How long can you express milk without breast feeding?

You need to be pumping every 3 hours if you're not feeding direct from the boob. It's called Exclusive Pumping or EP.

You'll dry up if you don't pump and don't feed from the boob.

But you can EP for as long as you want, you can do it for 12 months straight if you want. If you stick to your pumping schedule you won't dry up.

BUT if you actually want to get bub back on the breast, see a lactation consultant for help.

However long you keep up the pumping. I exclusively pumped for months. I got tired of pumping every 2-3 hours (I was producing exactly as much as he was taking) so moved to combi feeding with pumped breast milk and formula. Even then pumping is 5x/ day for me so now moving to full formula at seven months.

She'll be preferring it because it's less work, and feeding is a skill baby will get better at. Keep latching her at the breast first, and bear in mind that they will cluster feed too, it's all about upping your supply. Plenty of skin to skin, latch on whenever she wants too or shows hunger cues - if you want her to feed from you that is.

Otherwise as above, you can pump for however long you want to. Just remember to keep the oxytocin flowing as that helps your milk flow too

I dry up about 2 months after going pump only. 3 out of 3 babies. My boobs don't like the pump 😭

Learn paced bottle feeding. Are you sure baby isn't getting a lot from the breast? Baby to Breast helps signal milk production. A single feed should take no more than 20min.

yes she doesn’t even last up to 10mins she just uses it as a pacifier after a while or just sleeps off

@Feyi she may be getting enough in 10 min. It's hard to say. Have you consulted an IBCLC or checked for ties

It took about 12 days for my son to latch properly and then he was EBF until 13 months

I exclusively pumped for 14 months after my eldest didn't latch. If you pump properly (i.e. as often as you would nurse) then your supply won't drop. So that's 8-12+ times in a 24 hour period.

10 days old isn’t too late to get baby back on the breast if that’s what you want. It took us about 3-4 weeks to really get going with breastfeeding. It might be worth speaking to a lactation specialist before calling it a day there’s still time for baby to get the hang of it. Otherwise you would need to pump every 3hrs around the clock, including through the night, to keep your milk supply up. Basically you need to pump when baby would feed so as not to lose your supply.

Keep trying to latch every feed. It's hard but you can do it if you want. No you won't dry up just keep to your pumping.