How much breast milk should I pump per day?  This is an extraordinarily common question many mothers ask, especially first-time moms new to breastfeeding.  The motherly instinct to provide the best possible nutrition for her baby has create certain uncertainties that need answers.

When finding out how much breast milk a mom should pump per day, she should seek the advice of her OB/GYN and/or her baby’s pediatrician.  These two resources will be invaluable assets in terms of breastfeeding advice.

Another way of determining the amount of breast milk a baby needs is to measure feedings and multiply that with how many times the baby feeds in a day.

• Baby takes 3 ounces of breast milk a day
• Baby feeds every 3 hours, making that 8 times in a 24-hour period
• 3 x 8 = 24 ounces a day

Factor in how many times the baby is at breast, and how many times the breast milk will be fed by bottle.  If the baby is bottle fed 3 times a day, then the actual amount that needs to be pumped is around 9 ounces.  Pumping more is always great, as the additional milk can be refrigerated ro stored for a later feeding.

Here are some solid resources on the amount of milk required for an infant per day:

• Kellymom.com
• Kid’s Health
• MUSC Health – Women’s Services

Photo by Jessicafm under Creative Commons CC BY 2.0