Trying to build a pumping schedule best suited to your needs is one of the trickiest things (well, aside from giving birth, caring for a newborn, raising children and a few other things….)
Babies usually start to form a sleeping-eating-waking routine around the age of 4 months, so attempting to create a solid pumping or breastfeeding schedule (that is more complicated than supply and demand feeding) before the baby starts showing signs of a regular schedule is unadvisable. For young babies we recommend pumping after the end of the breastfeeding session, just to encouragethe body to produce more milk.
For babies with an established routine, we recommend writing down the baby’s sleeping and feeding time as a first step. After that, countdown 30-60 minutes after a breastfeeding session and add a pumping session. It’s important to try and avoid replacing breastfeeding with a pumping session if possible.
Every pumping session should take somewhere between 15-20 minutes or until you experience 1-2 milk let downs. Make sure not to pump longer than you usually do, this will help you to avoid oversupply.
Starting a pumping schedule is a good idea about a month before going back to work – this will help prevent a potential decrease in milk production and help you manage your workday obligations without skipping any pumping sessions.

If you aren’t sure what is the right schedule for you or if you need help building your pumping schedule, consult a lactation specialist or reach out and we will help!