Let’s Talk Pumping and What’s Actually Normal

Jun 17

If you’ve ever sat down with your pump, hit that power button and waited to feel like the dairy queen Instagram made you feel like you should only to be left with 0.75 oz of liquid gold, this post is for you.

Because pumping is not a competition, a test of your maternal worth, nor a one-size-fits-all situation, despite what those freezer stash photos on your feed might have you believing.

So, What’s a Normal Amount to Pump?

Let’s break it down with the facts, courtesy of La Leche League and seasoned lactation professionals:

🍼 if you mostly nurse, getting .5 - 2 oz COMBINED TOTAL per pump session is normal!

🍼 if you are an exclusively pumping (the Navy Seals of Motherhood), getting 2.5 - 5 oz COMBINED TOTAL per pump session is normal!

You do not need to pump 10 oz a session.

You do not need to "create a stash" or fill your freezer.

You do not need to be passively collecting milk while you nurse.

You do not need to have an overflowing pitcher of milk in your fridge.

If you want to do those things, great! But you absolutely don’t have to. And your body isn’t broken if you don’t.

Let’s Address the Oversupply Elephant in the Room

Influencer content can be helpful, but it can also make you question yourself. If you’ve ever thought:

✿ Why don’t I get that much?

✿ What’s wrong with me?

✿ Should I be eating 17 lactation cookies a day?

Remember, what you see on Instagram is not the gold standard. Some people have an oversupply. That’s their story (and oh, by the way, there are some not so great things that come with oversupply, too!!). Your body is doing exactly what it needs to feed your baby.

Can You Increase Pump Output?

If you do want to try to increase your output, you can try:

Increasing how often you pump - power pumping (puming for 15 minutes on/15 minutes off for a total of an hour) can help!
Check the quality of your pump supplies - pump supplies (like duckbill valves, tubing, etc.) can get damaged with use and regular wear and tear. Some of these items need to be replaced as often as every 2-4 weeks!! As the parts get older they get looser, which means less suction. Check your pump’s website to see what you need to replace and when.
Get fited for the right flange size. *Most* women do not fit in the average flange size that comes with a box. A lactation consultant can help you measure (or there are tools online), but the right flange size can be HUGE.
Use breast massage and breast compression to help milk flow
Increase that oxytocin! Look at pictures of your baby, and cover your pump bottles with socks or a blanket! The more you stare at those bottles and every little drop = the more stressed out you are = less oxytocin = less milk flow!

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Your body will have a limit and no special tea or cookie will override your body’s biology.

And that’s okay!!!

P.S. Babies Do It Better Than Pumps!

Babies are often more efficient at extracting milk than pumps. So if you’re mostly nursing and only pumping occasionally, the amount you see in the bottle doesn’t necessarily reflect what your baby is getting at the breast.

Your pump is a machine. Your baby has a suck reflex that a machine can’t touch.

Let’s Normalize the Normal

The truth about pumping?

Pumping 1 oz is normal.

Pumping 3 oz is normal.

Pumping nothing sometimes is also (frustratingly) normal.

Feeding your baby with love and whatever milk you’re able to express? Normal and heroic.

So let’s stop glorifying the gallon-sized bags and start celebrating normal. Because normal is amazing and perfect for your baby.

Want more no-BS, judgment-free solidarity? Join us on Instagram, where we celebrate the normal, the messy and everything in between. You don’t have to do this alone.

Let's Be Insta-BFFS ✿

And if you’re looking for pump supplies that are actually helpful? Shop my favorite tried-and-tested pumping supplies here. (No, you don’t need a nursing cart. I promise.)

SHOP MY PUMPING FAVORITES

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