newborn is feeding.
Breastfeeding your baby is painful but you can withstand pumping
There are sometimes unforseen circumstances that force you to just do exclusive pumping. For my situation, my baby boy is teething at 4 months old and starts to bite when latching. It reaches a stage where I have to give up on direct latching and focus on exclusive pumping instead. Do note that every baby will behave differently and I am still able to direct latch my elder daughter for up to 8-9 months.
You have twins, triplets or more
Even though it can be convenient to feed them simultaneously in order to save time, sometimes handling twins or more can be very tiring. You may need to express out the milk and get someone else to bottlefeed your hungry babies while you get some precious rest. This kind of situation may make more sense to focus on exclusive pumping instead of direct latching
You do not want to breastfeed
Some mummies shared that it is more convenient to pump out the milk in bulk and feed it to your child later. I guess there is no right or wrong but also consider the importance of breastfeeding before making this decision.
Exclusive pumping tricks and tips
If you’re planning on pumping only, here are some tips and tricks to help you get started.
1. Accept the fact that it is very, very difficult
This is not meant to scare you, but the fact is that exclusive pumping can be a challenge. During the first few days when you establish a steady milk supply, you might feel “enslaved to the breast pump” because you’ll be pumping eight, ten or even twelve times a day.
I have no idea what breastfeeding is like, but I can honestly say #ExclusivelyPumping for my NICU twins is the hardest thing I have done.
— Coffee & Kids (@_sahm_life_) November 9, 2015
Your breasts will hurt and then comes the chores of washing baby bottles, pump bottles and breast pump parts.
Additionally, for mothers who had hoped to breastfeed but couldn’t because the baby wouldn’t latch, it can be tough to accept the fact that you’ll be exclusively pumping for the next few months.
2. Involve your partner
If you are breastfeeding, it’s entirely reasonable to wake up in the middle of the night and breastfeed your baby. However, if you got a stash of milk in the freezer, your partner can answer those midnight cries and feed the baby.
This will not only help you get some rest but will also help your partner establish a bond with the baby.
3. Establish a pumping schedule
It was challenging to balance the work and pumping for my daughter, especially when I started pumping.
When establishing a steady milk supply, it is essential to pump each time the baby breastfeeds to create a steady “demand and supply” that a breastfeeding baby creates. But once steady milk supply is established, you can always deviate.
4. Buy a good electric breast pump
Investing in a good electric pump is very important especially for exclusive pumpers. While a manual breast pump will work just fine– it can be tiresome since you’ll need to pump milk several times a day.
I would recommend investing in a good reliable breast pump for exclusive pumping or check the pump I use here.
Exclusive Pumping Schedules
For a newborn
You will find websites recommending that you should pump something 8-12 times in a day since that’s how newborns feed.
As your fellow mom, I would recommend between 8-9 pumping sessions in a day with 10 as the upper limit and 7 as the lower limit.
Here is my exclusive pumping schedule with 8 and 10 pumping sessions in 24 hours; you can tweak however you want:
7am-10am-12pm-3pm-6pm-9pm-12am-4am (eight pumping sessions)
7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 12am, 3am, 5am (eight pumping sessions)
Pumping Schedule for an older baby
Here is a pumping schedule for older babies. You can tweak it to a schedule that best fits you.
6 am, 10 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm, 10 pm (This is a six pumping session schedule for older babies)- it will allow you to get 8 hours of sleep. Ideal from 10-12 weeks
6am- 9am- 12pm- 3pm- 10pm (Ideal from 3-6 months)
6am, 10am, 2pm, 10pm (Ideal from 6-11 months)
6am, 12pm, 10pm (Ideal from 11-12 months)
6 am, 7 pm (Ideal from 12-14 months)
Just in case y’all weren’t aware #exclusivelypumping ? pic.twitter.com/EpuUkJF3gt
— Exclusively Pumping (@exclusivepumpin) May 12, 2016
Breast pump for Exclusive pumping
The most important tool you’ll need as an exclusive pumper is a breast pump. What you will need in a breast pump as an exclusive pumping mother is different than in women who pump occasionally.
When choosing the best breast pump for exclusive pumping, it’s important to buy one that has good suction, durable and allows you to be mobile.
Here is my recommended list of the best breast pumps for exclusive pumping.
- Philips Avent Double Electric Pump
- PREUP Advanced Breast Milk Pump with Pacifier
- Spectra Baby USA – S2 Plus Premier Electric Breast Pump
- Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump
- Medela Pump in Style Advanced
- Spectra Baby USA – S1 Plus Premier Rechargeable Electric Breast Pump
Conclusion on Exclusive pumping
As a breastfeeding mum myself, I understand about the worries of not having enough breast milk for my little one when exclusive pumping. The good thing is that there are still ways to bump up low milk supply by taking the best foods to increase milk supply or doing power pumping.
If you feel that the above information about exclusive pumping is not sufficient for you and you want to pump like a PRO in 90 minutes, check out this short online class conducted by Certified Lactation Educator Stacey Stewart.
