How much milk?

How many ounces of milk do you get in each pumping session?  Do you pump for a specific time, or until the very last drop?

[tiredbuthappy]

i pump until i feel completely deflated, which is usually an extra small let-down past when i feel pretty much empty. the first time around i pumped watching the clock- i find this less stressful.

I don't regularly space my pumps, so i can't say a specific number of ounces per pump. however, i have noticed that righty gets about an ounce for every hour that has passed since the previous pump, and lefty gets about an ounce less than that. it varies a bit if i haven't had enough sleep, to eat, or drink, but that's what i normally expect. So, if it's been 5 hours since the last pump, i may get 9 oz total- 5 from righty 4 from lefty.

[PamelaBee]

I'm nursing on demand also, so I guess that's why I don't express alot when I pump.  My right boob is far more plentiful than my left one too.

[rdh1981]

Mine varies too. When I wake up in the morning I can pump like 12oz. Then about two hours later I feel like I need to pump again and I can usually get another 4oz. So within two pumps I have enough to make half of his feedings for the day.

My supply starts to dwindle during the day and then for some reason it picks back up again at night. The last pump before I go to bed, I can usually get about 6-7oz.

So, I think I pumping around 30-34oz a day. But I am only pumping and not nursing, so I know this makes a difference.

[tiredbuthappy]

i should add that my supply is a bit lower this time around. WHen I was religious about pumping and watched the clock, i made up to 48 ounces/day. With the more casual approach, i am making 40-42 ounces/day. I'm not freezing as much, but as far a sanity and feasibility, this is more sustainable this time around.

[PamelaBee]

Rachel, are you nursing too or exclusively pumping?  My problem is, I don't know how much she's taking from the breast, so when I pump, I don't usually get a big supply.  I may get 6oz max (if that) each time I pump, and that's from both breasts.  

[PamelaBee]

oops, sorry I just read your post again, and you are just pumping : )

[tiredbuthappy]

you can kinda guess based on how much she normally eats by bottle. DD takes 4 ounces every 2 hours.

[Diane1003]

I would pump for time at first when I was first pumping. If it was after a nursing session I'd pump for like 10 min. If I was at work and pumping I'd go until I was 'empty' - I'd use some manual compression to help get all the milk out.  Like the others - I'd get WAY more first thing in the morning.  I know what you mean with not knowing how much the baby is taking in so how do we know how much to pump...?  I just tried to keep in mind that the baby was more efficient than the pump and trust my body...

[Super_sally888]

I pump and bf, both.
My supply is not so plentiful.  I usually can get about 2 oz (pumped) after work in the evenings - and let baby drink then.

In the morning I can get between max of 6, sometimes less, like only 4.  Lunch time I also pump and can usually get around 4 oz.

My schedule is

baby sleeps with me overnight and drinks on demand.
Get up at 7ish.  Baby still sleeps til nine, usually.  PUmp as much as I can.
Go to work.
12ish come home from work and breastfeed her, pump as much as I can and then back to work.
7ish come home from work.  Breastfeed on demand all evening. Try to express as much as I can (usually only a couple of oz, which will then supplement whatever I can get in the morning / lunch time.

I think my problem is let down of milk when pumping rather than no milk.  Baby seems to do fine anyway and she's never had formula.  She's now 10 1/2 months old.  I didn't start her on solids until 6 1/2 months and even now she doesn't eat much... but she's growing like a weed... :)

baby is way more efficient than any pump.

[nicole179]

i usually get between 4-7 oz per pump session, depending on how long it has been since the last.  if it has been a really long time since i've been wiothout my pump i can get 9 or 10.  i pump then bottle feed, usually a session takes me 10 minutes, that is what i shoot for, but if milk is still flowing i will continue until it abotu stops, but 10 minutes is usually i need. hope that helps answer your question. my supply has finally boosted up a bit to keep up with my 2 month old.  i spent 1 day pumping every chance i got and i drink teas and take supplements that are supposed to help with supply, i'm not sure if they are working or not though