The following is a typical way of moving a pump session and/or cutting it out completely.
Most moms will want to kick their middle of the night pump to the curb so let’s start with a typical 2:00 a.m. session.

Move the session by a half an hour every 2 to 3 days until you reach your desired normal pumping time.

Day zero: Pump at 2:00 a.m.
Day one: Pump at 2:30 a.m.
Day three: Pump at 3:00 a.m.
Day five: Pump at 3:30 a.m.
Day seven: Pump at 4:00 a.m.

Some moms will nurse or pump again around 4:00-5:00 a.m. but if you don’t, go ahead and keep moving your pump session by a half an hour until you reach your normal scheduled nursing/pump session of the day.

By moving the session by a half an hour, every few days, you:

1. Don’t allow your breasts to get too full too quickly;
2. Don’t allow your ducts to swell causing engorgement;
3. Allow your breasts to acclimate to the change;
4. Reduce the risk of clogs.

You should be able to maintain your supply with this simple method!

What to do if your supply starts to decrease after moving or removing your pump session

The moment you realize your supply is starting to decrease, plan a time to power pump. If after two days of power pumping, you are not able to gain most of your supply back you will likely have to plan on adding a 15-30 minute pump session back in for a few days in order to gain your supply back. Your schedule will would look like this:

1. You used to pump at 2:00 a.m. for 30 minutes;
2. You were able to move the above session to 7 a.m. but your supply started to decrease;
3. You can try doing a 15 to 30 minute pump at 5 a.m. for a few days to see if that helps stabilize your output.

If the early morning hours do not aid in maintaining your supply you can add in another pump session at a later time in the day. Just remember that Prolactin levels are higher in the morning so you may have a better response during this time.  If you are not able to get a 15 minute session back in to your schedule, many moms will power pump once every 3 days to maintain their supply.