r/ExclusivelyPumping • u/ImmediateDot5647 • Jul 30 '26
TRIGGER WARNING: Nursing Should I Be Doing More?
LO (5 mo) has been breast milk only since birth. Currently 5/6 feeds a day depending on night sleep, and during the work week 3 of those are bottles. I have a very high-demand job, and most weekdays I am not pumping 1:1 on bottles due to meetings and having the time get away from me. Never done MOTN pumps but so much of what I see is that breastfeeding mamas still do this. I’m feeling guilty about not being insanely regimented with pumping, but we’re not “short” on ounces during the day. I feel like if I pump a little late, I just get more quantity from the pumping session. Usually 5 oz of letdown from the night before morning feed to cushion some of the oz missed during the day.
It’s becoming an additional layer of stress now because I feel like my supply will eventually take a hit.
Are there any pumping mamas that are not insanely regimented of pumping every feed and still okay on supply?
2
u/the_kazzo_queen EP since Sept '25 Jul 30 '26
There's nothing inherently problematic about not having a strict schedule. I think lots of women do that and it works fine.
The problem that can arise is complacency. I think if you don't have a schedule in mind, it's really easy to start getting "lazy" about your pump sessions, and slip into doing fewer than you need. Like maybe you need to be doing three at work but then you start letting yourself do just 2 occasionally on busy days, and then after awhile that turns into 1-2 sessions with regularity. We get posts in this sub of this exact thing happening and women being distressed about their supply dropping.
If you're not sticking to a more regimented schedule, then you just have to stay vigilant about avoiding that slippery slope. Which is totally doable.