A National Survey: Trends in U.S. Postpartum Pumping Practices After Term Deliveries

Background: Early and regular pump use is increasingly observed in clinical practice. The prevalence, motives, and clinical impact of these practices remain poorly understood. We aim to characterize pump use initiation, intensity, motivations, and challenges following U.S. term deliveries. Methods: This cross-sectional study used online survey data from U.S. individuals who delivered a term infant within the previous 13 months and ever provided pumped breast milk to their infant. Descriptive analyses characterize participant demographics, pump use initiation, intensity, motivations, and challenges. Chi-square tests compare key experiences between individuals who pumped above versus below the sample's median pumping sessions per day. Results: We included 877 individuals from 49 states with median maternal and infant ages of 30 years and 6 months, respectively. Most participants (73%) were providing pumped milk to their infant currently. Pumping was most often initiated on day-of-delivery (38%); 67% initiated pumping by day 3 postpartum. Most participants (72%) had a pumping schedule; a median of four daily pumping sessions was reported. Breastfeeding challenges that motivated pumping included issues with supply (51%), engorgement (38%), and latch (26%). Participants also experienced oversupply (25%) and mastitis (15%). Stress/fatigue (40%) was a top pumping-related challenge. Those who pumped ≥4 times daily felt significantly more upset about discarding breast milk compared with those who pumped <4 times daily (22% vs.15%, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Among our participants with term infants, shifts toward early (day-of-delivery) and regular (routine or scheduled) postpartum pumping practices were observed. Examination of how early and/or regular pumping influences breastfeeding outcomes and maternal well-being following term deliveries is needed.