Medically reviewed by Alyssa Copeland, RN, IBCLC
If you’ve been pumping on a set schedule and it’s working for you, that’s great! But if you’re struggling to find time to pump in between feeding and caring for your baby, and it’s causing you a ton of stress, there is another option: pumping and feeding your baby AT THE SAME TIME.
In this post, I’ll go over:
- Why pump and feed your baby at the same time
- Where to pump and feed your baby
- What you need to have to pump while feeding
- The basic step-by-step process
- Tips and suggestions
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through these links.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for informational purposes only. You can read my full disclaimer here.
If someone had told me, when my daughter was first born, that I’d be exclusively pumping for the next 15 months, I would have laughed in their face.
15 months?! I don’t even think I can make it 15 days. My baby was slightly colicky, I struggled to find time to pump, let alone sleep, and my husband was going back to work.. on the night shift. How on earth would that even be possible?
One day, I was looking through Facebook group posts and someone had mentioned that they fed their baby and pumped at the same time. ((Light bulb!)) It was a little tricky figuring out how to get started, but I remember, so clearly, the first time I tried it.
The feeling I felt afterwards was so freeing. It’s like that hallelujah feeling you get when your baby starts taking 2 hour naps. That excited, hopeful feeling of WOW, what should I do with all this time I just got back?!!! And instead of worrying about whether I’d be able to get my baby to go to sleep so I could pump, I was able to actually relax and enjoy snuggling with her.
I started thinking, could I do this for ALL of my pumping sessions? How would that work? Would my supply be affected at all? I decided to give it a try, and thank goodness I did!
What this looked like for me:
- I started pumping while feeding when my baby was a little over 4 weeks old. I threw my “pumping schedule” in the trash and just pumped on demand whenever my baby was hungry.
- Most days, that would be every 2 hours during the day, and then I’d get to sleep longer stretches at night!
- I only pumped in the middle of the night if she woke up. ((She started sleeping through the night consistently by the time she was 3 months…. but don’t ask me how I did it. My second is still waking up at 3 years old!)) I did get engorged in the morning, so I added in an extra pumping session before I went to bed to shorten the time between pumps. Once my supply regulated, I stopped getting engorged.
- I ended up having a slight oversupply even after my supply regulated.
- I gradually dropped pumping sessions at certain times during the day and just snuggled her in my arms while I fed her.
- I became WAY less stressed, and maybe it’s just a coincidence, but this was also right around the time when my baby started crying less.
Why should you pump and feed your baby at the same time?
- It mimics direct nursing: Experts are always suggesting that you feed your baby on demand. You don’t feed your baby on a schedule, so why should you have to pump on a schedule? Instead, you can feed and pump on demand. When you do this, you’re removing milk at the same time your baby is drinking, which is exactly what you’d be doing if you were nursing.
- It saves time: When you can multitask by pumping while feeding your baby, you’re combining two time-consuming care tasks. When you don’t have to pump in between feedings, you can focus more on playing and snuggling with your sweet baby. And it helps you get more sleep as well.
- It’s less stressful: Caring for a baby can be very unpredictable at times. You won’t have to stress about when your next pumping session will be, and you won’t worry about whether you pumped enough times that day. As long as your baby is feeding enough times per day, you’ll be pumping enough times. (See feeding chart below for the average number of feedings by age). Also, if you are trying to increase your supply, it will be much easier to find time to fit in an extra pumping session.
- There may be less crying: My baby was a CRIER as a newborn. If she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she was crying. Before I started pumping while feeding, if I couldn’t get her to go to sleep fast enough, I would have to listen to her crying while I was trying to pump. Any mom knows how soul-crushing that sound is. And if you’re trying to pump while listening to your crying baby, your stress levels increase, which may lower your output.
- You’ll have a more natural weaning process: As your baby gets older and feeds less often, you pump less often, and so dropping pumping sessions becomes more natural.
- You may be more likely to reach your breastfeeding goals: One of the main reasons moms stop exclusively pumping before one year is because of how time-consuming and stressful it can be. I’m pretty sure that I would have stopped pumping way sooner if I hadn’t been pumping and feeding at the same time.
Where to pump and feed your baby
- On a bed: A bed gives you more space and there’s less chance your baby will roll off compared to being on a couch. This is how I first started when my baby was a newborn. I had her in a Boppy pillow beside me and my pumping station set up on a tray on the bed.
- At a table: When my baby got a little older, I put her in a high chair and pumped at the kitchen table.
- On a couch: Just make sure you keep a close eye on your baby to make sure they don’t roll off.
- On the floor: You could put your baby in a bouncer or on a pillow and sit next to them on the floor. This way also gives you more space, though it’s probably not as comfy as a bed!
What you need to have to pump while feeding
There are a few extra things you’ll need to add to your pumping station. You’ll want to make sure you have everything you need before you start. If you’d like more tips about setting up your pumping station, you can check out this post.
- Hands-free bra: You’re going to need a hands-free bra for this to work. If you don’t want to buy one, you can make your own.
- Place for baby to sit: You can use a Boppy, pillow, bouncer, swing ((turned off!)), or even their car seat in a pinch. If you have a high chair that reclines, this is another great option. If your baby is still young and small enough, you could put him or her on your lap. Positioning your baby in a slight incline can help prevent spitting up and choking. Just make sure you put them in a safe place where they can’t fall, and don’t leave them unattended if you’re putting them on a bed or couch.
- Bib and/or burp cloth
- Bottle
- Extra milk or formula: In case your baby finishes their bottle and is still hungry.
- Toys or books: If your baby finishes their bottle before you’re done pumping, you might want to have something to entertain them.
Basic step by step process
- If you’re not already wearing your hands-free bra, put it on.
- Get the bottle. It’s easiest if you have the milk already measured out and ready to go.
- Put together your pump parts and place them in your bra.
- Put your baby in the seat.
- Hook up the tubing and turn on the pump.
- Put the bottle in baby’s mouth. Tada!!!
Tips & Suggestions
- Feeding chart by age: Depending on how old your baby is, here are the general guidelines of how many times they should be eating, and therefore how many times you should pump (Sources listed below).
-
- I want to highlight that these are general guidelines. There is a wide range of “normal”, and it’s important to remember that every baby is different and every mama is different. Your baby may need to eat more or less than this, and you may need to pump more or less.
- I also want to mention that it’s generally recommended that exclusively pumping moms wait until your supply regulates before dropping below 8 pumps per day. Supply usually regulates sometime between 6-12 weeks postpartum. I personally did not wait that long to start dropping pumps, but you do risk having your supply decrease with each session you drop.
-
- Burp your baby on your lap: It’s probably going to be hard to burp your baby over your shoulder while wearing your pump. The easiest way would be to burp him or her on your lap. To do this, sit your baby upright on your lap and put the burp cloth on your baby’s lap. Use your thumb and index finger to support your baby’s chin and support them with the rest of your hand. Lean them forward slightly, and pat and rub their back with your other hand.
- Warming the bottle: I stopped warming my baby’s bottle early on. There is no medical reason to warm a bottle. It’s purely preference. If your baby still refuses to take the bottle cold, I suggest doing this step first. Then put on your hands-free bra and get hooked up while you’re waiting. If you want to try to transition out of warming bottles, you could try making the bottle a little less warm each time until they take it cold.
- Pumping log: You might want to keep track of your sessions to make sure you’re getting enough in. I’ve created a pumping and feeding log to make it easier. You can download it for free here.
- Oversupply: If you have an oversupply, you might not need to pump every single time you feed your baby. Figure out how many times you actually need to pump, and then choose which times would work best for you. For example, if your baby eats 8 times a day and you only need to pump 4-5 times, you could pump during the first and last feedings of the day, plus 1 or 2 times during the day, or in the middle of the night if you’re waking up engorged.
- Undersupply: If you have a low supply and you’re trying to increase it, you might need to add in a session if your baby is eating less than 8 times a day. But it is MUCH easier to find time to do that when you’re pumping and feeding at the same time than it would be if you were only pumping in between feedings. You could add in a session during your baby’s nap, before you go to bed at night, or in the middle of the night if your baby has started sleeping through the night.
Pumping and feeding my baby at the same time was probably the biggest game changer for me. If you want to find out even more, click here to download this FREE cheatsheet I created of the Top 12 Game Changers for Exclusive Pumping.
You are doing an amazing job!
This post has been medically reviewed by Alyssa Copeland, RN, IBCLC
Alyssa Copeland is a mom of 3. She is a graduate of University of Michigan School of Nursing, and has been a pediatric RN since 2010. She has been an active La Leche League Leader since 2016 and an IBCLC since 2020.
Sources:
https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/newborn-nursing
https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-feeding-schedule#how-often-to-feed
https://milkbarbreastpumps.com.au/blogs/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-by-age-what-to-expect
https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding/mums-journey/support-after-one-month
Pingback: How to burp your baby while pumping- Exclusively Expressing
Pingback: 9-Step Quick Start Guide for Exclusive Pumping - Exclusively Expressing